Read more
Who would have thought a city would one day stand where there was nothing but swamp, with long grass--where there was scarcely an opening in the woods, and in which the wolves made plenty of howling. This observation was made by Leon Trombley, one of the first to try to settle in this part of the Michigan "frontier" in the early 1800s. His nephews, Mader and Joseph, would soon follow and ultimately become noted among the area's first permanent residents. The residents of Bay City have always aspired to be legendary, whether by design, accident, or sheer determination. Annie Edson Taylor, the area schoolteacher turned daredevil who would ride her Bay City-built barrel over Niagara Falls (and survive!), is only one among a large group of local legends that includes Olympic champions, community leaders, artists, musicians, scholars, philosophers, and historians.
About the author
Ron Bloomfield, the director of operations and chief historian of the Bay County Historical Society, has extensively researched, written, and lectured about the many nuances of Bay County history and its many legendary residents. Many of the images chosen for his work are from the extensive collections of the Bay County Historical Society (founded in 1919), which manages the Historical Museum of Bay County, where information on Bay County's past can readily be found in exhibits, publications, and programs.
