SAGINAW COUNTY. 341 



squaws, who are the laboring class of the tribe, until their growth was 

 assured. 



. '* The exact date of the first bearing apple tree of these Indian orchards is 

 not known, but it may be presumed that it was sometime previous to 1800, 

 as there are several squaws and Indians whose recollections go back distinctly 

 to the war of 1813, and at that time there were many apple trees which were 

 of full size and bore large crops of fruit every year. This would at least 

 determine their origin several years previous to 1800, and it is not at all un- 

 likely that there were seeds deposited and trees grown from them, as far back 

 as the middle of the eighteenth century. The naturally fertile soil along the 

 river banks in Saginaw county seems, by these facts, to be the natural home 

 of all our native fruits, where they will grow in luxuriance and abundance, 

 and repay the grower ten, fifty and one hundred fold for his labor." 



Mr. Guild also says that in 1832 the United States government established 

 a military post at Saginaw, with two companies of troops, to protect the fur 

 trade. They, with other government employes, cleared and tilled several 

 acres of land. 



In 1833 several persons settled along the Tittabawassee river, a few miles 

 above irs mouth. Among these were Andrew Ure, J. Brown, I. Thompson, 



McCarty, John McGregor, H. and C. McLane, and Stephen Benson. 



They found the Indian orchards (already described), and there were also 

 Indian orchards of similar age on the Flint river, in the towu of Taymouth, 

 in the southern part of this county, together with more or less land in each 

 place cleared and cultivated by the aborigines. 



Trees were brought into the valley as early as 1833. From that time till 

 1840 many persons settled along the river and planted orchards. Most of 

 the trees came from a nursery (the Hastings nursery?) near Pontiac, Oakland 

 county. These orchards generally are yet in good condition. 



In December, 1846, Curtis Emerson came to Saginaw City, and on July 

 4th, 1847, he crossed the river and became the first resident of East Saginaw, 

 which he named Buena Vista, in honor of Taylor's then recent victory over 

 Santa Anna. (Judge Albert Miller, in Pio. Col., vol. 7, page 279.) 



Judge Miller states (at pages 356-' 7, vol. 7, Pio. Col.): "The earliest 

 orchards in the valley were grown from seeds brought from the State of New 

 York. Asa and Abram Whitney each had an orchard, and I think theirs 

 were the first planted by the pioneers of the valley. They were on the banks 

 of the Tittabawassee river. 



^^At an early date in the settlement of the valley Messrs. Little and Ladd 

 brought apple seeds from Livingston county. New York." A few trees were 

 brought on pack horses from Oakland county, Michigan, and planted i; the 

 gardens of Gardner D. and Ephraim S. Williams. ''These," says Judge 

 Miller, "1 think were the first bearing trees grown by the settlers ot the Sag- 

 inaw valley. Plums have been grown in great abundance, by grafting culti- 

 vated fruit on the native wild stock. 



''There was no difficulty in raising peaches in the valley, in great abund- 

 ance, till 1856, That winter was so severe that nearly all the peach trees 

 were killed, I was living at Portsmouth at that time, and had two or three 

 young trees that were preserved by being covered by a snow drift, that bore 

 fruit for many successive years after that; but, as a general thing, peaches 

 have not been so sure a crop since 1856 as before that date." 



About 1856 the late Joseph Halstead "was at tea at his friend's house when 



