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

CHAPTER XIII.

SALT MANUFACTURE
The existence of brine currents in Michigan was known to the
early French missionaries and voyageurs, and was spoken of from
their camps at Detroit to the schools of Paris. During the long
series of years, from the missionary period down to 1835-'6, little
or no attention was paid to these mines of wealth, until some years
after the migratory movement of the eastern people toward Michigan set in. The first marked public attention to the salt springs
of the Peninsula was exhibited in the winter of 1835. The following year the Congress of the United States passed the act of admittance, and in recognizing Michigan as a State, granted to her
12 salt springs within her boundaries, with six sections adjoining
each, or 36 square miles of the public domain. The New State was
not slow to take advantage of this proviso in her charter, for by a
Legislative enactment, under date July 25, 1836, the Governor
was empowered to make such a selection, and made a clioice of the
lands along the Grand river, the Raisin, and a limited tract on the
Tittabawassee.
The act of March 4, 1838, appropriated a sum of $3,000 for the
purpose of trial borings. This sum was placed at the disposal of
Dr. Douglas Houghton, then State geologist. During the summer of that year, he proceeded to Salt river, and thence to the
Tittabawassee, where, on the west bank, near its confluence with
Salt river, he made the first trial boring, in June, 1838. In his
report to the Legislature in 1839, he states "'that the State salt
lands on the Tittabawassee river, in Midland county, are peculiarly
elegibly situated, being a few miles below the head of navigation
of that stream, and embracing the lmouth of Salt river."' The
labor expende( at tllis point during 1838, cost the State (2,118.67.
Work continued ini this vicinity throughout 1839-'41. At the close
of the latter year, tlhe shaft reaclied only a depth of 139 feet. The
geologist was strong ini his belief that the springs could be tapped
at a deptlh of 600 feet; but the exigencies of the time suggested a
suspension of operations, which were not again renewed until
])rivate enterprise came forward mand took up the golden opportunity. It is stated, in a historical sketch of the salt springs, compiled by James M. Thomas and A. B1. Galatian, in 1866, that,
" (luringll the several years thle work was in progress, Dr. Hloughton
p)cassed nll ch of his 'time in Saginaw, and in his intercourse with
tlhe people fully iml)rlessed them witll tlie same confidence which
lie had hlliself inl the existence of a salt basin in this valley. II e
informed them thlat the act under which the approlpriation was
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