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Henry Marsh: Saginaw's First Black Mayor
by
Cyrella Ball

Every time I drive over the I-675 bridge in Saginaw, my eyes always wander to the plaque that reads "Henry Marsh Bridge," and every time I ask myself the same question: Who is Henry Marsh and what did he do to deserve a bridge in his honor? Not knowing the answer to this question, I always assumed that he funded the bridge. However, to my surprise, my answer is wrong. He didn't fund the bridge; it was named in his honor because every great leader needs to be recognized for all of the good deeds that they have done and for all of the obstacles they conquered to achieve them.

Background of Henry Marsh

Henry Marsh was born October 11,1921 in Knoxville, Tennessee, to two well-educated parents, Thomas and Saidye Marsh. In 1939, after graduating from Greenwood High School in Greenwood, Mississippi, he began to work as a mail carrier from 1940 to 1942, and later joined the army in 1943. He was discharged as a Staff Sergeant in 1954 (Bates B1). After exiting the service, Marsh decided that he wanted to further his education. In 1947, he graduated from Knoxville College with his B.A. degree. Not being content with that, he decided to move to Detroit to study law at Wayne State, where he met his soon-to-be-wife, Ruth Claytor. They were married in 1949. The following year Ruth gave birth to their first child, Thomas M Marsh. That same year he received his law degree. Due to the excitement of having a child Henry went back to work for the post office, trying to save money to establish his own law practice in Detroit.

Obstacles

After leaving the post office in 1951, Henry decided to practice law as a claim adjuster. That began to fail due to the fact that the city of Detroit was over-populated with lawyers ("Marsh Unanimous Choice" A2). His practice came to end when he realized that his attempts were in vain. By that time Ruth was pregnant with their second child. Being tired of seeing her husband's attempts fail, she and her uncle, Archer A. Claytor, convinced him to come to their home town of Saginaw where, at the time, they had only one black lawyer (Woodbury and Marsh).

It was until 1954 that Henry decided to take his wife's advice, and he moved to Saginaw without his family, determined to make a living for his growing family (Woodbury and Marsh). When he made it to Saginaw, he immediately got involved in civil affairs and began to gain the people's respect and popularity. That same year his wife and children joined him in Saginaw.

Life Achievements

Not forgetting his law practice, Henry began to serve as a legal counsel for the NAACP in 1955, and was later elected Chairman of the first Human Relation Commission (Bates B 1).

In 1961 Marsh became the first Black to be voted into city counsel and reelected in 1965, the same year he became acting mayor ("Marsh Slated" B3). During this time as acting mayor, he began to fight for open housing, speaking out on some of the problems of a system not allowing Negroes to purchase homes in the white community and refusing to loan them money to buy property ("Aroused, Fighting Marsh" A-l). Due to his popularity and many other unsolved issues Saginaw had, Henry decided to run for mayor. According to Saginaw News article, "They Tell Why", Henry Marsh said:

Many people think the mark of a "good politician" is to do and say those things which please the most people. The mark of a good "political leader" is to do and say those things which in his judgment are genuinely best for the community . (C10)

It was those words that got him elected as mayor in 1967, making him Saginaw's first Black mayor.

Doing all that he could as mayor to make Saginaw a better place for all races, Marsh continued to be a figure in the community. Even though racial tension was on the rise, Henry strived to solve the city problems that consisted of inadequate housing due to absentee landlords. In 1969 Marsh's open housing law was finally passed by the citizens, which led to the improvement of housing and made Saginaw a "Model City", according to the Saginaw News. That label made Saginaw eligible for federal grants as the solution to the urban and ghetto problems ("Bridge Honor" A2). That was the day the people renamed Law Day just for him and his contributions to the city.

To celebrate and give honor to Mayor Marsh for making Saginaw the "All American" city, the people decided to have the I-675 Bridge named after him, making him the first Saginawian to have a bridge in his name. That was the same year Henry left the mayor office to never run again. In 1971 the bridge was opened and the city called for a celebration, in remembrance of Law Day.

Henry Marsh is now retired as a lawyer after winning his last case in January 2000. His law office is still open on East Genesee, being staffed by his two sons. Even though he's not present, his name sill lives on.

In conclusion, Mayor Marsh was a good mayor for Saginaw. It was because of him that we have all of these housing programs that provided homes for many low-income families. It was through his contributions that the people are able to cross over to a better living situation. To me, the bridge symbolizes a cross-over to substantial living for all of Saginaw's citizens.

Works Cited

  • "Aroused, Fighting Marsh Calls for 'Confidence Votes.''" The Saginaw News 13 Dec. 1966: A1-2.
  • Bates, Jacqueline E. "Henry G. Marsh." The Saginaw News 27 Oct. 1974: B1
  • "Bridge Honors Marsh." The Saginaw News 1 May 1969: A1.
  • Koontz, Frank J. "Marsh Says He Won't Seek 3rd Term On Counsel" The Saginaw News May. 1969: A1 + A5.
  • "Marsh Unanimous Choice for Mayor." The Saginaw News 11 Aprl. 1967: A1-2.
  • "New Bridge Honors Former Black Mayor." The Valley Star 27 Oct. 1971.
  • "They Tell: Why I Should Be Elected." The Saginaw News 1965: C-10.
  • "Woodbury, Margaret Claytor M.D. and Ruth Claytor Marsh." Virginia Kaleidoscope: Woodbury/Marsh 1994.
 
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