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INCIDENTS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SAGINAW VALLEY BY JUDGE ALBERT MILLER
In July, 1836, the writer, accompanied by the late James Fraser and Judge Jewett, who was the only surveyor at that time, started early one morning from Saginaw in a canoe and came down the river to the tract of land the writer had purchased from Tromble—Mr. Fraser hoping to meet a vessel that had on board some seed buckwheat for him, and the writer and Jewett to make a preliminary survey for a plat for the village of Portsmouth. After surveying the lines from which to make a plat, which was the first move ever made towards making a town at this end of the river, the parties all got on board of their canoe and paddled down to Leon Tromble's to procure something for the comfort of the inner man, and while they were partaking of a lunch, Louis Tromble, then a boy ten or eleven years old, now a gray haired man residing somewhere in the south part of the city, ran into the house, much excited, announcing the appearance of a steamboat.
The steamboat proved to be the Governor Marcy, chartered by the late Norman Little, for Mackie, Oakley and Jennison, to take passengers and supplies to Saginaw City, the site of which had been purchased by the parties last named and they were actively engaged in building up the town. Mr. Jennison, named above, was the father of our fellow citizen, Charles E. Jennison. That date may be considered as an important epoch in the history of the Valley. A steamboat had entered the Saginaw river and a move made towards building a town near its mouth. At that time what was afterwards Lower Saginaw and Bay City proper, was John Riley's reserve, the owner who resided near Port Huron, having obstinately refused to sell on any terms.
Michigan
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