Wenona, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Wenona was a historical settlement in the U.S. state
of Michigan
, located in what is now Bay City
at 43°35′52"N 83°53′53"W.
The village was founded in 1863 by Henry W. Sage
(1814-1897), a merchant and philanthropist, who along with John McGraw
also founded the Sage, McGraw & Company sawmill on the west bank of the Saginaw River
. The sawmill, which was the largest in the state, was an early economic center of the community. Sage initially plat
ted the settlement with the name "Lake City", but because there was another Lake City
in Michigan, it was renamed Wenona after the mother of Hiawatha
in the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. George H. Bates became the first postmaster on February 14, 1865. Wenona incorporated as a village in 1867, and, in 1877 the Michigan Legislature
consolidated Wenona with two other nearby villages, Banks and Salzburgh to form the city of West Bay City. In 1905, West Bay City merged with Bay City
.
The fortunes created from the sawmill operation in Wenona and the lumber industry it supported formed the basis of important early gifts to Cornell University
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, located in what is now Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
at 43°35′52"N 83°53′53"W.
The village was founded in 1863 by Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage
Henry W. Sage was a wealthy New York State businessman, philanthropist, and early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University....
(1814-1897), a merchant and philanthropist, who along with John McGraw
John McGraw (merchant)
John McGraw was a wealthy New York State lumber merchant, philanthropist, early benefactor and trustee of Cornell University.-Early years:...
also founded the Sage, McGraw & Company sawmill on the west bank of the Saginaw River
Saginaw River
The Saginaw River is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron just northeast of Bay City. The watershed area is .The river is an important shipping...
. The sawmill, which was the largest in the state, was an early economic center of the community. Sage initially plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the settlement with the name "Lake City", but because there was another Lake City
Lake City, Michigan
Lake City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 836. Known as the "Christmas Tree Capital", it is the county seat of Missaukee County.-Geography:...
in Michigan, it was renamed Wenona after the mother of Hiawatha
Hiawatha
Hiawatha was a legendary Native American leader and founder of the Iroquois confederacy...
in the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. George H. Bates became the first postmaster on February 14, 1865. Wenona incorporated as a village in 1867, and, in 1877 the Michigan Legislature
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan Legislature is the legislative assembly of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body consisting of the Senate, the upper house, and the House of Representatives, the lower house. Article IV of the state's Constitution, adopted in 1963, defines the role of the...
consolidated Wenona with two other nearby villages, Banks and Salzburgh to form the city of West Bay City. In 1905, West Bay City merged with Bay City
Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...
.
The fortunes created from the sawmill operation in Wenona and the lumber industry it supported formed the basis of important early gifts to Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.