History of Saline, Michigan
Reprinted from:
Celebrating Our Memories: A Primer for Docents and Guides *
Saline Area Historical Society © 2000

Saline was well known long before white men came into the area, since Native Americans had been coming here for generations, using six different trails. The best known to us is the Great Sauk Trail, the present U.S. 12. Native Americans also traveled by canoe from Lake Erie via the River Raisin and the Saline River to acquire salt from local salt springs and to carry the salt back to their villages for domestic use and trade. The name Saline was given to the area in the late seventeenth century by French explorers.

A federal government surveyor, Orange Risdon, was attracted to this part of the Territory of Michigan while surveying a military road from Detroit to Chicago. This road was subsequently known as the Chicago Road (later U.S. 12 or Michigan Avenue). On April 5, 1825, Risdon purchased 164 acres from the government. He built his own house on the land and it was here that he held the first town meeting. In 1832, Risdon was instrumental in Saline being platted as an unincorporated village, a status that was retained until 1866, when the village incorporated.

Interestingly, the area almost became two towns. In 1845, Schuyler Haywood of Barnegat, New Jersey built a flour mill on the west side of the Saline River. Other settlers soon added a saw mill, blacksmith shop, cooper shop, stores and a windmill factory. For a time, residents were considering platting under the name of Barnegat. However, in 1848, the area became Haywood's addition to the Village of Saline.

A stage-stop on the Chicago Road, Saline contained a number of artisan workshops and mills. But Saline grew up with the railroad. During the civil War, so many young men were drawn into the ranks of the military that there was a serious labor shortage, causing local investments in agricultural equipment to more than double during the 1860s. By the end of the war, farmers were competing in the expanding commercial marketplace. A desire for a reliable and inexpensive means to transport large amounts of staple crops to market caused thirty two citizens to affix their names to a petition calling for money to be raised to invest in Detroit, Hillsdale, and Indiana Railroad stock. Between the farmers and the merchants, who also saw the possibility of advancing their interests, the money was raised and the railroad was built and opened for service on July 4, 1870. However, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled this investment violated the state constitution and the railroad was obliged to return the money. Nevertheless, by that time, the locals had their railroad and it served Saline well because it provided an efficient way to transport apples, wool, logs, and livestock, while bringing in the goods that filled the shelves of local stores. A variety of businesses and services sprang up, increasing the strength and breadth of the village.

Interestingly, within five years, the Detroit, Hillsdale, and Indiana Railroad went bankrupt. After that, it changed hands every few years. By 1914, portions of the line were abandoned. Early in the 1930s, passenger service all but ended. With the advent of trucking and the telephone, the Saline Depot's use slowly declined, and by 1961 the the depot was virtually closed.

In 1966, thirty five years after Saline became a city, the seal was adopted and is used to this day. The seal symbolizes the elements from which Saline grew: wheat, representing the farmer; the transit, a tool used by Risdon in his work; the automotive wheel, representing a major source of employment for Saline's citizens; a wagon wheel, denoting Saline's early days as a hub in Detroit-Chicago shipping; and in the center, a tree representing the harmonious growth of both agriculture and industry. Encircling the elements is a rope to symbolize the band of strength and character that the city gets from all its citizens.

The 2000 Saline Area Directory advises that "Saline continues to be a thriving community at the dawn of the new millennium. Known for its open rural vistas and small town atmosphere, Saline also boasts well-maintained historic homes that merge into areas of well-groomed contemporary homes."

Thoughts about the Saline of today can be expressed in the same words used by Orange Risdon in his 1840 address: "May she still continue to shine in light, knowledge and liberty with the same increasing brilliance that she has shown from infancy to the present time."

* Note: Material for this history was taken from a variety of sources.