What to Serve at a Groundbreaking

Audra Francis was a groundbreaker.  She was Saginaw’s first female city council member, and she became the first woman to serve as the chair of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners--and quite literally she participated in numerous groundbreaking ceremonies. One of these was the December 31, 1968, ceremony for Saginaw County’s new courthouse and jail complex. The Saginaw News reported:

“There was a dab of nostalgia Monday as the old Saginaw County Board of Supervisors met for the last time.

The board recessed briefly to break ground for the new courthouse and jail, a legacy it will leave to the new board that will take office after the first of the year.

The final session mixed lightheartedness with a touch of sadness. The session marked an end to a traditional old board of township supervisors and city supervisors. The new board will, under new state law, be composed of 21 persons all elected from districts of near equal population.

The old board ended its session with coffee and cakes prepared by City Sup. Audra E. Frances, one of only eight of the present 55 supervisors who were elected to the new board. The Saginaw News, December 31, 1968.

Three years later, when the complex was completed, she was chair of the Saginaw County Board of Commissioners. For the building’s dedication, she wrote the following:

‘If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost, that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.’ The words of Henry Thoreau are exemplified in the stately white building that stands on ground chosen by Michigan pioneers one hundred and 34 years ago.

The prophesy of 1837, as stated on a map by of that year, reads as follows ‘The City of Saginaw lies in the heart of Michigan – many buildings are being erected, a Court House, a Land Grant Office, and soon a Bank. Saginaw possesses advantages superior to any other place in the State and promises to become one of the most important cities of the West.’

Many descendants of some of those pioneers still live in Saginaw Valley and they have helped keep us aware of our heritage.

The new modern white Court House in the Saginaw Governmental Center represents the age in which live. We stand before it and view it with our three dimensional glasses. If we look over our left shoulders we are blinded by the past and the old Victorian red building brings back nostalgic memories. These we would not forget. They contained useful lessons, experiences, and planning for the present day.  The new Court House is all the planners and architects hoped it would be. Their work is finished. Ours has just begun. What we do inside the building will prove its worth to the community.

Saginaw County has exemplified government  ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’ from grass roots to the village and urban boundaries. They are proud of this heritage and faithfully preserved it.

We live in in an age of change, and explosive situations in many fronts. These are challenges which must be met. It will take men and women with courage, knowledge and flexibility to meet them. Our work lies ahead.

‘You, the people, by the people, for the people’ have taxed yourselves to build the Court House of 1972, ‘for the people’ on solid foundations, and put a symbolic moat around it to protect it from evil influences. It is adequate, functional, and beautiful in its simplicity.

May God bless all people who go in and out of the building and may the doors always open to all who would want to enter.”  The Saginaw News, June 2, 1972.

The story of Saginaw County’s three courthouses will be featured in an upcoming exhibit.

The Recipe: A Tribute to Audra Francis

As we have not been able to locate any of Audra Francis’ recipes, this is our conjectural interpretation of what she might have served to her fellow members of the Board of Supervisors on December 31, 1972. We note she would have needed almost five dozen cupcakes. And if she wanted to provide enough for seconds of thirds –

If anyone has an actual recipe from Audra Francis, please contact the museum. We would love to share it.

CTK Carrot Cake Cupcakes

This recipe is great for a home baker because it only makes 1 dozen cupcakes (though for groundbreaking ceremonies, it could be doubled or tripled...)

Ingredients:

Cakes:

1 ¼ C. all purpose flour

½ C. sugar

½ C. brown sugar, packed

¾ t. baking soda

½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

¼ t. nutmeg

¾ C. canola oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ t. vanilla extract

2 T. milk

1 ½ C. grated carrots

½ C. raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Frosting:

½ C. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla extract

¼ t. salt or to taste

4 C. powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350’ F. and line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners.

In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in oil. Add eggs, one at a time, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Beat until well-combined.

Stir in vanilla and milk. Add carrots and raisins, nuts, etc. (if using). Stir until just combined.

Evenly divide batter into cupcake liners. We used a quarter-cup ice cream scoop to make the job easier (and ended up with 14 cupcakes total). Bake at 350’ for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool slightly and remove from the pan to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl) and beat until creamy and lump free. Add vanilla and salt and stir well.

With the mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.

Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate.*

CTK Notes:

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*This recipe will make a stiffer cream cheese frosting that can be piped. It is quite sweet due to the amount of sugar. If you want it less-sweet, a looser frosting can be made with at least 2 cups of powdered sugar.

-For best texture, cupcakes should be refrigerated (if not consumed right away!)