My City September 2022

History of Saginaw Street BY PETER HINTERMAN TheRoadHome

B efore the cars, the bricks and the buildings, the roads and highways, and before the United States were established, a small footpath led the way from the lands of the Ottawa in the south (Detroit) to the lands of the Chippewa (Saginaw) in the north. Native Ameri cans strode this path for centuries, up and down the state as they hunted, formed treaties, celebrated and settled. In the middle of this long and winding path owed Peiconigowink – “the river of the restone.” At the point where the path met the river, a rich history was born in 1811, when a fur trader named Jacob Smith built a trad ing post around which sprang up a city. e path, named the Saginaw Trail, became an iconic thoroughfare now known as Saginaw Street. is central path through the remarkable city of Flint was the setting for celebrations and parades, protests and upheaval, triumphs and trag edies. It perseveres, as Flint does, through changes both good and bad, still holding open the door for travelers coming home or simply passing through. Chances are good that in 1811, Jacob Smith found his way to the Flint River via the Saginaw Trail as he headed north from Detroit, eventually nding the place on the river the French dubbed “ e Grand Traverse” and setting up shop. It wasn’t until 11 years later in 1822

that the rst road to Flint from Detroit was created by soldiers blazing their way to a fort in Saginaw using the tribal footpath as a guide. e road was little more than a bridle path, but widening and clearing the original path led to an in ux of pioneers to Flint and the establish ment of the city. As pioneers arrived, built homes, mills and shops, the road was widened to accommodate them and their wagons. In 1833, the road from Flint to Detroit was paved with wooden blocks and in 1841, the Flint to Saginaw section was nished in the same manner. In 1850, a new type of road was being aunted in cities and counties throughout the state and Genesee County had an eye for innovation. Called a “plank road,” it consisted of covering a route with a layer of wood planks laid upon timbers placed lengthwise on a graded road bed. Two companies made plans to turn Saginaw Street into a plank road. e Genesee County Plank Road Company proposed to make this change from Flint to Grand Blanc and the second, the Saginaw & Genesee Plank Road Company, planned to plank Saginaw Street from Flint all the way to the Saginaw River. While the former failed in their endeavor, the latter was successful. e new Saginaw Street was nished in 1852 and bene tted the region 

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