Saginaw County, Michigan
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Saginaw County () is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
located in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 190,124. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on February 9, 1835. The etymology of the county's name is uncertain. It may be derived from ''Sace-nong'' or ''Sak-e-nong'' (), as the Sauk () tribe is believed by some to have once lived there. A more likely possibility is that it comes from Ojibwe words meaning "place of the outlet" –''sag'' () and ''ong'' (). ''See'' List of Michigan county name etymologies. Saginaw County comprises the Saginaw, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area, the 5th largest metropolitan area in Michigan.


Etymology

The name Saginaw is widely believed to mean "where the Sauk were" in
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
, from ''Sace-nong'' or ''Sak-e-nong'' (Sauk Town), due to the belief that the Sauk once lived there. But it is more likely that the name means "place of the outlet", from the Ojibwe ''sag'' (opening) and ''ong'' (place of). When indigenous people he met told
Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; 13 August 1574#Fichier]For a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see #Ritch, RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December ...
that the Sauk nation was on the western shore of
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
, Champlain mistakenly placed them on the western shore of
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
. This mistake was copied on subsequent maps, and future references identified this as the place of the Sauks. Champlain himself never visited what is now Michigan.


History

The area was inhabited from about 1000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. by the Native American Hopewell culture, followed by the Anishnabeg. Some historians believe that the Sauk at one time lived in the area and were driven out by Ojibwe (Chippewa), before the area was first visited by Europeans. The Saginaw region includes an extensive network of many rivers and streams which converge into the Saginaw River and provided a means for easy travel for the Native American population among numerous settlements and hunting areas, as well as access to Lake Huron. Saginaw was also a frequent meeting location for councils of the Ojibwe, Pottawatomi, and Ottawa—the Three Fires of the Anishnabeg. What is today Saginaw County was inhabited by the
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
at the time of the arrival of Euro-Americans. The Ojibwe were still the dominant force in the area in the 1820s, and in 1827 they were attacked by a two groups of Winnebago people coming from Wisconsin. The Ojibwe prevailed in this fight with the aid of local Euro-American settlers. In 1853 the Ojibwe and Ottawa both established large hunting camps along the Saginaw River, although Euro-American settlers were beginning to establish saw mills and farms in the area by that point.


Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.9%) is water. It is part of the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Mid-Michigan. The
median The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...
elevation in Saginaw County, Michigan is above sea level.


Primary rivers

*
Saginaw River The Saginaw River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee River, ...
** Shiawassee River *** Cass River *** Flint River *** Bad River ** Tittabawassee River


Wildlife refuge

* Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge


Adjacent counties

* Bay County (northeast) * Midland County (northwest) * Tuscola County (east) * Gratiot County (west) * Genesee County (southeast) * Shiawassee County (south) * Clinton County (southwest)


Demographics

The 2010 United States Census indicates Saginaw County had a 2010 population of 200,169. This is a decrease of -9,870 people from the 2000 United States Census. Overall, the county had a -4.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 79,011 households and 52,287 families in the county. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 86,844 housing units at an average density of . The racial and ethnic makeup of the county was 70.5% White, 18.6% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. There were 79,011 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were husband and wife families, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.8% were non-families, and 28.2% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99. In the county, 23.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 22.9% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $41,938 and the median income for a family was $52,243. Males had a median income of $27,691 versus $16,488 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the county was $21,025. About 12.4% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 24.1% of those under the age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.


Religion

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw is the controlling regional body for the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
.


Government and politics

The county government operates the
jail A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various cr ...
, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers
public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...
regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships. From 1988 to 2012, Saginaw County was a consistently Democratic county at the Presidential level. However, in recent elections it has become increasingly competitive, with
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
narrowly winning the county in
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
by slightly over 1,000 votes while narrowly losing it in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
by about 300 votes. Trump won it back in
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, this time by a margin of about 3,400 votes and taking an outright majority in the county too.


Elected officials

*
Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the adversarial system, which is adopted in common law, or inquisitorial system, which is adopted in civil law. The prosecution is the legal party responsible ...
: John McColgan Jr. *
Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
: William Federspiel *
County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts record keeping as well as general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keepin ...
: Vanessa Guerra * County Treasurer: Timothy M. Novak * Register of Deeds: Katheryn A. Kelly * Public Works Commissioner: Brian Wendling ''All countywide officers are elected for four-year terms. The next scheduled election for these offices is November 2024.'' (information as of April 2021)


Parks and Recreation Commission

Saginaw County Parks and Recreation Commission is a county-wide government organization founded by William H. Haithco Sr. in 1969. Haithco then served as chairman from 1972 to 1999. The organization operates six parks throughout the county - Imerman Memorial Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Ringwood Forest, Price Nature Center, William H. Haithco Recreation Area, and The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail. These parks comprise over 550 acres, including 18 miles of hiking trails, two boat launches, four fishing access sites, a swimming beach, picnic shelters, and recreation programs.


Economy

The largest employers in Saginaw County are:


Transportation

Saginaw County was the destination of a Sauk footpath that became one of the first roads in what is now Michigan, the Saginaw Trail. The trail, first authorized in 1819, was completed to Saginaw in 1841. Since then, Saginaw's access to the outside world has expanded with the development of maritime, rail, air, and freeway links to the major cities of Michigan and neighboring states and nations.


Airports

Scheduled airline service is available from
MBS International Airport MBS International Airport , located in Freeland, Michigan, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the nearby cities of Midland, Michigan, Midland, Bay City, Michigan, Bay City, and Saginaw, Michigan, Saginaw., effective Nov 10, 2 ...
near Freeland, Michigan and Bishop International Airport in
Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...
. Harry Browne Airport in Buena Vista Charter Township also serves the region.


Highways

* , a major north–south freeway running from
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is a city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County and is the only city within the county. With a population of ...
to
Miami-Dade County, Florida Miami-Dade County () is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populous coun ...
* , a business route freeway from Interstate 75 passing through downtown Saginaw * * runs from
I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canada–United States border, Canadian border in Po ...
through downtown Saginaw and north to Standish. * * * is a cross peninsular road, running across the mitten and the thumb—from Port Sanilac on the
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
shore; through Saginaw near Saginaw Bay; and then on to Muskegon on the
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
shore. This east-west surface route nearly bisects the Lower Peninsula of Michigan latitudinally. * passes through the western suburbs and provides a direct connection to
MBS International Airport MBS International Airport , located in Freeland, Michigan, is a commercial and general aviation airport serving the nearby cities of Midland, Michigan, Midland, Bay City, Michigan, Bay City, and Saginaw, Michigan, Saginaw., effective Nov 10, 2 ...
in Freeland before ending at US 10 in nearby Bay County. * runs from the
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
border through
Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the ma ...
and Owosso before ending at M-46, in the western suburbs of Saginaw. M-52 also provides an alternate connection to Lansing, Michigan's state capitol. * * * runs from M-47 to I-675. * runs east from M-13 to Caro and Cass City and ends at M-53 in Sanilac County. * * runs from M-25 in downtown Bay City to M-58 in Saginaw.


Maritime

The
Saginaw River The Saginaw River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed November 7, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee River, ...
is maintained by the Corps of Engineers, and from time to time, dredged to maintain a shipping channel down the river to Bay City, and from there, to the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...
.


Education


Primary and secondary education


Public schools

Most of Saginaw County is served by the Saginaw Intermediate School District (SISD), which coordinates the efforts of local boards of education, but has no operating authority over schools. Local school boards in Michigan retain great autonomy over day-to-day operations. A number of charter schools also operate in the county. School districts in the county (including any with any territory, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administration are in other counties) include: * Ashley Community Schools * Bay City School District * Birch Run Area School District * Breckenridge Community Schools * Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District * Carrollton School District * Chesaning Union Schools * Clio Area School District * Frankenmuth School District * Freeland Community School District * Hemlock Public School District * Merrill Community Schools * Montrose Community Schools * New Lothrop Area Public School * Ovid-Elsie Area Schools * Reese Public Schools * Saginaw City School District * Saginaw Township Community Schools * St. Charles Community Schools * Swan Valley School District Former school districts include: * Buena Vista School District


Higher education

* Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) is a four-year state university located in eastern Kochville Township. * Delta College is a two-year community college that serves Saginaw County, but is located in neighboring Bay County, a few miles to the north of the SVSU campus.


Notable natives

* George C. Hinkley (1892-1936), Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman, was born in Saginaw County. * Theodore Roethke (1908–1963) Pulitzer prize and National Book Award-winning poet, was born and buried here.


Historical markers

There are twenty eight recognized historical markers in the county: They are: * Bliss Park * Burt Opera House / Wellington R. Burt * Coal Mine No. 8 * The Cushway House / Benjamin Cushway and Adelaide Cushway * First Congregational Church aginaw* Fowler Schoolhouse ( Fremont Township) * Frankenmuth / Saint Lorenz Evangelical Lutheran Church * Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn * Freeland United Methodist Church * George Nason House * Hess School * Hoyt Library * Leamington Stewart House * Michigan's German Settlers * Morseville Bridge * Presbyterian Church of South Saginaw * Saginaw Club * Saginaw Oil Industry * Saginaw Post Office * Saginaw Valley Coal * Saginaw Valley Lumbering Era * St. Mary's Hospital * Saint Michael Catholic Parish * St. Paul's Episcopal Mission * Shroeder House * Theodore Roethke / Childhood Home


Communities


Cities

* Frankenmuth * Saginaw (county seat) * Zilwaukee


Villages

* Birch Run * Chesaning * Merrill * Oakley * Reese (partially) * St. Charles


Charter townships

* Bridgeport Charter Township * Buena Vista Charter Township * Saginaw Charter Township


Civil townships

* Albee Township * Birch Run Township * Blumfield Township * Brady Township * Brant Township * Carrollton Township * Chapin Township * Chesaning Township * Frankenmuth Township * Fremont Township * James Township * Jonesfield Township * Kochville Township * Lakefield Township * Maple Grove Township * Marion Township * Richland Township * Spaulding Township * St. Charles Township * Swan Creek Township * Taymouth Township * Thomas Township * Tittabawassee Township * Zilwaukee Township


Census-designated places

*
Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
* Buena Vista * Burt * Freeland * Hemlock * Robin Glen-Indiantown * Shields


Other unincorporated communities

* Alicia * Blumfield Corners * Brady Center * Brant * Chapin * Clausedale * Crow Island *
Dice A die (: dice, sometimes also used as ) is a small, throwable object with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. Dice are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, ro ...
* Fenmore * Fergus * Fordney * Fosters * Frankentrost *
Frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor that deposits onto a freezing surface. Frost forms when the air contains more water vapor than it can normally hold at a specific temperature. The process is simila ...
*
Galloway Galloway ( ; ; ) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Scotland, historic counties of Wigtownshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. It is administered as part of the council areas of Scotland, council area of Dumfries and Gallow ...
*
Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...
*
Gera Gera () is a city in the German state of Thuringia. With around 93,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Thuringia after Erfurt and Jena as well as the easternmost city of the ''Thüringer Städtekette'', an almost straight string of ...
* Groveton * Indiantown * Iva * Kochville * Lakefield * Lawndale * Layton Corners *
Luce Luce may refer to: People * Luce (name), as a given name and a surname * Luce (singer) Places * Luče, a town in Slovenia * Luce, Minnesota, an unincorporated community * Luce Bay, a large Bay in Wigtownshire in southern Scotland * Luce ...
* Marion Springs * Morseville *
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
* Orr * Racy * Paines * Parshallburg * Roosevelt * Shattuckville * Swan Creek * Taymouth


See also

* List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Saginaw County, Michigan * National Register of Historic Places listings in Saginaw County, Michigan * Saginaw Trail


References


Further reading

*


External links


Saginaw County


{{authority control Michigan placenames of Native American origin Michigan counties 1835 establishments in Michigan Territory Populated places established in 1835