Saginaw City, Michigan facts for kids

For the current city, see Saginaw, Michigan

Cities of East Saginaw and Saginaw, Michigan, 1885 before they were consolidated into Saginaw in March, 1890.

The City of Saginaw (Saginaw City) was an old city in Saginaw County, Michigan. It no longer exists as a separate city. Instead, it joined with another city to form the Saginaw you know today. To avoid confusion, people often call the old city "Saginaw City," even though that wasn't its official name back then.

How Saginaw City Started

The very first permanent settlement by white people in this area was a place for trading animal furs. A man named Louis Campau set it up in 1816. It was on the west side of the Saginaw River.

A few years later, in 1819, the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Saginaw. This agreement meant that Native American tribes gave up their claims to most of the land. This made it easier for more settlers from Europe to move into the area.

In 1822, the fur-trading post became a military base called Fort Saginaw. The next year, in 1823, Louis Campau planned out the town. This means he drew up maps showing where streets and buildings would go.

Becoming a City

Saginaw City officially became an incorporated city in 1857. This meant it had its own local government and could make its own rules.

Over time, Saginaw City grew. Right next to it was another city called East Saginaw. Both cities were important, especially for the lumber industry.

On June 2, 1889, the government of Michigan decided to combine Saginaw City and East Saginaw. They passed a law to make this happen. The two cities officially became one new city, which is the current Saginaw. This change became official in March 1890, after new leaders were chosen for the combined city.