History, Art & Culture

Early Native Americans thrived in the forests and fertile wetlands surrounding the Saginaw River and Lake Huron, "the Sweet Sea," finding abundant plants and animals to sustain them. As adventurous colonists began to explore more of the country, they discovered Michigan and were drawn to the opportunities presented by so much water and wood.

The area that would become Bay City, midway along the State's east coast and at the base of her Thumb, seemed an ideal location to trap and barter. But the small trading post grew rapidly and became one of the State's largest and most prosperous communities when wealthy lumbermen migrated here and established mills along the Saginaw River shoreline.

• Maritime Legacy
• Historic Sites & Attractions
• Visual Arts
• Performing Arts