Saginaw

Saginaw's Past


Bancroft House, Saginaw, Mich.      Dated Aug 29, 1908
Postmarked Burt, Mich.          
One cent for USA, and Island Possessions, Cuba, Canada and Mexico,
Two cents for Foreign.
 
To:  Mrs. Jas Whitwell, Jarvis, Ont.   
"Reced your letter.  Will be home Christmas, I guess, that if they don't kick me out.  I am having a good time.  I was for a big drive today go pretty near every day.  good bye       Mrs. Hill     ans soon

 


Bancroft House, Saginaw, Mich.      Dated Aug 3, 1910
Postmarked Saginaw, Mich.             One Cent
 
To:  Mrs. M. J. Stowell, Charlotte, Mich.
"Saginaw, Monday, Aug 1, 1910. 
Dear Mother, R. J. has made up his mind to stay for a while & we have sent word to Mr. Melbourn to have our garage man go and get Bett to stay with you until we get back.  I am sorry Doff did not have time to get her to stay with you before he came.  He is feeling some better now.  I don't know just when we will be home.  Get all you want at the grocery and market until we come home.  Minnie"

 

Bancroft Hotel, Saginaw, Mich.      Dated Oct 19, 1934
Postmarked Saginaw, Mich.             One Cent
 
Made in USA By E. C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee
 
To:  Miss Alice Rank, #3,  Saginaw, Mich.
"Dear Alice, how are you?  I haven't been feeling very well lately.  I was in bed a couple of days last wk.  but I am feeling some what better now.  I guess the sugar beets where (sic) to much for me, we are all through with them now.  I sure am glad.  I suppose you think I am slow about coming down.  I was coming down like tomorrow first but Melvin wants me to go to Detroit.  Eleanor   P.S. I'll try to come down around our birthday.  I'll write when".
 


Bancroft Hotel, Saginaw, Mich.      Dated Jul 27, 1924
Postmarked Saginaw, Mich.             One Cent
 
Post Card published by Saginaw Woodenware Co., Saginaw, Mich.
 
To:  Mr. F. A.  ??       St. Charles, Mich.    R#1            
 From:  Fred Pagel, 712 N. Warren Ave. Saginaw, Mich. 

Unsent post card.  Pub. by Reid Paper Co., Saginaw, Mich. 
 
Hotel Bancoft, Saginaw, Mich.---1935-40 ?
 
"One of the fine hotels in Saginaw, convenient and with satisfactory appoinments.  This city, with its manager-commission type of government, attends to a steady growth through its mining, power and foundry industries."
 
 
Note by Ilse:  this is very much the way the Bancroft Hotel appeared in the
early 1940's to 1950.  I worked in the Second National Bank bldg in 1951
and the Bancroft looked like this.

 

1910 Bancroft Hotel

Bancroft Luggage Tag

Hotel Bancroft

I worked at the Bancroft Hotel from 1949 to 1953 as secretary to the Catering Manager.  The hotel was at the corner of Genesee and Washington.  The first floor consisted of lobby, coffee shop, dining room (at that time called the Flamingo Room), bar, kitchen, manager's office and catering office.  There were stores off the street that also opened into the hotel.  Mueller Brothers men's clothing store was on the corner of Washington and Genesee.  Next on Genesee was the Lillian Weston Shop (designer women's clothing), then the coffee shop, and behind that I believe was the AAA office and possibly another insurance company (brain is fuzzy).  On the Washington side was Mueller Brothers to the right of the entrance and Hutson's Drug Store was to the left of the entrance.  Then the bar (at that time called the Airport Bar), and I can't remember the other stores.  The second floor, or mezzanine,  was mostly meeting rooms, the grand ball room, a catering kitchen, and a few guest rooms.  The lobby was two stories high with a wrought iron railing around the second floor perimeter.  There were chairs, sofas and tables in conversation groupings around the walls where people attending meetings, dinners or dances in the ballroom could congregate and watch whatever was happening in the lobby, or just see and be seen.
 I don't know when that building was built, but the original building was from the lumbering era.  What was left of that building (or maybe even a later building) in the 50s was on Water Street and housed the laundry on the first floor and a few rooms for some of the female staff on the second floor.  The newer building was built around that building in an "L" shape.
 On the other side of Water Street behind the hotel was a parking garage.  I believe it was converted from something else, but I may be wrong.  It was two or three stories high and the cars were driven onto an elevator and taken to the upper floors.
 I know there are several books at the library and the history museum that have many more facts about the Bancroft that you could use.  If I still lived in Saginaw I would be happy to do a short history for you.
 Thank you so much for all you are doing.  It is much appreciated!
 Nancy Kubik 

My husband and I were involved in a "Marriage Encounter" weekend that was held at the Bancroft in the early 1980s.  The food at that time was still very good in the restaurant.  Carolyn

My great-grandfather, William Frederick Schultz, was associated with the Bancroft House for many years.  He is listed in the 1880 US Census as bellboy (age 15) and he stayed with the hotel until 1916 when he left his position as General Manager to become manager of the Ben Franklin Hotel in Saginaw.
He and his wife, Maude Woolsey Schultz lived at the hotel and she ran the beauty salon there for many years.  Their son (and my grandfather), Farnham Schultz, was named for the Bancroft House owner, Farnham Lyon.
"Lawrence F. Lander" <[email protected]> 

 

Contact me if you know where this was located or if you have any memories to share about this place on this page.

Contact Me