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'Saginaw Bay' is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Contents

Saginaw Bay watershed

Origin of the name

History

Settlements

Saginaw Bay in culture

References

Saginaw Bay watershed

The Saginaw Bay watershed is the largest drainage basin in Michigan, draining approximately 15% of the total land area.^[1] The watershed conatins the largest contiguous freshwater coastal wetland system in the United States.

Origin of the name

''O-Sag-e-non'' or ''Sag-in-a-we'' from the Ojibwa language, which means "to flow out", is a possible origin for the name "Saginaw". It may refer to the Saginaw River, which flows out into Saginaw Bay, and eventually into Lake Huron.^[2] Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Ojibwa term for "Land of the Sauks." The Sauks, or Sac tribe, inhabited the area around Saginaw Bay before being driven out by the Ojibwa.^[3] The name "Saginaw" is not related to Saguenay, a region in Quebec whose name is of Algonquin origin.

History

The modern history of Saginaw Bay dates back to early 1600s. French explorers were the first Europeans to visit the Great Lakes region.
The first European to visit the Saginaw Bay area was Father Jacques Marquette, a French missionary priest, who came here in 1668 after establishing a mission in St. Ignace. In 1686, Father Jean Enjalran came to the valley to establish an Indian mission, but his efforts failed.
The region was ceded to Great Britain under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1763. Twenty years later, it was ceded to the newly-independent United States of America. It became part of the Michigan Territory in 1805.

Settlements

About 1813, Louis Campau erected an Indian trading post along the Saginaw River which led to the settlement of Saginaw in 1816, and to which the history of other settlements of Saginaw Bay area are rooted.
Bay City, Michigan is a major port at the lower end of the bay. The two Charity Islands in the middle of the bay, Charity Island and Little Charity Island, are excellent fishing grounds.

Saginaw Bay in culture

A World War II escort carrier was named ''Saginaw Bay''.

References

1. Saginaw River and Bay Area of Concern U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2. Sagninaw Facts and History Public Libraries of Saginaw
3. Saginaw County History and General Information