# Without looking it up or someone telling you...could you say where Saginaw is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2016, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341 "2016-11-10T09:10:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tallcoldone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@tallcoldone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tallcoldone)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/61 "2016-11-11T17:36:11Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I knew it was Michigan. but had it conflated with Mackinaw. … and also conflated with a different song, by Bob Seger, maybe? “…_Twelve hours out of Mackinaw City_…” I could ride my bicycle to Saginaw, MI in about 2 hours, or float down the Tittabawassee River and be there in about 4. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/62 "2016-11-12T02:09:00Z")
I have no idea how I knew it was in MI, but I thought it was in upper peninsula. I think when I was a kid some relative went to a summer camp in Saginaw, but I cannot realy confirm that. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/63 "2016-11-12T04:00:29Z")
OP, there’s the song, “Saginaw, Michigan,” but after your “I don’t vote” thread I don’t expect you to know where anything is. I’m telling Our Mutual Friend. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/64 "2016-11-12T04:09:17Z")
Done, and done. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/65 "2016-11-12T04:15:42Z")
There are at least three Saginaws out there. I have a friend with a farm in the MN one and had a school classroom named after the Michigan one. There’s a third in TX or OK that I only know about because I was trying to give map directions to the friend’s farm and discovered that one. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/66 "2016-11-12T04:29:50Z")
I knew before the thread. I think there was a wrestling show there once that I watched on TV. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/67 "2016-11-12T09:27:22Z")
I’m aware of the one in Michigan, and realize that it’s the one people usually mean absent other context. But the first place that comes to my mind is the uninspiring burg of Saginaw, Texas, since I have actually been there. (I still remember my friend’s father emphatically warning us not to speed through Saginaw on our way to Eagle Mountain Lake back in high school. ) Sent from my SCH-I435 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/68 "2016-11-12T20:47:31Z")
> [@Zyada](#): > > I know where Saginaw is, I applied for a job there. > > . > . > . > > Oh wait, you’re not talking about > > Saginaw, Texas > > ? I lived in Saginaw, TX for several years, not far from the lake. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/69 "2016-11-12T22:55:22Z")
> [@tallcoldone](#): > > … and also conflated with a different song, by Bob Seger, maybe? “…_Twelve hours out of Mackinaw City_…” > > I could ride my bicycle to Saginaw, MI in about 2 hours, **or float down the Tittabawassee River and be there in about 4**. Bolding mine. Don’t know about “tall,” but if you did that this time of year you would definitely be a “cold one.” ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/70 "2016-11-12T23:45:59Z")
Yep, learned it from hearing that Lefty song as a young’un like some of the other folks. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/71 "2016-11-13T03:10:29Z")
Saganaga is the place you oughtta be. Well, in summer anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/72 "2016-11-13T05:08:46Z")
I know it’s in Michigan, because of that song “Saginaw, Michigan.” No idea where, specifically, though. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/73 "2016-11-13T20:41:48Z")
So, I replied that, yes, Saginaw was about a hundred miles from where I grew up in Ontario. But even if it wasn’t, I surely would have looked it up, like San Jose, or Redwood, or Reno, or any multitude of cities mentioned in song. It’s not like it’s difficult to do. Sent from my adequate mobile device using Tapatalk. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/74 "2016-11-13T21:42:05Z")
I knew what state it was in, but I can’t remember where I learned it or why I know it. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/75 "2016-11-13T22:21:50Z")
Yep, I’m a Michigander. I would have put it further south, but it’s more or less where I thought it was. My favorite random Michigan reference is _just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit_ We locals have a very specific location name for south Detroit. That would be Canada. ---
**Author:** ![evasgram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ec9cab/32.png) [@evasgram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evasgram)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/76 "2016-11-13T23:54:10Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > I _was_ born in Saginaw. > > StG Me, too:) ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/77 "2016-11-15T00:34:32Z")
I knew it, probably not just from the S&G song, but the song certainly engrammed it in my brain. I also for some reason once read a Wikipedia article on the place. Within Michigan, all I knew was that it was not where Detroit is, because Detroit is slready there and how could their be two different towns in the same space? By the way, if you have a chance to watch the moon rise over an open field tonight, grab it; you won’t be sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/78 "2016-11-15T00:44:34Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I’ve been there. > > And I have [Lefty Frizzel’s original version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFarJc8aGSE) on my playlist. This is the song that comes immediately to mind when I hear Saginaw. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/79 "2016-11-16T00:37:32Z")
I know what state it is in. Where in that state, exactly? Nope. I have only been in that state one time, on the west side, about 30 miles north of the southern border. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2016, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341/80 "2016-11-16T01:07:14Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > I know what state it is in. Where in that state, exactly? Nope. I have only been in that state one time, on the west side, about 30 miles north of the southern border. Look at the back of your left hand; unless you have an anatomical anomaly, Saginaw is roughly left of where your pointy finger joint and thumb touch.\* \*_Your hand topography may vary._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-looking-it-up-or-someone-telling-you-could-you-say-where-saginaw-is/771341.md?page=5)