Bay City, MI Summary

Bay City (population 39,700) lies at the mouth of the Saginaw River on the Saginaw Bay in eastern Michigan. It is an industrial, trade, and tourist center, and a busy port on the St Lawrence Seaway, which services Great Lakes freighters as well as seagoing vessels. The surrounding agricultural area produces sugar beets, melons, and potatoes.

Two French Canadian fur traders settled here in 1831 and by 1836 had built a trading post and residence. The area grew into a thriving lumber center with 36 mills in operation by 1872. Along with the mills came lumber barons (the elegant mansions they built can be seen on Center Avenue), as well as the rowdy lumberjacks who patronized the Water Street saloons and contributed to a bawdy, colorful mill town atmosphere.

By the late 1800s, however, local lumber was depleted, the industry slumped, and Bay City shifted its focus to soft coal mining, commercial fishing, and growing sugar beets. The Material Girl, Madonna, is the city’s claim to fame in the twentieth century. However, since she openly called her birthplace “the armpit of America” she has not been too popular with the locals.

Attractions in Bay City include historic Trombley House, waterfront Veterans Park, and the Riverwalk (all on the western side of the river), the Romanesque-style City Hall (listed on the National Historic Register), Center Avenue Historical District, the Historical Museum of Bay County, and the storybook theme park at Deer Acres. Water Street and Midland Streets are renowned for their antique shops.

Bay City Recreation Area, on the western shore of Saginaw Bay, features a nature center with displays on local history and wildlife, a beach, and a paved nature trail leading to Tobico Marsh (which is known for its wetland birds). The state’s only Native American rock carvings can be seen in Sanilac Petroglyphs State Historic Park, near Cass City, 40 miles east of Bay City. To the northeast, Hwy 25 follows the eastern shore of Saginaw Bay through fishing villages and coastal towns.

From the north or the south, take I-75. The MBS International Airport services nearby Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City. Cars are essential. Motels, fast food, and diners are the standard in these parts of the state.