Saginaw

Situated in the central portion of Michigan's lower peninsula, Saginaw is located in the economically diverse Great Lakes Bay region, which includes Saginaw, Bay, and Midland counties. It is home to a number of companies specializing in the auto, chemical, nanotechnology, silicon, and advanced materials sectors. The Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation , Nexteer Automotive's world headquarters, and several other automotive-related companies and suppliers are located in the county. The area also is known for its medical community, facilities like Covenant Medical Center, and for educational institutions like Saginaw Valley State University.

With its diverse population, Saginaw also enjoys a rich heritage and a number of entertainment and cultural destinations. It is home to the restored 1927 Temple Theatre, which features an old theater pipe organ, and has attracted a number of notable entertainers, including B.B. King, Garrison Keillor, George Carlin, and numerous vaudeville acts in its early history. The Dow Event Center also hosts numerous events, concerts, entertainers, and musicians. For sports buffs, the city has its own hockey team, the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. Saginaw also has a number of historical attractions, including the Castle Museum, a U.S. Post Office built in the style of a French castle in 1898. The museum -- home to the Historical Society of Saginaw County -- features exhibits that highlight the history of Saginaw and the state, as well as occasional traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian Institute.

For trivia buffs, Saginaw also was home to poet laureate Theodore Roethke, Kid LaVigne--1895 lightweight boxing champion--and Kate English, the first female delegate to a Michigan political convention in 1914. The first incandescent bulb in Michigan lit the Bancroft Hotel, and the largest bean elevator in the state is located in Saginaw.