Anton Schmitz
1830 - 1869
German immigrant Anton Schmitz conducted his small hardware store by himself on the southeast corner of Genesee & Baum. It was a swampy corner with the store built on stilts over a slimy bayou, which hindered his work due to asthma. Advertising for a business partner, brothers Edward W. and George W. Morley relocated to East Saginaw in 1863 to form a new partnership, Schmitz & Morley. In two short years, the business had expanded enough to necessitate relocating to Empire Block on Water Street. Eventually the Morleys bought Anton’s share and established their own Morley Brothers business. Anton then rebuilt his small store to a Market Hall and rented to the City Hall, Post Office, and other businesses.
Anton became a Germania Club member in November of 1862. He discovered that Germania could promote his ideals so he established the Schmitz Endowment to provide funds for the Germania’s programs and appointed a Trustee Board to manage the endowment. He then founded the Germania School, the Library with 8,500 volumes, and Museum. In 1866, he began the Saginaw Zeitung, the largest German newspaper outside of Detroit.
Sadly, Anton was accidently killed in October of 1869, with his entire estate and property bequeathed to the Germania. This large estate enabled the Germania to expand its programs to become the wealthiest German Society in America, establishing schools for the violin and architecture. Eventually, the Germania School was sold to the East Saginaw Public Schools in 1873, with the stipulation that teachers at the new Crary-Lincoln School continue to teach German in the schools. Germania also established the Kindergarten in 1876 with 56 children, becoming the forerunner of all Kindergarten programs in the Saginaw Public Schools. In 1870 his newspaper was sold to Constantine Beierle, then again in 1895 to Seemann & Peters, and eventually to the Saginaw Post in 1897, always maintaining its wide circulation throughout Michigan.
The Market Hall was rebuilt for the Wm. Barie Dry Goods Store in 1899. After Barie vacated the building in 1935, Montgomery Ward occupied the building until relocating in August 1966. The building was demolished in 1970 for a municipal parking lot, which the Germania rented to the City of Saginaw for $1 per year.
As a result of the proficient handling of the Schmitz Endowment, and the rents from the Hall, Baries and Ward stores, the Germania benefitted from steady income for over 100 years, financing many of its programs. Thanks to Anton Schmitz's foresight and generosity, thousands of Saginaw area citizens have benefited from these programs for over a century.
To quote Schmitz, “No man should amass wealth and use it for selfish purposes but aid those in need so that they might enjoy a better life.”