Michigan became a state in 1837. As a part of the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the majority of our area was covered with tall trees.The logging industry came first and after the trees were cut down and the land cleared of stumps, there was rich farm land available. Pioneers were moving west. Many had come from Europe and were interested in obtaining farm land at a reasonable price.
The Lutherans living in Bavaria, Germany wanted to send missionaries to the Midwest to the Native Americans. The Saginaw Valley was home to the Chippewa Tribe. The mission began in Frankenmuth in the 1840s (the Mission School still stands south of St. Lorenz as part of their museum area).
