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Walter Borman is one of the main characters in the book, The Saginaws: When Timber Was King, written by Stuart D. Gross. Walter Borman is a fictional character based on the life of an actual saloon owner, Warren Bordwell, who lived in Saginaw, Michigan, in the late 1800s. In this historical novel, Walter Borman runs a successful saloon called an opera house. The opera house is infamous for both its entertainment and its pretty, young and aggressive girls, noted for doing whatever was necessary to keep a man happy and coming back. Borman had ten to twelve girls and a couple of bouncers to help him deprive, swindle and occasionally rob customers, usually lumberjacks, of their hard-earned money. Although Mr. Borman had a vicious temper, he was a no-nonsense businessman who, though despised, was also respected by customers and workers. By overpricing liquor and underpaying employees, Borman made his business successful. Even though Borman's workers might have been overworked, they earned good money, keeping them loyal and motivated to work for Walter. These business tactics would have made Walter Borman a successful businessman in today's world.

Sergio, a Delta College international student from Brazil, performs as a member of the Historical Players. Sergio, dressed as a lumberjack, is wearing one of the antique costumes purchased by a grant from the Saginaw Community Foundation.