In 1825 a tiny settlement along the Saginaw Trail was rocked by a double murder. The intertwining stories of Imri Fish and his victims, Polly and Cynthia Utter, can tell us a lot about early migration to Oakland County, early 1800s mental health care and how that small settlement started congealing into the Birmingham we know today.

To access a full episode transcript as well as to read the newspaper accounts and court documents referred to in the episode, check out our website.

For questions, concerns, corrections or episode suggestions please reach out to us at museum@bhamgov.org.

Special thanks to the Birmingham Area Cable Board for PEG grant funding that made this podcast possible. Also thanks to past and present staff of the Birmingham Museum, in particular Leslie Pielack who located the court records for the United States vs Imri Fish and Brittany Phalen, who transcribed the documents, including a rather grisly coroners report that I’m sure wasn’t very fun first thing in the morning. Thanks also to members of the community who, like the Rowley family, provided the museum with their family’s stories.