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

224

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

spring-time they receiving their annual bounty, which was four
dollars (if I am not mistaken) for every man, woman and child.
They assembled first in Saginaw City, and afterward in Midland.
They pitched their tents on the vacant blocks, decorating them
with flags. The streets swarmed with Indians full of fire-water.
There was much jumping and running, but no quarreling or fighting; so no precautionary measures were taken, or needed. The
mails were carried on sleds made of a very few boards, two
crooked branches serving as runners, and 10 or 12 dogs harnessed to them 'tandem' fashion. The Indians ran. at the sides of
the sleds, almost 200 miles through an unbroken wilderness,
through forests and swamps, over rivers and straits, to their destination.
"In 1822, the Government established the fort at Saginaw, in
the midst of Indians, a company of soldiers forming the garrison.
Dr. Zina Pilcher was the first medical attendant. Life must then
have been a burden, in the midst of the forests, far from all intercourse with civilized men, surrounded by malaria, tormented by
millions of mosquitos; no wonder that the officers 'hankered'
after the 'flesh-pots of Egypt,' and prayed to be relieved.
"After one year the fort was given up, and the soldiers went
home. The principal fort stood on the Taylor House block; was
a long, two-story log house, surrounded by stockades. A second
one, similar in size and appearance, stood on Hamilton street, opposite Molls' drug store, while a third was situated about half a
mile north, between the river and Washington street. Two of
them were inhabited as late as 1850, but were rather dangerous,
and soon after torn down. One was used as a bonfire on a Fourth
of July celebration, After the establishment of the fort, some
settlers came into the Valley, locating mostly on, or near, the Tittabawassee river. In 1822, the first city was laid out on quite a
modest plan, the streets running in the same manner as now, being only 10 or 12 in number, and quite narrow. A few log houses
were erected on Water street.
'i1nn 1837, a change came over the place. Norman Little,
Mackey, Jennison, and some others formed a company, bought the
city plot and the land adjoining, laid out the city on a large scale.
built some houses, some of them at a very great expense, a hotel
at a cost of $35,000, a large, four-story warehouse on the river,
at a cost of $25,000, started a bank, issued bank notes with a red
back, and on the face canal and steam-boats. The canal boats
never came to the city, steam-boats only many years later. The
canal was intended to join the Bad to the Looking-glass river,
and in this way to connect the Grand and Saginaw rivers. Everywhere was life, and speculation ran wild. Lots were held at a
higher price than ever afterward. The glory of the new city did
not last long. The panic came, and shattered all these air castles,
the company became bankrupt, the settlers moved away, and decay was everywhere. In 1845 the German immigration to this
valley began, and helped, directly, in clearing up the country, but