Off-Site Presentations
The Bay County Historical Society offers presentations to groups both on
and off-site. Sam Fitzpatrick, Education Coordinator, will present on a topic listed below. Presentations are
1 - 1.5 hours long and includes a power-point slide show.
Cost:
$100
Topics:
Bay City Icons:
This presentation examines numerous locations throughout Bay City’s downtown,
west side, South End, and more! City Hall, St. Stan’s, and former Wenonah Beach are among many other locations looking
through the lenses of history and architecture.
Hell's Half Mile and Center Avenue:
The presentation looks at two worlds that existed next to one another simultaneously
during the 19th century: the Hell’s Half Mile district and the elaborate estates of Center Avenue. During the 19th century,
the Saginaw Valley Lumbering Industry was booming. It brought in many immigrants, lumberjacks, and profits. The downtown areas
along Saginaw and Water Streets had numerous salacious characters prowling the streets looking for booze, a fight, a brothel,
or a generally good time.
Meanwhile, those among the white-collar or aristocratic classes kept their hands in many business
pots or hosted guests in their multi-roomed mansions.
Wenonah Beach:
Take a trip back through time to when Saginaw Bay was home to the Wenonah Beach
Amusement Park! Learn about the location, rides, names, and entertainers who kept the park open between the late 19th century
and the 1960s.
Riverfront History:
This presentation takes a look at Bay City's Hell’s Half Mile and lumbering industries and also talks about
the long history of shipbuilding on the Saginaw River for over a century.
Steve Madaj and the
Polish South End Gang:
This presentation looks at an
intriguing part of Bay City's history. During the 1910s and 1920s, Steve Madaj and his many crews from the city’s South
End murdered and robbed their way into history. Madaj, a bi-lingual gangster who would speak in Polish around authorities
to his fellow crews, was often several steps ahead of the law and escaped prison multiple times. His crime spree would take
him all over the Midwest at a time when many other criminals were making a name for themselves, such as Al Capone or Bonnie
and Clyde.
Women of Bay County:
This presentation examines women from Bay County who have made history. Light housekeepers, educators, pilots, mayors,
and more!
Hell’s Half Mile Tour/Presentation:
This presentation is exactly like the walking tour, only brought to you! Enjoy the same information as you would
get on the tour in the comfort of an indoor setting.