The area of the present City of Saginaw was inhabited by woodland Native Americans in the United StatesNative American Indians prior to settlement by those of European ancestry. The Sauk at one time lived in the area and were driven out by OjibwaOjibwe (Chippewa). 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 (tribe)Ottawa. The present City of Saginaw itself did not serve as a location for permanent settlement until the time of European contact. This may be due, in part, to the low lying and frequently flooding land adjacent to the Saginaw River much of which was Marshmarshland prior to being drained in the 19th Century. Mosquito infestation was endemic to the area. FranceFrench missionaries first reached the area in the seventeenth century. Henri Nouvel, a Jesuit missionary who made repeated visits to the Native Americans present in the area is of particular significance. He recorded information concerning his travels during the 1670s in his journals. The French controlled the territory consisting of the present day State of Michigan until it was ceded to the Great BritainBritish following the Seven Years' War in 1763. The French established permanent settlements in many locations throughout the Great Lakes, but most of the interior of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, including the Saginaw River valley, was undeveloped. Both the French and the British primarily maintained settlements for trade and strategic defense neither of which provided much reason to develop the Saginaw region. Following the British defeat during the American Revolutionary War, Michigan was granted to the United States. Despite this, the British remained in de facto control of the area for long after. It was not until after the conclusion of the War of 1812 that all presence of British military was removed from what is present-day Michigan. Soon after, in 1816, Louis Campau made the first attempt at permanent settlement at Saginaw by setting up a trading post. Trails leading from Detroit and the MichilimackinacMackinac area began to provide a slow start to Saginaw's development. Lewis Cass in the Treaty of Saginaw negotiated the prerogative of the Americans to own and settle the area with the leaders of the Ojibwe in 1819. It was soon thereafter the U.S. Army established a fort on the west bank of the Saginaw River and gave it the name Fort Saginaw. Due to the undesirable conditions of intense humidity and mosquito infestation, the Fort was abandoned by 1822. Settlement in the area virtually ceased for most of the ensuing decade. The government of the Michigan Territory established Saginaw County, MichiganSaginaw County in 1831. It originally consisted of what now is nearly one quarter of the Lower Peninsula. For administration of local government the entire County (United States consisted of one civil townshiptownship, Saginaw Charter Township, MichiganSaginaw Township, which was established at the same time to serve as the county seat. Eventually other counties and townships were created from this territory. The main cause for the development of Saginaw was the lumber needs of the growing American nation. A virgin growth forest principally consisting of white pine trees covered most of Michigan. The convenient access to water transportation provided by the Saginaw River and its numerous tributaries fueled a massive expansion in population and economic activity. As the trees were being felled in the region, logs were floated down the rivers to sawmills located in Saginaw, then to be loaded onto ships and later railroad cars. Multiple settlements comprise what now is the present-day City of Saginaw. On the west side of the river the first settlement around what had been Fort Saginaw developed into Saginaw City, MichiganSaginaw, which was incorporated as the City of Saginaw in 1857 and contained the seat of Saginaw County government. On the east side of the river a parallel settlement, East Saginaw, MichiganEast Saginaw developed which was incorporated first as a village in 1855, and then as a city in 1859. Also south of the City of East Saginaw on the east bank of the river the Village of Salina, MichiganSalina formed receiving its name on account of the salty brine that led to a growing industry of salt production in the area. Both Saginaw and East Saginaw quickly became a hub for railroad transportation in addition to ships on the Saginaw River. Lumber production peaked by the early 1870s and had virtually disappeared by the end of the nineteenth century. In addition to salt production, which experienced an eventual decline as well, growing industries supporting the area's agriculture and manufacturing developed. On June 2, 1889 the Michigan Legislature passed an act to consolidate the City of Saginaw and the City of East Saginaw into a new city that also was named the City of Saginaw. Prior to this consolidation, the Village of Salina had already been added to the City of East Saginaw. The consolidation of the City of Saginaw became effective with the election of officers in March 1890. The provisions of the city charter were established by the same act of the legislature that provided for the consolidation. The city was governed by a city council consisting of two aldermen elected from 21 wards and an executive mayor who had fairly weak powers because numerous other elected officials and elected or appointed boards controlled much of the administrative and executive functions of government. The efficient and cohesive functioning of the City's government also was strained by remaining rivalries between residents, business owners, and politicians from the former two cities. The distinctions and rivalries between the east and west sides of the City of Saginaw persisted throughout the ensuing century in various forms, and influences Saginaw's political and economic experiences even at the present time. At the dawn of the twentieth century, production of motor vehicles became prolific throughout many communities in Michigan, but most notably Detroit. In Saginaw, the Jackson, Wilcox and Church Company produced carriages to be drawn by horses, and later produced components used in motor vehicles. This was eventually acquired by General Motors and formed the basis for its Steering Gear division. Additionally, General Motors established foundries and other manufacturing facilities in Saginaw. The early development of automotive production within Saginaw would set the course for the future economic circumstances of the City. After a new Michigan Constitutionstate constitution was adopted in 1908 that mandated for increased home rule powers for local units of government, the legislature enacted the Home Rule Cities Act (Michigan)Home Rule Cities Act in 1909. Under this statute, cities are permitted to frame and adopt their own city charters and are given great flexibility in structuring local government. The government under the 1889 Charter had continued to be inefficient and provided for much political infighting. In 1913, a new city charter was adopted with voter approval and which followed the City commission governmentcommission form of city government that had gained in popular interest among various American cities in the early twentieth century. The new government consisted of five commissioners each elected separately at-large who served both as the city council and the executive heads of city government departments. One of the commissioners served as mayor, a mostly ceremonial role. The 1913 city charter was followed for little more than two decades when the voters of the city again adopted another new city charter in 1935 following the Council-manager governmentcouncil-manager form of government. The government under the 1913 city charter retained some of the independent boards that were given authority independent of the elected city commissioners. This caused some inefficiency and political friction. The economic consequences of the Great Depression during the 1930s provided the final catalyst for municipal government reform. In contrast to the previous government structures, the 1935 charter, having taken effect in 1936, provided for all administration of city government to be headed directly by a single officer, the city manager, who was appointed by and accountable to a city council of nine members elected as a group by the entire city at-large. The system was designed to address two principal issues with Saginaw's history of municipal government: the inefficiency and politics associated with having executive and administrative authority spread among many different officers and boards, and political rivalries and friction between various geographic areas of the city, mainly the east and west sides. As the United States entered the conflict of World War II, Saginaw's industrial complex was geared towards production supporting the war effort. Munitions and components for military vehicles made Saginaw a significant contributor to the nation's eventual victory. Saginaw became the destination for a great number of workers migrating from areas of the United States that were greatly devastated by the Great Depression, especially from the Southern United Statessouth. This migration continued throughout the war years and in the economic boom, which followed. Saginaw, like most of America, benefited from the dramatic economic prosperity following the war. General Motors expanded its presence in Saginaw, and other manufacturers increased production as well. This caused the population of the City to swell to its height of approximately 100,000 during the 1960s. The needs of a growing city were met by significant investment in Saginaw's infrastructure. Notably, Saginaw constructed a 65-mile long water supply pipeline drawing water from Lake Huron in 1947 to meet the anticipated needs of the community. In addition, the cities of Midland, MichiganMidland and Bay City, MichiganBay City along with Saginaw jointly developed and began to operate an airport facility in nearby Tittabawassee Township, MichiganTittabawassee Township that is now MBS International Airport. In the years following World War II, the legislature of the State of Michigan enacted laws making it increasingly difficult for incorporated cities to expand by annexationannexing adjacent territory contained within townships. Townships, which had historically served a rural population, were given the ability to provide nearly all of the same services that an incorporated city can. Residential growth in neighboring townships led the City of Saginaw to provide water under long-term contracts to such other units of government. This increased the ability of adjacent townships to further develop. The unintended consequence of this was that the city of Saginaw stopped growing in population and new housing development slowed significantly. As a result of migrations of workers from other parts of the United States, particularly the south, Saginaw's African-American population expanded significantly in proportion to those of European ancestry. Attitudes of racism promoted the racial segregationsegregation of African-American residents into concentrated neighborhoods almost exclusively within the city's east side. Mortgage lenders and real estate sales agents enforced racial segregation by making it difficult for residents of certain areas to obtain financing or for African-Americans to purchase properties in white neighborhoods. Gradually most of the east side's white population migrated either to the west side or to adjacent townships thus making the Saginaw River the virtual dividing line for segregated racial groups in Saginaw. From the 1950s onward and persisting to the present, African-Americans overwhelmingly comprise the east side's population while white residents form a majority of the west side. After the eventual breakdown of institutionally enforced segregation and increased opportunities for African-Americans, however, the west side has become significantly more diverse in its ethnic and racial composition and is no longer almost exclusively comprised of white residents. The geographic racial segregation within Saginaw set the stage for much of the city's political concerns during the last 40 years. Increasingly, race and ethnicity became significant aspects of local political campaigns and issues. The racial composition of the majority of the city council has shifted between African-Americans and whites during this time. This has caused for some degree of tensions to exist among members of the council at various times. The city council appoints a replacement member in the event of a vacancy. In each instance where a vacancy has occurred under the present city charter, a white replacement has been appointed when a white council member has vacated the seat, and an African-American replacement has been appointed when the prior incumbent was of the same race Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saginaw%2C_Michigan