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When I think of a Castle, the first thought which comes to mind is the home of a king. For Saginaw, however, it means the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History. This French-style structure once housed our FBI, IRS, WAR Department, USDA and the Federal Post Office, the Post Office being the most remembered establishment.

The Castle Museum of Saginaw County History stands tall, its towers erect before the pale blue sky, as if they could disappear into the heavens. The limestone structure shows the strength and age of the future's past. Spruce trees line the front lawn of the building with a dark green texture lying against the pale color limestone, which enhances the Castle and shows dignity. There are twenty-eight eagles perched high on the small steeples of the structure, as if they were guarding the Castle.

As I climbed the steps to the front door of the Castle, I felt my eagerness accelerate, not knowing what awaited me. I entered to find myself walking back into a time in history that has been preserved at its best.

To the left of the entrance was an awesome spiral staircase. As I climbed it, I felt I was tracing the footsteps of those who were here many years ago. Holding fast to the long smooth curved rails, I could sense the presence of others from long ago walking before me. The stairwell seemed to have no end, and I felt as if I could have climbed on forever. As I reached the top I looked out the window to be greeted by creatures from the roof's edge. Gargoyles positioned themselves as protectors of the beautiful Castle. Also, there are copper rails that outline the roof which are no longer bright and shiny, but a faded pale green, showing the weather-worn age of the structure. The pink color of the slate shingles on the roof caps the beauty of the structure. As I descended the stairs, it reminded me of Scarlet O'Hara sweeping down the stairs to meet Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind.

The second level of the Castle Museum hold the offices belonging to the museum's personnel and Historical Society. There were several offices lined on each side of the hallway, and one at the very end. I could not proceed past that point.

I continued through the halls of the Castle Museum, amazed at the history that stands before me in the Gallery. There was a special traveling show displaying the photographic works of the Goodridge Brothers. The Brothers developed pictures which showed the rich history of Saginaw. They showed how the City was alive, taking pictures of lumber camps, picnics, parties, natural disasters and other rich pictures of the city. The pictures presented time as if it stood still.

The next room revealed artifacts which belonged to the Native Americans. I wondered if these same arrowheads were used to hunt their food. There were also models of how they made their canoes and teepees. Other activities were shown, such as displays of the Saginaw breweries, as drinking was one of the lumberjacks' favorite activities of the time. There were also small-scale exhibits, showing the lumberjacks at work on their jobs.

I then entered a room in the Castle's Federal Post Office exhibit and went up some stairs to find long dark passageways that had a stale odor to them. The walls were painted black in color, which made it hard for me to see. In the floor of this narrow way there were several peek holes about two inches in diameter. The black cement walls had little windows about two inches by ten inches which were also peek holes. These holes were used in those days to "spy" on the postal employees. I wonder if the postal workers knew the peek holes were there and that they were being watched.

I went downstairs to the basement level of the Castle Museum, where I saw the dresses and shoes that women wore over the course of a century. The shoes from the late 1800s were so small and narrow and had so many eyes and hooks it was unbelievable. It must have taken some time and patience to lace them. The shoes were more like a boot which had to be laced all the way up. The dresses were of lace and long in length. Compared to today, where women wear low neck lines and reveal their stomachs, women a century ago let no body skin show. Some of the dresses also had umbrellas and hair pieces which matched.

All of the displays were protected behind glass, to be preserved. I longed to touch what I was seeing, only to get a feeling of what the people in another time felt.

Outside, in the back of the Castle, lie the docks where post office mail once was brought in daily. I could imagine the people moving around, loading and unloading mail which needed to be delivered. Some things of the past are still the same today.

Life was once so different in Saginaw. What is thought of as old and history today was considered new and a way of life to people long ago. There were once horses and buggies to get around in, the use of lumber tools, different styles of clothing, and artifacts such as arrow heads. The Castle holds numerous rich memories of a time many never knew about. In the 1970s there were threats the Castle would be demolished, but because of a few very devoted people, the Castle Museum was preserved and will always hold the history of Saginaw.