History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

Sixth ward-Julius Gradt. Taymouth-Arthur Ross.
Comptroller-DeWitt C. Dixon. Thomastown-Jacob Wiltse.
Spaulding-John Baiter. Tittabawassee-John A. McGregor.
Swan Creek-Chas. B. Tefft. Zilwaukee-John H. Doyle.
St. Charles-Edward A. Stinson.
The Board organized in June, 1881, by electing Holl. John
Barter chairman, who appointed the following committees: Finance-Aiken, Dixson, Carson, Galloway, Webb; county affairs
-Grant, Bliss, Sackrider, Smith, McGregor; equalization-Dixson, Shaw, C. W. Wisner, Tefft, Doyle, Agnew, Magoffin; claims
-Haack, Moye, Ross, Blankerts, Brown; taxation-C. W. Wisner, Newton, O'Donnell, McQuiston, Reichardt; county poorPayment, Stoker, Paul, McPhillips, Craig; jails, prisons and
asylums-O. Wisner, Birney, Cummings, Graham, Hevins; roads
and bridges-Wiltse, Fayerweather, Smith, Ross, Gugel; public
buildings-Scheurmann, Gradt, Fisher, Schlessinger, Ingledew;
drainage-Doyle, Brown, Magoffin, Smith, Paul; organization of
towns-Carson, Paul, Louden, Craig, Galloway.
THE COUNTY BUILDINGS,
located on the Dexter square of Saginaw City have been referred
to in former pages. With the exception of the castellated structure,
through which the county offers hospitality to her dangerous
classes.
The court-house is an Ionic structure so far as its east and west
facades are concerned. Within are two large halls, one on
the ground floor known as the Supervisors' room, with a suite of
ante-rooms stretching along its northern side, and one on the second
floor devoted to the courts. Both are useful, but by no means ornamental.
The county offices comprise the Clerk's, Treasurer's, Registrar's
rooms, and that of the Judge of Probate; all located in a low,
French-roofed building. There is nothing architecturally beautiful
about it, yet the records which it contains are very complete, and
the county officials genial, affable gentlemen. Such men and
records lend to the county offices an importance which the building
under any other circumstances never possesses.
The county jail has many old memories attached to it. It was
inaugurated immediately after the organization of the county, and
has occupied the same position ever since. The stranger arriving
at Saginaw may see a pretentious building, just southwest of the
business center of the city. Were it not for the great display of iron
bars, lie would never dream of its being the county jail; but would
at once jump to the conclusion that some barbarous European had
come here to re-establish feudalism and had begun his mediaeval
work by erecting a castle fortress. Notwithstanding its antiquated
style of architecture, it is a fine building, and as such is creditable
to the Supervisors' Board, under whose order it was constructed.