Bay City, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 located near the base of the Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay
Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area...

 on Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

. As of the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...

-Bay City-Saginaw Township North
Saginaw Township North, Michigan
Saginaw Township North is a census-designated place in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP is defined for statistical purposes and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population was 24,994 at the 2000 census...

 Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...

. The city, along with nearby Midland
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....

 and Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...

, form the "Tri-Cities" region, which has more recently been called the "Great Lakes Bay" region.

The city is geographically divided by the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...

, and travel between the east and west sides of the city is made possible by four modern drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...

s which allow large ships to travel easily down the river. The city is served by MBS International Airport
MBS International Airport
MBS International Airport is located in Freeland, Michigan, serving the nearby cities of Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw. It was formerly named Tri City Airport or Freeland Tri-City Airport...

, located in nearby Freeland
Freeland, Michigan
Freeland is an unincorporated community in Tittabawassee Township, Saginaw County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also a census-designated place for statistical purposes and without any legal status as an incorporated municipality. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 5,147. The...

, and James Clements Municipal Airport
James Clements Municipal Airport
James Clements Municipal Airport is a public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Bay City, in Bay County, Michigan, United States. This airport is publicly owned by Bay City....

.

History

Leon Tromble is regarded as the first settler within the limits of Bay County, in an area which would become Bay City. In 1831, he built a log cabin on the east bank of the Saginaw river.
Bay City was first established in 1837, and was incorporated as a city in 1865. In 1834 John B. Trudell built a log-cabin near the present corner of Seventeenth and Broadway. Trudell later purchased land that extended from his residence north along the river to what later became the location for the Industrial Brownhoist, making him the first permanent resident of what has become Bay County. Bay City became the largest community in the county and the location of the county seat of government. Most of the county's agencies and associations are located here. The city shares common borders with Essexville
Essexville, Michigan
Essexville is a city in Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,766 at the 2000 census with an estimated population of 3,493 in 2008...

 and the townships of Bangor
Bangor Township, Bay County, Michigan
Bangor Charter Township is a charter township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 15,547 as of the 2000 census and is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Frankenlust
Frankenlust Township, Michigan
Frankenlust Township is a civil township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 2,530 as of the 2000 census. The 2008 census estimate places the population at 3,023. It is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Hampton
Hampton Township, Michigan
Hampton Charter Township is a charter township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 9,902 as of the 2000 census and is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Merritt
Merritt Township, Michigan
Merritt Township is a civil township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 1,441 as of the 2010 census and is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area...

, Monitor
Monitor Township, Michigan
Monitor Charter Township is a charter township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 10,037 as of the 2000 census and is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, and Portsmouth
Portsmouth Township, Michigan
Portsmouth Charter Township is a charter township of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township's population was 3,619 as of the 2000 census and is included in the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

.

Bay City was originally known as "Lower Saginaw," and fell within the boundaries of Saginaw County
Saginaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 210,039 people, 80,430 households, and 55,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 260 people per square mile . There were 85,505 housing units at an average density of 106 per square mile...

 until Bay County was organized in 1857. It was at this time that the name was changed to Bay City. While Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...

 had the first white settlement in this area in 1819, larger ships had difficulty navigating the shallower water near the Saginaw settlement. Due to this fact, many of the early pioneers moved to Lower Saginaw as it became clear its deeper waters made it a better location for the growth of industry which relied on shipping. By 1860, Lower Saginaw had become a bustling community of about 2,000 people with several mills and many small businesses in operation. In 1865, the village of Bay City was incorporated as a city. Rapid economic growth took place during this time period, with lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

ing, milling
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....

, and shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...

 creating many jobs. The early industrialists in the area used the Saginaw River as a convenient means to float lumber to the mills and factories and as a consequence amass large fortunes. Many of the mansions built during this era are registered as historical landmarks by the state and federal government.

In 1873, Charles C. Fitzhugh, Jr., a Bay City pioneer, and his wife, Jane, purchased land and built a home on property bounded by Washington, Saginaw, Ninth and Tenth Streets, which later became the location for City Hall. Fitzhugh dealt on a large scale in wild lands and farms, being an agent for over 25000 acres (101.2 km²) of land in Bay County. During this time, Washington Avenue was primarily developed with residential homes. Businesses were concentrated along Water Street near the Saginaw River. As time went on, businesses started to expand along Washington Avenue. In 1891, the Fitzhughs sold the land to the City of Bay City for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

8,500 "to be used for the erection of a City Hall and offices and for no other purposes whatever."

Until 1905, the City of Bay City was limited to the east bank of the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...

. Previous to that date, the city occupying the west bank of the Saginaw River was a separate city known as West Bay City. The unified Bay City celebrated its centennial in 2005.

During the latter half of the 19th century Bay City was the home of several now-closed industries including many sawmills and shipbuilders. The Defoe Shipbuilding Company
Defoe Shipbuilding Company
The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, USA. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now a scrapyard on the bank of the Saginaw River.-Founding:Harry J...

, which ceased operations December 31, 1975 built destroyer escorts, guided missile destroyers, and patrol craft for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. To maintain this strong Naval heritage, the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum is working through the Naval Sea Systems Command to bring the USS Edson (DD-946)
USS Edson (DD-946)
USS Edson was a of the United States Navy, named for Major General Merritt “Red Mike” Edson USMC , who was awarded the Medal of Honor while serving as Commanding Officer of the First Marine Raider Battalion on Guadalcanal, and the Navy Cross and Silver Star for other actions in world War...

 to Bay City as a museum ship; the Navy is expected to make a decision in the Spring of 2008. Another important part of the city's industrial history is Industrial Brownhoist, which was well-known for its construction of large industrial cranes.

Notable events in city history

In September 1990, The tankship MV Jupiter was unloading gasoline at the Total Petroleum Terminal. A passing cargo ship, the Buffalo, moving at excessive speed, created a wake that caused the Jupiter to break free of its berth. A fire and explosion ensued, and one man drowned. There was considerable legal action taken, ultimately resulting in an adjudication that was subsequently appealed by the owners of the Buffalo. The findings of the Court of Appeals upheld the original decision, which assigned 50% of the responsibility to the Buffalo (for her excessive speed), 25% to the dock operator (for rotten wood pilings) and 25% to the Jupiter (for improper procedures in unloading her cargo).

In January 2009, Bay City's wholly owned municipal power company, Bay City Electric Light and Power, installed a "limiter" device to restrict the receipt of power to the home of Marvin Schur, a 93-year-old customer who had failed to pay an outstanding bill in excess of $1,000. The Bay City Electric Light and Power policy was to install the limiter, and to notify the customer by trying to collect the amount due. City employees failed to knock on the door, and it was later found that Schur had a check already made out and had failed to mail it. Schur died from hypothermia in his home a few days later. The day following his death, Bay City Electric Light and Power removed the limiters from all households. It was later learned that Schur had willed his estate, estimated by family to be in excess of $500,000, to Bay Regional Medical Center.

On October 12, 2010 the historic 113 year old City Hall sustained significant damage as the result of an attic fire which caused the sprinkler system to run for nearly two hours. Most of the damage to the building was water damage from the sprinkler system and water used to fight the fire. The fire started in the midst of a $1.6 million roofing project. After an investigation, it was determined that a worker was using a grinder to cut off bolts in the area where the fire started, and sparks from the work started the blaze. Fire crews were on the scene for nearly five hours fighting the hard-to-access fire.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29.3 km²), of which, 10.4 square miles (26.9 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (8.12%) is water. Despite declining population, Bay City remains (by a narrow margin over Port Huron
Port Huron
Port Huron is the name of a city and a township in St. Clair County, Michigan. See:* Port Huron, Michigan* Port Huron Township, MichiganSee also:* Port Huron Statement...

) as the largest city by population on or near Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

, much smaller than the largest cities on the other four Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

: (Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Cleveland, and Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...

).

Bay City along with Saginaw, and Midland make up the Tri-Cities Area
Tri-Cities (Michigan)
The name Tri-Cities refers to two regions in the U.S. state of Michigan. Both are located in the Lower Peninsula.-The Greater Tri-Cities Region:The larger and more well known Tri-Cities is the region surrounding the cities of Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland...

, a sub-region of Flint/Tri-Cities
Flint/Tri-Cities
The Flint/Tri-Cities Region or Saginaw Valley is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region is composed of the area surrounding Flint, Michigan, the Tri Cities, the Saginaw Bay and Saginaw River . Flint's population is 102,434; it is the seventh largest city in Michigan...

. Sometimes, Bay City can be seen as in the greater Thumb of Michigan Area
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...

, which is also a sub-region of the Flint/Tri-Cities.

Major highways

: This short freeway was once a segment of US 23. It is now a connector freeway between I-75 and M-13.

Bridges

Four modern bascule
Bascule
Bascule may refer to:* A Bascule bridge, a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic...

 bridges allow transportation across the Saginaw River, which separates the East and West sides of Bay City. Lafayette Avenue Bridge
Lafayette Avenue Bridge
The Lafayette Avenue Bridge is a set of two small bridges located in Bay City, Michigan. It carries M-13 and M-84 over the Saginaw River. It is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation, and is the oldest of four drawbridges in Bay City....

, opened in 1938, carries M-13
M-13 (Michigan highway)
M-13 is a north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Saginaw Bay region of the US state of Michigan. It runs from Interstate 69 south of Lennon to US Highway 23 near Standish. The southern section of the trunkline runs long a pair of county lines in a rural area dominated by farm...

 and M-84
M-84 (Michigan highway)
M-84 is a state trunkline highway in the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It was originally part of M-47 until that road was relocated onto what was formerly US 10 from Saginaw Township to east of Midland...

 over the river. The Veterans Memorial Bridge
Veterans Memorial Bridge (Bay City, Michigan)
The Veterans Memorial Bridge is a drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan. It carries Michigan Route M-25 over the Saginaw River. Its location is just south of Wenona Park , and Veteran's Park . The Veterans Memorial Bridge opened in 1957, the same year as the Mackinac Bridge...

, opened in 1957, carries M-25
M-25 (Michigan highway)
M-25 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan. The route follows an arc-like shape closely along the Lake Huron shore of the Thumb in the eastern Lower Peninsula between Port Huron and Bay City. It serves the lakeshore resorts along Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay and generally lies...

 over the river. Independence Bridge
Independence Bridge
The Independence Bridge is a drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan. It carries Truman Parkway over the Saginaw River and was opened in 1973 to replace the earlier Belinda Street Bridge -External links:*...

, opened in 1973, carries Truman Parkway over the river, replacing the earlier Belinda Street Bridge (built in 1893). Liberty Bridge
Liberty Bridge (Bay City, Michigan)
The Liberty Bridge is a drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan. It spans the Saginaw River and connects Vermont Street and Woodside Avenue ....

, opened in 1990, connects Vermont Street (on the west side of the river) and Woodside Avenue (on the east side).

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 36,817 people, 15,208 households, and 9,322 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,537.1 per square mile (1,365.5/km²). There were 16,259 housing units at an average density of 1,562.0 per square mile (603.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.19% White, 2.72% Black, 0.74% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.47% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.72% of the population.

There were 15,208 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.7% were non-families. 32.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,425, and the median income for a family was $38,252. Males had a median income of $32,094 versus $21,494 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $16,550. About 10.3% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Bay City has a Commission-Manager form of government. The Mayor, who is elected to a four-year term, is the presiding officer of the City Commission and has the power to appoint some board and commission members, with the approval of the City Commission. The Mayor of Bay City is Christopher Shannon, who has served in that capacity since December 2010. Shannon replaced Charles M. Brunner, who has resigned Nov. 30 to prepare for his 96th District State House seat he takes in January. The City Commission has nine members, one from each of the city's nine wards. City Commissioners serve four-year terms. The terms of the Commissioners are staggered; the even-numbered wards are elected together (in years 1999, 2003, 2007, etc.), and the odd-numbered wards are elected together (in years 2001, 2005, 2009, etc.). City operations are managed by the City Manager, who is chosen by the City Commission.

Representatives

The City of Bay City is located in the following districts:
  • 5th U.S. Congressional District - Representative Dale Kildee (D)
  • 96th State House District - State Rep. Charles Brunner
    Charles Brunner
    Charles M. Brunner represents the 96th district of Michigan in the state House of Representatives....

     (D)
  • 31st State Senate District – State Sen. Mike Green (R)

Culture

Bay City is well known in Mid-Michigan for its numerous festivals and celebrations which take place during the summer months. Among them are the River Roar, St. Stan
Stanislaus Kostka
Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. In the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka....

's Polish Festival, the Independence Day Fireworks Festival, the Pig Gig Rib Roast, and the River of Time living history reenactment. Many of these events take place along one or more banks of the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...

, often in Wenonah Park on the east bank or the larger Veterans Memorial Park on the west bank.

The Bay County Historical Museum, located on Washington Avenue, is the designated repository for the records of the Patrol Craft Sailors Association and also contains numerous displays on local and regional history. Over the past several years, the museum has expanded significantly. It is housed in the former armory building on Washington Avenue, adjacent to the historic City Hall.

The Bay County Library System
Bay County Library System
The Bay County Library System, in Bay County, Michigan, was established on January 1, 1974 after the county electorate approved a 0.7 million dollar tax levy for five years...

 includes two public libraries located in Bay City.

The Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 band the Bay City Rollers
Bay City Rollers
The Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...

 were named after this city based on the results of a dart thrown randomly at a map.

Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

 was born here and once referred to Bay City as "a stinky, little town in Northern Michigan," on national television.

The official Bay City flag is blue with a logo on it. It has been changed from the original design.

Legend and folklore

It is the contention of many local residents that the fictional lumberjack
Lumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...

, Paul Bunyan, was based on an infamous lumberjack Fabian "Saginaw Joe" Fournier, a lumberjack who frequented the Bay City waterfront
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...

.

Education

Schools serving the Bay City area

Bay City Public Schools operates nine elementary schools, two middle schools, and three high schools.
  • Bay City Central High School
    Bay City Central High School
    Bay City Central High School is a high school located at 1624 Columbus Ave., Bay City, Michigan. Its mascot is the wolf, and its colors are purple and gold.-Building history:...

  • Bay City Western High School
    Western High School (Auburn, Michigan)
    Bay City Western High School is an American high school located at 500 Midland Road, Auburn, Michigan. Its mascot is the Warrior, and its colors are brown and gold. The school fight song consists of music from the march Winchester , with original words written for Western High...

  • Wenona Center
  • T. L. Handy Middle School
    T. L. Handy Middle School
    T. L. Handy Middle School is a middle school of the Bay City Public Schools district in Bay City, Michigan. It is located at 601 Blend Street, Bay City, Michigan, at the corner of Blend and North Union, on the city's west side. T.L. Handy's mascot is the Wildcat. Its school colors are Red and...



Bangor Township Schools operates three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
  • John Glenn High School
    John Glenn High School (Bay City, MI)
    John Glenn High School is a public school that is part of the Bangor Township School System. This high school is located in Bangor Township, adjacent to Bay City, Michigan...



Essexville Hampton Public Schools operates three elementary schools, one junior high schools, and one high school.
  • Garber High School
    Garber High School
    Garber High School is a public high school located in Essexville, Michigan. It lies within the Essexville-Hampton school district in Bay County. Garber High School currently enrolls around 655 students in grades 9-12. It is located next to Cramer Junior High School.-History:Garber High School...



Bay Area Catholic Schools operates four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
  • All Saints Central High School


Bay-Arenac Community High School operates a charter alternative secondary school.
  • Bay-Arenac Community High School


Mosaica Education Inc. operates a charter school, Bay County Public School Academy, serving grades kindergarten through 8th grade.

Colleges serving the Bay City area
  • Delta College
    Delta College (Michigan)
    Delta College is a two-year community college located southwest of Bay City, Michigan. Delta College's district had its beginning in 1955 with Saginaw, Midland, and Bay counties making up the district. In 1957, the voters of the tri-counties approved the construction of the college, and it opened...

     - Located in nearby University Center, Michigan
    University Center, Michigan
    University Center is a locale in Bay and Saginaw counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, and the name of the post office with the ZIP code of 48710....

    , with an off-campus location in downtown Bay City
  • Saginaw Valley State University
    Saginaw Valley State University
    Saginaw Valley State University, commonly known as SVSU, is a state university in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in the middle of Michigan's lower peninsula in the Saginaw Valley region. The university is located in Kochville Township, Saginaw County...

     - Located in nearby University Center, Michigan
    University Center, Michigan
    University Center is a locale in Bay and Saginaw counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, and the name of the post office with the ZIP code of 48710....


Business districts

  • Banks Business District - Runs along Marquette Avenue from Ohio Street north to Harry S. Truman Parkway
  • Broadway Avenue Business District - Extending from Lafayette Avenue south to McGraw Avenue
  • Columbus Avenue Business District - From Washington Ave to Bay Medical Center Hospital
  • Downtown Bay City - Between Madison Avenue and the Saginaw River.
  • Johnson Street Business District - From Center Ave to Woodside St.
  • Lafayette/Salzburg/Kosciuszko Business District - Extends along Salzburg east to Kosciuszko (Lafayette turns into Kosciuszko).
  • The Midland Street Historic District - Located on the West side of the city near the banks of the river. Home to very popular bars in the city.
  • Industrial Districts - Morton Street, Harrison Street, Woodside Avenue, and the Marquette Industrial Center. Home to companies such as: General Motors Powertrain, SC Johnson & Son, Carbone of America/Ultra Carbon Division, Kerkau Manufacturing, Gougeon, and York Electric
  • Bay City Mall
    Bay City Mall
    Bay City Mall is an enclosed shopping mall serving Bay City, Michigan. Opened in 1991, the mall features four anchor stores: JCPenney, Sears, Target and Younkers...

     area (not located within the city limits, but in the adjoining township of Bangor Township) - Wilder Road at State Street Road. Includes Bay City Mall (JCPenney, Sears, Target
    Target Corporation
    Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...

    , Younkers
    Younkers
    Younkers is an American department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer has since evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout Iowa and surrounding states in the Midwest region of the United States...

    ); other stores in area include Wal-Mart
    Wal-Mart
    Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...

     and The Home Depot
    The Home Depot
    The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...

  • Water Street - home to Michigan's largest antique district

Sites of interest

  • Appledore Tall Ships
  • The Arts Center/Studio 23
  • State Theatre
    State Theatre (Bay City, Michigan)
    The State Theatre is a single-screen movie theater located in Bay City, Michigan. Built in 1908 during the booming lumbering era in Michigan, the State Theatre was originally known as the Bijou, and was one of the many vaudeville and burlesque houses in Bay City. In 1930 the theater was renovated...

  • Delta College Planetarium & Learning Center
  • Bay County Civic Arena
  • The Bay County Historical Museum
  • Bay City State Recreation Area
  • Bay City's Antique Toy and Firetruck Museum
  • Trombley House  (oldest existing building in the county)
  • Center Avenue Historic District

Media

The city's main newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

 is the Bay City Times
Bay City Times
The Bay City Times is a newspaper published in Bay City, Michigan, United States, published Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with a Tuesday edition jointly-published with The Saginaw News. The paper is published by Booth Newspapers, owned by Advance Publications...

.

Bay City is also part of the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City television market, and the Saginaw-Bay City-Midland radio market.

Notable residents

  • Bob Allman
    Bob Allman
    Robert M. "Bob" Allmann was an American football player....

     - Chicago Bears
    Chicago Bears
    The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     (1936) (Bay City Central HS)
  • Emil Anneke
    Emil Anneke
    Emil Anneke was a German revolutionary and Forty-Eighter and American journalist, lawyer and politician . From 1863 until 1866 he served as Michigan Auditor General, the first Republican serving in that position. Emil was the younger brother of U.S...

     - German Forty-Eighter and US politician
  • Edmund Arnold
    Edmund Arnold
    Edmund C. Arnold was a newspaper designer, considered by many to be the father of modern newspaper design. As a newspaper consultant, he designed more than a thousand newspapers including the Boston Globe, National Observer, Today, Toronto Star, The Kansas City Star, and many small weeklies...

     - the father of modern news design
    News design
    News design is the process of arranging material on a newspaper page, according to editorial and graphical guidelines and goals. Main editorial goals include the ordering of news stories by order of importance, while graphical considerations include readability and balanced, unobtrusive...

  • Warren Avis
    Warren Avis
    Warren Edward Avis was an American entrepreneur who founded Avis Rent A Car System Inc. in 1946.Born in Bay City, Michigan, Avis graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1933, and served in the United States Army Air Force during the Second World War...

     - founder of Avis Rent A Car
  • Howie Auer
    Howie Auer
    Howard Joseph "Howie" Auer was an American football player. He played for the Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1929–1931 and for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL in 1933....

     — Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles
    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     (1933)
  • James A. Barcia - U.S. Representative, state representative, and state senator
  • Nathan B. Bradley
    Nathan B. Bradley
    Nathan Ball Bradley was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Bradley was born in Lee, Massachusetts and moved with his parents to Lorain County, Ohio, in 1835 where he attended the common schools. He moved to Wisconsin in 1849 and was employed in a sawmill in the pine region...

    , first mayor of Bay City, U.S. Representative, state senator
  • Madonna Louise Ciccone
    Madonna (entertainer)
    Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

    , a/k/a Madonna
    Madonna (entertainer)
    Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

     - singer, actress was born in Bay City, grew up in Rochester, Michigan
    Rochester, Michigan
    Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...

  • Eric Devendorf
    Eric Devendorf
    Eric Devendorf is an American professional basketball player from Bay City, Michigan who came from Oak Hill Academy and played for the Syracuse University Orange. He currently plays for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League....

     - McDonald's All-American basketball recruit from Bay City Central HS, former starter at Syracuse University
    Syracuse University
    Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

  • Spoke Emery
    Spoke Emery
    Herrick Smith "Spoke" Emery was a Major League Baseball outfielder.Born in Bay City, Michigan, Spoke played one season in Major League Baseball, in with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played five games in the major leagues, with two career hits in three at-bats...

     - Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player.
  • Eric Esch
    Eric Esch
    Eric Scott Esch is an American heavyweight boxer, kick-boxer, professional wrestler, and mixed martial artist commonly referred to as Butterbean....

     - Super Heavyweight Champion boxer, kickboxer, and martial artist.
  • Ernie Gust
    Ernie Gust
    Ernest Herman Frank Gust was a Major League Baseball player. Gust played for the St. Louis Browns in the 1911 season. In three career games, Gust had no hits in 12 at-bats, playing First Base. He batted and threw right-handed.Gust was born in Bay City, Michigan, and died in Maupin,...

     - Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball
    Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

     player.
  • Bill Hewitt - Chicago Bears
    Chicago Bears
    The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     1932-1936, Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles
    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     1937-1939, Phil-Pitt Steagles, Pro Football Hall of Fame
    Pro Football Hall of Fame
    The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

    .
  • Alex Izykowski
    Alex Izykowski
    Alex "Izzy" Izykowski is an American short track speed skater. He competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics of Turin in the 1500m, and was also part of the bronze medal winning 5000m relay.- External links :**...

     - 2006 Winter Olympics
    2006 Winter Olympics
    The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...

     Bronze Medalist in short track speed skating
    Short track speed skating
    Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...

  • Edward Jablonski
    Edward Jablonski
    Edward Leon Jabłoński was a Polish soccer midfield player who represented both Cracovia and the Polish National Team. Born on October 13, 1919 in Krakow, Jabłoński was one of the few players who participated in games of the national team both before and after Second World War...

    , (1923–2004) Noted author, American Music archivist and aviation-aerial warfare historian.
  • Jim Kanicki
    Jim Kanicki
    James Henry Kanicki is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. He played college football at Michigan State University and was drafted in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft...

     - Cleveland Browns
    Cleveland Browns
    The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

    , and New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     1960-62 (Bay City Central HS)
  • Francis I. Lankey - co-creator of the Michigan State University Fight Song
    Michigan State University Fight Song
    The MSU Fight Song is the official fight song of Michigan State University, USA. MSU's fight song was created in early 1915 , when MSU was known as Michigan Agricultural College...

  • Katie Lynn LaRoche - Miss Michigan
    Miss Michigan
    The Miss Michigan competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss America pageant. Michigan has won the Miss America crown on five occasions.- Winners :- External links :*...

     2010
  • John List
    John List
    John Emil List was an American murderer. On November 9, 1971, he murdered his wife, mother, and three children in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared. He had planned everything so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone noticed that anything was amiss...

     - mass murderer
  • George Kid Lavigne
    Kid Lavigne
    George Henry "Kid" Lavigne was an American boxer from Michigan. He was the second American boxer to hold the lightweight champion, winning the title on June 1, 1896.-Pro career:...

     - Boxer, World Lightweight Champion 1896, and inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame
    International Boxing Hall of Fame
    The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...

     (1998).
  • Terry McDermott
    Terry McDermott (speed skating)
    Richard Terrance "Terry" McDermott is a former speed skater from the United States.He was born in Essexville, Michigan....

     - 500m speed skating Gold Medalist in the Innsbruck
    Innsbruck
    - Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...

     1964 Winter Olympics
    1964 Winter Olympics
    The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...

    .
  • John McGraw
    John McGraw (merchant)
    John McGraw was a wealthy New York State lumber merchant, philanthropist, early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University.-Early years:...

     - businessman, co-founder of Wenona, Michigan
    Wenona, Michigan
    Wenona was a historical settlement in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in what is now Bay City at .The village was founded in 1863 by Henry W. Sage , a merchant and philanthropist, who along with John McGraw also founded the Sage, McGraw & Company sawmill on the west bank of the Saginaw River...

    , now part of Bay City, Cornell University
    Cornell University
    Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...

     philanthropist.
  • James Joseph Raby
    James J. Raby
    James Joseph Raby was an rear admiral of the United States Navy.Raby was appointed a midshipman on September 9, 1891...

     - Rear Admiral, USN
    United States Navy
    The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

  • Robert Rechsteiner
    Rick Steiner
    Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...

     (Rick Steiner) and Scott Rechsteiner
    Scott Steiner
    Scott Carl Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Scott Steiner. Steiner is perhaps best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling alongside his older brother Rick as the Steiner Brothers and as a member of the New World Order...

     (Scott Steiner) - professional wrestlers
    Professional wrestling
    Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

    .
  • Annie Taylor  - The first person to ever go over the Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls
    The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...

     in a barrel, and live to tell the tale.
  • Bob Traxler - U.S. Representative, state representative
  • Mark Turmell - video game designer, most notably for NBA Jam
    NBA Jam
    NBA Jam is a basketball arcade game developed by Midway in 1993. It is the first entry in the NBA Jam series, and was written entirely in assembly language. The main designer and programmer for this game was Mark Turmell...


  • Glenn Wichman
    Glenn Wichman
    Glenn R. Wichman is a software developer who is best known as one of the original authors of the computer game Rogue, along with Michael Toy, Ken Arnold and Jon Lane. Wichman has also contributed to many other commercial software programs, including Microsoft Bookshelf, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing...

     - computer game designer
  • Dennis Wirgowski, NFL Player 1970-1973 New England Patriots & Philadelphia Eagles

Sister cities

Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Goderich
Goderich, Ontario
Goderich is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario and is the county seat of Huron County. The town was founded by William "Tiger" Dunlop in 1827. First laid out in 1828, the town is named after Frederick John Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich, who was British prime minister at the time. The town...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 Lomé
Lomé
Lomé, with an estimated population of 737,751, is the capital and largest city of Togo. Located on the Gulf of Guinea, Lomé is the country's administrative and industrial center and its chief port. The city exports coffee, cocoa, copra, and palm kernels...

, Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...

 Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...

, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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