Monitor Township Main Page
Township Hall: 2483 E. Midland Road
Post Office: Bay City, MI 48706
Phone: 989-684-7304
Monitor Township was organized in 1869, becoming the seventh township of Bay County. It was created from the south eastern section of Bangor Township.
- {View} historical maps reference.
Geographic area at time of organization:
Created from south portion of Bangor Township, consisting of sections 30 and 31, town 14 north, range 5 east, and all of town 14 north, range 4 east, except sections 1 and 2.
The first election of officers was held at the home of Owen C. White on April 5, 1869, elected to officer were:
- Supervisor: William H. Needham
- Inspectors: William H. Needham, William Hemingway, Owen C.White
Historical population:
1874: 554 residents
1880: 931 residents
1894: 1,784 residents
1900: 2,150 residents
2000: 10,037 residents
The early settlers of this area were mainly descendants of the German colony that settled Frankenlust Township. Among these were J. Rittershofer, Henry Kraner, P. Graul, Charles Baxman, G. Schweinsbert and John Hunn. Other early pioneers were Thomas Kent, James Felker, W.H. Needham, Jeremiah Waite, Fred Shaw, William Gaffney, Joseph Dell and T.C. Phillips. The land was then very much of a wilderness from the Kawkawlin river to Frankenmuth.
When William Hemingway purchased 40 acres in 1858, he had to go by Kawkawlin, up the Kawkawlin river in a canoe, then by foot over a four mile long Indian trail heading south. To access his property, he had to create a roadway by which he could travel with his team of oxen. This roadway serve as a passage way to many for years.
Joseph Dell a year later settled on 80 acres with a similar degree of effort to make the land accessable and useable.
Years later, the Midland stone road was built stretching from west from Bay City and straight through the township. Michigan Central Railroad built a railsystem just north of the road and during the coaling mining periods, spurs ran to the mine and these were used as for hauling farm produce as well.
Large portions of the land included lowland areas that were swamps. These were eventually release of their water basins by drainage canals opening these areas up to farming. Much of the land produced sugar beets to fed the two factories operating then on the west side of the Saginaw river.
Community Resources:
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