West Bay City, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Bay City, Michigan
|
|
|---|---|
|
Former city
|
|
 West Bay City, Michigan
Location in Michigan
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Bay |
| Platted | 1857 |
| Incorporated | 1871 (village) 1877 (city) |
| Disestablished | 1905 |
| Elevation | 584 ft (178 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 2547458 |
West Bay City was a city in Bay County, in the U.S. state of Michigan. It was formed by joining three smaller communities: Banks, Salzburg, and Wenona. West Bay City existed from 1877 until 1905, when it became part of Bay City, Michigan.
History
Early Settlements
Before West Bay City was formed, there were three separate communities. Let's learn about how they started.
Bangor/Banks
The Bangor settlement began in 1834. A person named Joseph Trombley bought land in what is now Bangor Township. The first mill was built there in 1852. In 1857, Joseph Trombley officially planned out the community, which is called "platting."
A post office called "Banks Post Office" opened for Bangor in 1864. It closed for a short time but reopened in 1870. By 1868, about 1,000 people lived in Bangor. In 1871, Bangor became an official village. However, there was already another village named Bangor in Michigan. So, this village was renamed the Village of Banks.
Salzburg
Salzburg was another community that was officially planned out, or "platted," in 1867 by F.H. Fitzhugh. It also had its own post office, which opened in 1869.
Wenona
Wenona started as a community called Lake City. It was planned out in 1863 by Henry W. Sage, near a mill. The community was later renamed Wenona. A railroad line, the Michigan Central, was built north from Wenona in 1871. By 1873, Wenona also had its own post office.
West Bay City Forms
The City of West Bay City was officially created in 1877. The state government decided to combine the villages of Banks, Salzburg, and Wenona into one larger city. Sometimes, it was also called West Bank City.
The Banks Post Office finally closed in 1891. The Salzburg Post Office closed a few years later, in 1894. In 1905, West Bay City merged completely with Bay City, Michigan, and stopped being a separate city.
