Editing Saginaw, Michigan (section)

===19th century===
====Early history====
The site of what later became the city of Saginaw was originally inhabited by the [[Anishinaabe|Anishnabeg]]. French missionaries and traders first appeared in the area during the late 17th century and encountered the [[Ojibwe|Ojibwe (Chippewa)]] living in the area. The first permanent settlement by those other than Native Americans was in 1816 when [[Louis Campau]] established a trading post on the west bank of the Saginaw River.<ref name=wses>{{cite news|last1=Manning|first1=Nancy Sajdak|title=West Side, East Side|url=http://www.greatlakesbaymag.com/2014/06/west-side-east-side/|access-date=January 22, 2015|work=Great Lakes Bay Magazine|issue=June 2014|publisher=Great Lakes Publishing}}</ref> Shortly thereafter the [[United States]] established Fort Saginaw. Campau's trading post was also inhabited by Metis.

During Michigan's territorial period, a county and township government were organized at Saginaw. Growth of the settlement was fueled rapidly during the 19th century by the lumber industry. Saginaw was the site of numerous sawmills and served as a port for Great Lakes vessels. What is now the city of Saginaw resulted from the consolidation of the cities of East Saginaw and Saginaw City (West Side) in 1889.

====Fort Saginaw====
In 1819, [[Lewis Cass]], in the [[Treaty of Saginaw]], negotiated the prerogative for the [[United States]] to own and settle the area with the leaders of the [[Ojibwe]]. In 1820, Campau attempted to expand across to the east bank of the river but was rejected by the Chippewas. In 1822, the [[United States Army]] established a [[fort]] on the west bank of the [[Saginaw River]] and named it Fort Saginaw. Two [[Company (military unit)|companies]] were stationed at the fort. A group of investors purchased some land near the fort and had it [[plat]]ted under the name, Town of Sagana. Due to the extremely harsh seasons and illnesses, Fort Saginaw was abandoned by 1824.<ref name=wses/>

By the late 1820s, the [[American Fur Company]] was operating a post at Saginaw.

Few plots were sold and after the U.S. Army pulled out, the town languished for most of the following decade. The town was re-platted in December 1830, comprising riverfront from Cass Street, on the south, to Harrison Street, and north to Jefferson. These plots sold slowly. By 1835, only 24 plots had been sold and the remainder were transferred to a new owner, who made another plat in February 1837. However, the [[financial crisis]] of the [[Panic of 1837]] dampened interest in purchasing properties. After selling only 58 of the 407 plots, the remainder was sold again in 1841.<ref name="leeson">{{cite book |last=Leeson |first=Michael A. |title=History of Saginaw county, Michigan |orig-year=1881 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad1164.0001.001 |access-date=April 11, 2007 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=596+}}</ref>

====Native Americans====
Saginaw was the location of the annual government payment to the Ojibwe and Ottawa of the area, starting in the 1830s. This also attracted many French-Canadian and Euro-American merchants, primarily involved in selling watered down whiskey.<ref>''History of Saginaw County, Michigan'' (Chicago: Charles A. Chapman, 1881) p. 122–123</ref>

====Lumber boom====
[[File:Eddy Lumber Docks 1888.jpg|thumb|Eddy Lumber Docks]]
[[File:Holland Street Lumber Docks 1888.jpg|thumb|Holland Lumber Docks on [[Saginaw River]] 1888]]
[[File:Lumber Docks in Old Saginaw City at Mackinaw Street 1888.jpg|thumb|Lumber Docks in Saginaw City at Mackinaw Street 1888]]
[[File:Lumber Docks A.W. Wright 1888.jpg|thumb|Lumber Docks AW Wright along Saginaw River]]
[[File:Pere Marquette Railroad Station on Potter Street 1888.jpg|thumb|Pere Marquette Railroad Station (Potter Street Station) 1888]]
The main cause for the founding and subsequent development of Saginaw was the large demand for lumber as the [[United States]] expanded westward. A virgin growth forest principally consisting of white pine trees covered most of Michigan. The convenient access to transportation provided by the [[Saginaw River]] and its numerous tributaries fueled a massive expansion in population and economic activity. As the trees were being cut down in the region, logs were floated down the rivers to sawmills located in Saginaw, destined to be loaded onto ships and later railroad cars.

Multiple settlements comprise present-day Saginaw. On the west side of the river the first settlement around what had been Fort Saginaw developed into Saginaw, which was incorporated as a city in 1857, containing the seat of the Saginaw County government. On the east side of the river a parallel settlement, East Saginaw, developed which was incorporated first as a village in 1855, and then as a city in 1859. Also south of East Saginaw, on the east bank of the river, the village of Salina formed. Salina's name relates to the [[brine]] that led to a growing industry of salt production in the area. Both Saginaw and East Saginaw quickly became a hub for railroad transportation in addition to ships on the Saginaw River.
Lumber production peaked by the early 1870s, but had virtually disappeared by the end of the 19th century. In addition to salt production, which experienced an eventual decline as well, growing industries, such as those supporting the area's agriculture and manufacturing, developed.

====Consolidation====
[[File:City Hall built 1890.jpg|thumb|Saginaw City Hall]]
[[File:Saginaw City from Courthouse 1888.jpg|thumb|Saginaw City, looking east from the courthouse towards the river, 1888]]
On June 28, 1889, the [[Michigan]] state legislature passed Act 455 to consolidate the cities of Saginaw and [[East Saginaw, Michigan|East Saginaw]] into a single city.<ref name="minutes">{{cite web |url=http://www.saginaw-mi.com/Government/Departments/CityCouncil/Minutes/2005/06-27-05%20Council%20Meeting-NA.doc |title=Minutes of City Council Meeting—June 27, 2005 |access-date=November 29, 2007}}</ref><ref name="charter">{{cite web |url=http://www.saginaw-mi.com/Government/charter/preface.php |title=City Charter Preface |access-date=November 29, 2007}}</ref> Prior to this consolidation, the nearby village of Salina had already become part of East Saginaw. The consolidation of Saginaw became effective with the election of officers on March 12, 1890.<ref name="charter" />

The provisions of the [[city charter]] were established by the same act of the legislature that provided for the consolidation. Saginaw was to be governed by a [[city council]] consisting of two [[aldermen]] elected from 21 wards and a mainly ceremonial executive [[mayor]] who was to have fairly weak powers. This was to be, as numerous other elected officials, along with elected or appointed boards, controlled much of the administrative and executive functions of government. The efficient and cohesive functioning of the Saginaw city government also was constrained by remaining rivalries between residents, business owners, and politicians from the former two cities. The distinctions and rivalries between Saginaw's east side and west side persisted into the 20th century in various forms, and continues to influence Saginaw's social, political, economic landscape, even into the 2010s.<ref name="rev-150th">{{cite journal |last=Thompson |first=Mike |date=June 2007 |title=Saginaw Celebrates its 150th Birthday! |journal=Review Magazine |volume=29 |issue=641 |url=http://review-mag.com/archive/640-649/641/Saginaw150.htm |access-date=November 29, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022004509/http://www.review-mag.com/archive/640-649/641/Saginaw150.htm |archive-date=October 22, 2007 }}</ref>