| 1. | a lake port in E Michigan, near the mouth of the Saginaw River. 41,593. |
| 2. | a town in SE Texas. 17,837. |
Bay City
city, seat (1857) of Bay county, east-central Michigan, U.S. It lies along the Saginaw River near the river's outlet into Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron), about 13 miles (21 km) north of Saginaw. Settlers from the United States began to arrive in the area in the 1830s; Bay City originated as a trading post established on the east side of the Saginaw and was originally called Lower Saginaw. In 1857 it received its present name. Three villages on the west side of the river were consolidated in 1877 as West Bay City, which was in turn annexed by Bay City in 1905. The community thrived during the Michigan lumber boom (1850-90), but, when the local pine forests were depleted and the mills closed, it turned to soft-coal mining, commercial fishing, and beet-sugar refining. The city's economy is now geared toward tourism, agriculture (potatoes, beans, and beets, along with produce for local consumption), and industry, notably the manufacture of power shovels, cement, auto equipment, and plastics. Shipbuilding (of both commercial and recreational vessels) is also important. With deepwater harbour facilities, it is a port for Great Lakes and ocean shipping
Learn more about Bay City with a free trial on Britannica.com.