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is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. Once two independent cities, the consolidated City of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan. The city is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of the Tri-Cities area, along with Bay City, Michigan and Midland, Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 61,799. The 2007 census estimate places the population at 56,263.
The site of what is presently the City of Saginaw was originally inhabited by Native Americans. The Sauk lived in the area and were driven from the area by Ojibwe (Chippewa). The name Saginaw is believed to mean "where the Sauk were" in the Ojibwe language. French missionaries and traders first appeared in the area during the late 1600s. The first permanent settlement by those other than Native Americans was in 1815 when Louis Campau established a trading post on the west bank of the Saginaw River. Shortly thereafter the United States established Fort Saginaw.
During Michigan's territorial period, a county and township government were organized at Saginaw. Growth of the settlement was fueled rapidly during the 1800s by the lumber industry. Saginaw was the site of numerous sawmills and served as a port for Great Lakes vessels. What is now the City of Saginaw resulted from the consolidation of the cities of East Saginaw and Saginaw (West Side) in 1889.
During the 1900s, Saginaw's economy was dominated by manufacturing related to the automotive industry. Immigration from other areas, particularly the American south, swelled the population. This population growth particularly expanded the presence of African-Americans in Saginaw. The politics of the city became dominated with issues of race relations. The manufacturing presence in Saginaw declined in the latter half of the 20th century and the population diminished as well. Saginaw has faced increasing social problems relating to poverty as a result of its high rate of unemployment. Crime has been a major area of concern for the community in recent years.