Saginaw is the hub of mid-Michigan and had its beginnings in the 1820s with the establishment of Fort Saginaw near present-day Court and Hamilton Streets. Owing to the lumber industry, two separate cities developed along the banks of the Saginaw River: the west side city of Saginaw and East Saginaw. Intense rivalry resulted in rapid population growth and many civic improvements for both. Consolidation of the Saginaws occurred in 1890, and continued prosperity followed the ebb and flow of the lumber and automotive industries.