Veterans Memorial Park (Bay City, Michigan)

Veterans Memorial Park
Veterans Memorial Park
	View of Bay City at dusk from the park.
	Veterans Memorial Park
Type	Public park
Location	800 John F. Kennedy Drive; Bay City, Michigan
Coordinates	43°35′50″N83°53′47″W / 43.5972733°N 83.8964659°W Coordinates: 43°35′50″N83°53′47″W / 43.5972733°N 83.8964659°W
Area	97 acres (39 ha)
Operated by	City of Bay City Parks Department
Open	Year round
Status	Open

Last updated April 14, 2019

Veterans Memorial Park is the central park of Bay County, Michigan. The park, approximately 97 acres (39 ha), is located along the west bank of the Saginaw River in Bay City, Michigan, United States.^[1]^[2] Across the river is another city park, Wenonah Park.

Bay County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,771. The county seat is Bay City.

The Saginaw River is a 22.4-mile-long (36.0 km) river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is formed by the confluence of the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee rivers southwest of Saginaw. It flows northward into the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron, passing through Bay City, which developed around it in the 19th century. The watershed area is 8,595 square miles (22,260 km²).

Bay City is a city in Bay County, Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Midland-Bay City Combined Statistical Area. The city, along with nearby Midland and Saginaw, form the Greater Tri-Cities region of Central Michigan, which has more recently been called the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Features

Veterans Memorial Park includes many features, including a public marina, sports field, an arboretum, an exercise track,^[1]^[2] a memorial to war veterans,^[3] and a Riverwalk that runs the length of the park and beyond.^[1]^[2]

Marina A dock or basin with moorings and facilities for yachts and small boats

A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters.

A pitch or a sports ground is an outdoor playing area for various sports. The term pitch is most commonly used in British English, while the comparable term in American and Canadian English is playing field or sports field.

Arboretum botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study

An arboretum in a general sense is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees. More commonly a modern arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants and is intended at least in part for scientific study.

Liberty Harbor Marina

Liberty Harbor Marina is a public marina in Veterans Memorial Park located north of Veterans Memorial Bridge. It is certified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and includes 99 berths, a concession stand, and a parking lot.^[1]

The Veterans Memorial Bridge is a drawbridge located in Bay City, Michigan. It carries State Highway M-25 over the Saginaw River. Its location is just south of Wenona Park, and Veteran's Park.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Currently the Director is Keith Creagh. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.

A berth is a designated location in a port or harbour used for mooring vessels when they are not at sea. Berths provide a vertical front which allows safe and secure mooring that can then facilitate the unloading or loading of cargo or people from vessels.

Kantzler Memorial Arboretum

Kantzler Memorial Arboretum is an arboretum located in a 12 acres (4.9 ha) plaza landscaped with plants maintained by civic and private organizations around the area. It is located along the Saginaw River near the Community Center.^[1]

Along the north-side of the arboretum is a 500 feet (150 m) inlet once used for ship building, known as the Davidson Dry Dock. Over the mouth of the dry dock is a footbridge that joins with the Riverwalk.^[1]

A dry dock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, and repair of ships, boats, and other watercraft.

A footbridge is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians. While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a height above the ground", a footbridge can also be a lower structure, such as a boardwalk, that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or mashy land. Bridges range from stepping stones–possibly the earliest man-made structure to "bridge" water–to elaborate steel structures. Another early bridge would have been simply a fallen tree. In some cases a footbridge can be both functional and a beautiful work of art.

Santa House

Santa House is a log building leased annually to Santa House Inc. every December. It is located near the entrance to the park's John F. Kennedy Drive entrance.^[1]

Trombley House

Trombley House is Bay County's first frame house. It was completed in 1837 by Joseph Tromblé and moved from 24th and Water across the river to the park in 1981. It is owned, maintained, managed, and primarily used by the Bay County Historical Society.^[1]

Fitness Park

Fitness Park is an exercise track specifically equipped for disabled people established in 1986. The looping track breaks off from the Riverwalk and proceeds through designated exercise areas.^[1]

Events

A number of community events are held at Veterans Memorial Park, such as concerts, the Bay City Fireworks Festival,^[4] Pig Gig, River Roar,^[1]^[2] and Walleyes for Warriors.^[5]

Related Research Articles

Saginaw County, officially the County of Saginaw, is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,169. The county seat is Saginaw. The county was created by September 10, 1822, and was fully organized on February 9, 1835. The etymology of the county's name is uncertain. It may be derived from Sace-nong or Sak-e-nong, as the Sauk tribe is believed by some to have once lived there. A more likely possibility is that it comes from Ojibwe words meaning "place of the outlet" –sag and ong. See List of Michigan county name etymologies.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Veterans Memorial Park". City of Bay City. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
1 2 3 4 "Veterans Memorial Park: Bay City". Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
↑ hamiltonanderson (November 2007). "North Veteran's Memorial Park Master Plan" (PDF). Retrieved July 7, 2015.
↑ Yossifor, Yfat (July 2, 2015). "First of 3 Bay City Fireworks Festival Shows Lights Up Sky Above Saginaw River". MLive. Booth Newspapers . Retrieved July 7, 2015.
↑ Hester, Nicole (June 22, 2015). "Veterans Honored at Fifth Annual Walleyes for Warriors Fishing Event in Bay City". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved July 7, 2015.

External links

Official website

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[bc-veterans-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Veterans Memorial Park". City of Bay City. Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[glbrcvb-veterans-2] 1 2 3 4 "Veterans Memorial Park: Bay City". Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[northplan-3] tonanderson (November 2007). "North Veteran's Memorial Park Master Plan" (PDF). Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[mlive715-4] Yossifor, Yfat (July 2, 2015). "First of 3 Bay City Fireworks Festival Shows Lights Up Sky Above Saginaw River". MLive. Booth Newspapers . Retrieved July 7, 2015.

[mlive615-5] Hester, Nicole (June 22, 2015). "Veterans Honored at Fifth Annual Walleyes for Warriors Fishing Event in Bay City". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved July 7, 2015.