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Saginaw
Located in Saginaw County |
Marshall Fredericks Sculpture Museum
Japanese Cultural Center and Tea House
Saginaw's Children Zoo
1730 South Washington
PO Box 1988
Saginaw, MI 48605(989) 759-1408
(989) 759-4966
Designed especially for children. Observe bobcats and bald eagles in the Forgotten Forest, ride a hand carved carousel, walk through the Butterfly exhibit, ride the antique train, find bones in the fossil find, touch a snake, ride a pony, and do much more. We believe learning should be extremely fun
Businesses
Colleges
Community Organizations
Historical Society of Saginaw County
Saginaw Genealogical Society
c/o Public Libraries of Saginaw
505 Janes Avenue
Saginaw, Michigan 48607
Exploring our Heritage through our Ancestors
Green Pointe Environmental Learning Center
3010 Maple Street
Saginaw, MI 48602
(989)759-1669(800)649-3777
Trails, a boardwalk, and a study pier are available. Specialize in programs for children. Bird watching area, ponds, restored grasslands, and a building with displays. 2.5 miles of nature trails for hiking or cross-country skiing.
Sports
Local History
Louis Campau built a trading post here in 1816. Lewis Cass' treaty with the Indians secured the region for the U.S. in 1819 and Fort Saginaw was built in 1822. Mr. Campau platted the town of Sagina (or Sagana) in 1823. The Saganaw P.O. opened in 1831, later changed to Saginaw.
Samuel Dexter, purchasing property including Fort Saginaw soon after the fort was evacuated platted the area in 1832 and named it Saginaw City. Harvey Williams erected the first sawmill here in 1834. In 1837, a New Yorker, Norman Little, platted an extensive 400 block city. The plat was printed and circulated in the eastern states and by the end of the year Saginaw had 900 residents.
The "panic of 1837" nearly ended Saginaw City, but Mr. Little recovered and, in 1850, began building East Saginaw across the river, incorporated as a village in 1855, and as a city in 1859; Saginaw was incorporated as a city in 1857. The two cities were bitter rivals until they became one city in 1889. Norman Little, considered the founder of Saginaw, drowned in the Saginaw River on November 8, 1859.
The meaning of the name Saginaw is debated. One theory holds that the name refers to the Sauk Indians, said to have occupied this area before the whites arrived. Blackbird wrote in 1887 that "Saginaw is derived from the name O-saw-gees, who formerly lived there." The other main view holds that Saginaw means "outlet of a river" and that the Sauks were name Saukieuck, "people of the outlet," simply because they lived there instead of the place being named for them. Cadillac wrote in 1718, "The Sauk tribe is so called because Sauky means mouth of the river." The correct name of the Sauks, however, is Osaukie-uck, "people of the yellow earth." According to the records of Indian agent Thomas Forsyth in 1827, "The original and present name of the Sauk Indians proceeds from the compound word Sakie, alias, -saw-we-kee literally Yellow Earth." Therefore, the name is most likely derived from the Ojibwa saging or saginang, "at the mouth of the river."
Informational excerpts from Michigan Place Names, by Walter Romig, L.H.D.
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