The Great Fire of Saginaw, Michigan

1893 - 2013
The Great Fire of Saginaw, Michigan
May 20, 1893
St. Mary's Hospital  - Only Surviving Structure

National Postcard Week
May 5-11, 2013

A blaze that began at 3:46 p.m. destroyed 249 homes by dinner time on the city's East side.  Faned by 50 mph winds, it is believed a spark form a lumber mill ignited a nearby abandoned mill.  Surprisingly, only one man died.

Limited edition 29 of 125
signed on the back by Lois Powell

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In 1873, the pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church in East Saginaw requested that the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul open a hospital in Saginaw. They opened St. Mary's Hospital in 1875. In February 1892, a new five story building was finished. In 1928, a new building was dedicated, adding an emergency room, 4 operating rooms, a medical library, and bringing the total of beds to 156. A new facility was opened in 1961, following the demolition of the 1892 building.