Michigan's Lumbertowns: Lumbermen and Laborers in Saginaw, Bay City, and Muskegon, 1870-1905

Great Lakes Books Series

by Jeremy W. Kilar

Michigan's foremost lumbertowns, flourishing urban industrial centers in the late 19th century, faced economic calamity with the depletion of timber supplies by the end of the century. Turning to their own resources and reflecting individual cultural identities, Saginaw, Bay City, and Muskegon developed dissimilar strategies to sustain their urban industrial status. This study is a comprehensive history of these lumbertowns from their inception as frontier settlements to their emergence as reshaped industrial centers.

Primarily an examination of the role of the entrepreneur in urban economic development, Michigan Lumbertowns considers the extent to which the entrepreneurial approach was influenced by each city's cultural-ethnic construct and its social history. More than a narrative history, it is a study of violence, business, and social change.

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1990

Reviews

[Nick]

A comparative work of the three main lumbertowns from Michigan's history. The main area of focus starts at the founding of the towns and ends around the time of the nascent auto industry, so no discussion of the rust belt issues- though this is understandable.

It took me about 1/3 of the book to sync with the author's prose, but after that, it was smooth sailing. The most gripping portions were concerning the labor strikes of 1885 with the "Ten Hours or no Sawdust" campaigns and their unfortunate end for the workers.

The author assigns criticism of the towns and their policies, culture, and economics where warranted (aka at many points), which was much appreciated. This is not a booster book for any of the towns, especially Bay City. But in critique lies a path to improvement.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting comparison of three Michigan cities during the hey days of the lumbering era. Written so a novice like myself understood the development and changes over the decades of these communities.