It didn’t take long for Thomas E. Webster to enter a life of service to others. Born in 1848 to Ebon and Margaret Webster in New York, he ran away from home to join the Union Army in 1864, at age 16. After an honorable discharge from the military, he entered an educational pursuit that would take him from the Delaware Literary Institute to Cornell University to the University of Michigan.
In 1874, he moved to Bay City, Michigan, where he would live out his years. He would immediately make his mark on the city, practicing law and winning election as a Bay County probate judge in 1880. In 1886, he commissioned the construction of his majestic Fifth Street manor, where he would start his family with wife Ella Howell of Bay City, who died shortly after the birth of sons Charles and Warren. He later married Isabel Ingraham, with whom he had daughter Amelia. A house that Webster had built for Amelia is next door. It shares the driveway with the Webster House.
Thomas E. Webster’s service as a teenager in the military instilled in him a compassion for others who served. He organized the Peninsula Military Company of Bay City, the city’s first organization for war veterans. Until his death in 1940 at the age of 92, he was the last living Civil War veteran in Bay City, as well as the last member of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans organization. He is buried in Elm Lawn Cemetery.
Today, the Webster’s Bay City home, now the Webster House Bed and Breakfast, is a popular choice for couples looking for a romantic getaway in Michigan. The historic home features seven luxurious rooms, each with its own unique charm. Guests can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the morning, relax in the parlor with a glass of wine, or take a stroll through the garden. The Webster House is the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary, honeymoon, or simply to get away from it all.
While staying at the Webster House Bed and Breakfast, be sure to visit the nearby Dow Gardens, a world-class botanical/horticultural garden in Bay City. The gardens feature a springtime butterfly festival, an annual Christmas Walk, and hiking, skiing, and biking trails.
For more outdoor adventure, head to the Chippewa Nature Center, which is home to hiking, skiing, and biking trails, as well as an 1870s Homestead Farm. The center also hosts Maple Syrup Day, Fall Harvest, and Bio Blitz festivals.
If you’re looking for some culture, be sure to visit Northwood University, which has a fine arts gallery featuring unique jewelry, glass, pottery, and fashion accessories. The Midland Center for the Arts is also a great place to visit, as it has an art gallery, interactive museum of art, history, and science, and is home to the Midland Symphony Orchestra, Theatre Guild, Music Society, and the Matrix:Midland festival, which brings to Midland nationally known performance groups, lecturers, scientists, and performers.
We hope you enjoy your stay in Bay City & Michigan!
