1916 Map of Bay City

About this map

Bay City serves as the industrial and transit hub of this 1916 survey, dominated by the heavy commerce of the Saginaw River and a dense network of competing rail lines. The city's grid expands southward from Saginaw Bay, while the surrounding townships like Monitor, Hampton, and Frankenlust show a landscape transition from urban docks to agricultural section lines. This era captures the height of the region's rail-and-water economy, with the Michigan Central, Pere Marquette, and Grand Trunk railroads all converging on the riverfront. Along the western shore, summer resort life is visible at Linwood Park and Wenona Beach, while inland, dozens of rural schoolhouses like Sugar School and Hausbeck School anchor small farming communities. Unique drainage features such as the Klavss Drain and Hilderbrant Drain reveal the extensive efforts to manage the low-lying terrain near the bay for development and agriculture.