Shanty Boys, Brothels and Geysers of Booze.
Michigan’s first major industry was lumber; even the lower Mitten was full of what was then considered the best pine in the country. Hard to believe in 2022, immigrants and other young men fled to the booming Saginaw Valley near the center of Michigan. The Saginaw River was the end of a large watershed perfect for shipping the fine pine lumber.
River Hogs on the Manistique River, north of Bay City.
Lumbermen lived in camps and acted like Paul Bunyans throughout the winter. Stores of cut lumber were shipped in the Spring after the snow melted, when the rivers were at the fullest. After the spring shipment was done, hundreds of lumbermen, who often lived in dry camps with no women, obviously needed to have some fun.
So where did they go? They bought a ticket to hell….
Bay County Historical Society Some very thirsty and probably horny shanty boys.
After the spring thaw, shanty boys wandered out of the woods and hitched a ride to Hell’s Half Mile, along the river in Bay City. Thousands of dollars were made off these foolish shanty boys. Most of the locals condemned this “yearly torrent of wickedness.” Others took advantage of it, draining the men of most of the money that they had made over the winter.
Bay County Historical Society A suspiciously quiet Water Street.
It was not just saloons that racked in the benefits of this yearly on slot of lumbermen. Dance halls, gambling dens, resorts and, of course, brothels tapped into their pockets.
Bay County Historical Society Saloons even hired “runners” to entice the shanty boys to their businesses. There were plenty of saloons to choose from. In 1880, Bay City had a population of 27,000 with 162 saloons opened day and night in the city, and even 26 more on the other side of the river on the West Side. Water Street, Hell’s Half Mile, contained the raunchiest, most prostitute laded, and the most popular saloons in town.
Bay County Historical Society Brothels also ran along the infamous Water Street. “Ma Smith” ran a home of 12 to 20 girls and even the town marshal in 1875 owned a brothel. Prostitution was legal during this time and saloon keepers, businessmen and law enforcement did little to regulate it because it was good for business, anything to get the $150-200 a shanty boy would bring into town.
Saloon girls in a saloon, drinking things.
How did Hell’s Half Mile get its name? History often focuses on the violence in the Wild West, but lumber towns were just as bad, if not worse. Bay City was notorious at the time for tolerance of and association with vice and violence. Hell, the town marshal owned a brothel. Since it was the first stop on the railroad for shanty boys, the city got its fair share of shanty boys, even giving the city the nicknames “Tramp Heaven” or “Bum City.”
Except with more fighting.
One thing that Bay City had that Western cities lacked was brawling. “Free fights” (for absolutely no reason whatsoever) were common between 20 to 30 men, often leading to serious injury and death. Bay City had less homicides than Western cities, just more fighting for no reason.
The Water Street of today. Now full of antique shops, condos, and a specialty peanut store, which used to have a very naughty theater on the second floor and a bar on the first floor.
Today, Water Street shows no evidence of its “Hell’s Half Mile” days. Most of the buildings have been torn or burned down. Today the street is the home of the Bay Antiques Center, some condos and the planetarium. Not exactly what you would expect for a place known for brothels and saloons.
And more antique shops.
Bay City has held onto its legacy somewhat. It still contains a ridiculous number of bars. The next street up from Water Street still contains a bunch and there is even have a two-block radius full of them on the other side of town.
Midland Street, the modern day “Hell’s Half Mile,” although a lot less fighting and other vices.
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where can i find these geysers of booze. inquiring minds want to know
The Bay County Historical Society conducts walking tours of Hell’s Half Mile, e.g., on Saturday, June 11th and Friday, June 17th, 2022.