514 



SAGINAW LUMBER DISTRICT. 



The first occujiation of Saginaw began with a military post on the 

 site of Saginaw City in 1822. The first lumber-mill was erected in 

 1836, and in 1853 there were 61 mills in the territory included within 

 Saginaw, Bay, Shiawassee, and Genesee Counties, none being north of 

 these. They had a capacity of about one hundred millions of feet a 

 year, and 23 were located along the Saginaw River. There are now 

 over 300 mills in the above territory, capable of cutting over a billion 

 of feet a year. 



The record from the Saginaw Valley proper, not including contiguous 

 territory, has, since 1863, been as follows : 



York, iu the markets of the Northwest. The uumber of barrels made annually since 

 1860 has been as follows : 



The business at the close of 1877 was divided aniontr 76 manufacturers, of which 10 

 were on '' the shore," from Port Austin to Oscoda, 27 in Bay County, and 39 in Saginaw 

 County. The number of kettle-blocks was 20 ; of steam-blocks, 71 ; of pan-blocks, 22, 

 and of salt-covers, 3,800. Capacity, 2,100,000 barrels, and amount manufactured in 

 1877, according to inspector's report, 1,660,897 barrels. The qualities for the year 1877 

 were: line, 1,590,841 ; packers', 20,858 ; solar, 22,949, and second quality, 26,249. The 

 quantity made in kettles was 182,560 barrels; in pans, 371,642; by steam, 1,083,646, and 

 by solar evaporation 22,046. There was a large decrease in the amount made by the 

 kettle or boiling process, and a large increase of that by steam. In 1875 there 

 -were 95 salt-blocks, 240 grainers, 1,310 kettles, 55 pans, 4,092 covers, and 119 wells, 

 varying from 700 to 1,760 feet. With two exceptions, they were less than 1,200 feet, 

 and averaged 800 to 900 feet. As to mode of manufacture, 35 used steam in evaporat- 

 ing the brines, 11 used pans, 8 kettles, 9 steam and pans, 4 steam and kettles, 3 kettles 

 and solar heat, 1 kettles and pans, and 1 solar heat and steam. The fuel used in ket- 

 tle-blocks is cord-wood mixed soft and hard, refuse slabs, and sawdust ; and one block 

 will use 10 cords of mixed wood or 16 cords of slabs in 24 hours. Pan-blocks on the 

 Sa<nnaw are run almost entirely on slabs and sawdust, but on the lake shore cord- 

 wood is used. A pan-block 90 feet long and 16 feet wide, will use 13 cords of mixed 

 wood in 24 hours, making 140 barrels of salt. Steam-blocks are mostly heated by day 

 with the exhaust steam, which is carried through the settlers and graining vats, heat- 

 inf them to a degree less than boiling. If the mill does not run nights, the steam- 

 pipes are connected with the mill-boilers and live steam is kept up through the night, 

 the fuel being sawdust, &c. In some instances the salt-works are run several weeks 

 longer than the mill. The barrels are mostly of pine, from refuse lumber and slabs, 

 but in some mills elm is made into staves and heading for this use. The usnal invest- 

 ment for a salt manufactory is about $20,000, which may be stated in detail as follows: 

 Engine and boiler for two wells, $2,800; drilling salt-wells, $2,200; poles for wells, 

 $250; tubing, $1,400; pump chamber and valves, $250; salt-block, cisterns, settlers, 

 and grainers, $9,600; tubing and connection to salt-block, $3,500. 



The salines of Saginaw and the shore belong to private owners ; but the State main- 

 tains a supervision by way of inspection, for the purpose of preventing deterioration of 

 quality and for securing statistical record. An inspector is appointed by the governor 

 and senate. He is aided by deputies and receives a fee for services. There are ten 

 inspection districts. (See Report on the Salt Manufactures of Michigan, prepared for 

 Geological Report by S. S. Garrigues, Ph. D., and Lumhennan's Gazette, December 29, 

 1877, for further details.) 



The geological formation of this region favors the sinking of wells throughout a 

 wide area in the valleys of the Grand and Tittibawassee Rivers and elsewhere, usually 

 to depths of about 800 feet, but ranging from 560 to 1,100. The brine does not flow 

 from these wells, but must be pumped from 100 to 200 feet, and the capacity of the 

 wells varies from 12 to 20 gallons per minute. The collateral products of these brines 

 are beginning to have a value in the manufacture of artificial stone, calcined magne- 

 sia, and the bromide of magnesium. The refuse salt has also a value as a manure, and 

 should be more generally used. 



