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SAUGATUCK-DOUGLAS HISTORICAL SOCIETY | BOX 617 | DOUGLAS, MI 49406 | 269-857-5751 |
www.sdhistoricalsociety.org
JULY 2015
Again this year, the Society Newsletters are being underwritten by a generous donation
from the recently deceased Life Member, Frances Vorys.
Save The Date - Always A Sellout
Saturday, October 31st - 7:30 PM
Halloween Bash
Old School House
$60 per person
The annual Halloween party has become a
What you missed
The June Monthly Program, Coral Gables: The
People Behind The Place with Mike Johnson
was very well attended and held at Coral Gables.
In case you missed the program or would like to
see the presentation again, click HERE to view a
copy. Be patient, the file might take a while to
download.
Mark Your Calendar 2015 Monthly Programs
favorite for many members and friends of the
Society. A chance to get an early guaranteed
parking spot for the big parade.
This year's party will be hosted by Janie & Jim
Flemming, Sharon Kelly and Jim Schmiechen.
Put on your costume (or not) and come to the
Old School House for cocktails and dinner
preceding the fantastic Douglas Halloween
Parade. Great food, great friends, great fun!
To reserve your ticket, just REPLY to this
email and we will be in touch.
Trip Advisor
Do you contribute to Yelp or Trip Advisor?
Consider writing a review of your experiences at
the Museum. Let's show the world our hidden."
Just click on the Trip Advisor logo below and
write a review! submitted by Sally Winthers
Here is what some visitors have written about
and Tuesday Talks
If you would like to sponsor one of the
Monthly Programs or Tuesday Talks,
please REPLY to this email and we'll
be in touch. Sponsorships are $150
MONTHLY PROGRAMS
l August 12, Society Picnic at the Old School
House
SPECIAL PROGRAM ADDITION
l August 13, Civil War Reenactors Program
Looking for a sponsor
l September 9, Fishing: Commercial &
Recreational sponsored by Howard & Paula
Schultz
l October 14, Crane's Orchard Field Trip
sponsored by Janie & Jim Flemming in
memory of Fran Vorys
l November 11, Fire, Storm and Ice:
Shipwrecks sponsored by the Star of
Saugatuck, Marilyn & Bruce Starring
l December 13, Holiday Party
our Museum on Trip Advisor.
Absolutely a First Class Museum
I have been to dozens of small history museum
across the world and I must say, I was
unexpectedly blown away with the quality of the
presentation and exhibits here. It's a small
place, right at the bottom of the steps to Mt.
Baldhead, but it tells a well-told story. We were
the first ones in to see the new exhibit that will
run for two years and the volunteers added to
the fun and educational time we spent here. Well
done! It is free admission but please leave a
generous donation. It appears to be spent well
in preserving and presentation of local history!
Tim O., Nashville, Tennessee Visited May
2015
A Rare Treat This small museum is a treasure. We lost time
while we visited the current exhibit on water,
but there's also a wealth of capsule collections
of previous exhibits. Some very talented people
are behind this gem.
Kim W., Valparaiso, Indiana Reviewed June
9, 2015
New at the Museum Shop
Enjoyed the fish at the WATER exhibit?
Now, thanks to local artist Sandra T. Schneider
of Reverie Design & Craft, you can take home
your very own Michigan Bluegill.
These ceramic art-fish are handmade so each is
delicately unique. They come in two versions:
with a wire hanger on back to use as a wall
decoration or with a footer to use as a small
plate or spoon rest.
General sponsors: Carolyn Richards, Howard
Rochte and Jim & Janie Flemming
l July 21, Bee Keeping sponsored by Osman
Flowers & Firs
NEW ADDITION TO THE TUESDAY
TALKS
l July 28, Kalamazoo River Sturgeon Habitat
Restoration Project
Looking for a sponsor
l August 4, The Peachbelt Schoolhouse
sponsored by Fred & Janet Schmidt in
memory of Fran Vorys
l August 11, Invasive Species: On Land and
Water sponsored by Harbor Duck Adventures
Co., Brent Birkholz
l August 18, The Art of Water sponsored by
Ken Carls
l August 25, Extreme Yachts and Classic Boat
Restoration - Macatawa Bay Boat Works
sponsored by the Star of Saugatuck, Marilyn
& Bruce Starring
Garden Happenings "To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil
is to forget ourselves." --- Mahatma Gandhi
Although the weather hasn't been the greatest,
our gardens are, and by the looks of the
chalkboards in the children's garden - a lot of
people are experiencing them. Hopefully, soon,
we will have some text on two of the slate boards
explaining the games of yesteryear. We will,
however, leave one of the slate boards open so
visitors can leave their mark.
These little Bluegills make a charming addition
to any home or a unique gift or souvenir.
Available at the Society's Museum bookstore.
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy.
submitted by Sally Winthers
June Board Meeting Summary
l The 2015 Historical Chronicle has been printed
and distributed. Look for a copy.
l A new refrigerator has been purchased for the
Museum.
l If there is a desire or need to de-access any
item currently housed by the SDHS be advised
that the policy and procedures outlined in the
"Collections Management Policy" dated
10/21/2014 must be followed. Contact a Board
member for further information.
l The search for the Executive Director
continues with second interviews scheduled for
two candidates.
l The Board requests that any request to sponsor
or donate to any special project, event or other
SDHS activity be submitted to the Board for
A big thank you to Dottie Lyon and the garden
club for designing and installing the plants along
the fence row. They look beautiful and we are
sure our neighbors appreciate it.
You may wonder why the Peach Orchard isn't
being mowed. Well we have installed a no-mow
grass to give the appearance of an old fashion
orchard - we think it works! As we speak, Jim
and Sam are working on the graphics for that
area and the names for the trees. Sorry it is taking
so long, but we want them to have a particular
look for the orchard, and that takes time.
Anyone interested in helping with the weeding,
please do not hesitate to contact Ruth Johnson at
[email protected]. Many thanks.
Root Camp was a complete success this year.
With 25 kids participating in the two sessions, it
made for one exciting week at the Old School
House. The kids were happy, the parents were
happy and we were exhausted. Many thanks go
out to our "teachers" and our counselors, both
junior and senior, we could not - and we really
mean it - have done it without all of you. Also to
Sam Fitzpatrick, Steve Hutchins and our terrific
sponsors. We are hoping to share the photos with
all of you on our web site. So look for them in
discussion and approval.
l The Board has decided to place the
Achievements Brochure on the SDHS website.
Be patient, the file will take while to download
but definitely worth the wait..
l The Allegan County Arts Alive program is
starting in July. All contributions to the SDHS
should be processed through the Arts Alive
program. If you have any questions, please
contact Fred Schmidt. submitted by Sharon
Kelly
Welcome from Jack Sheridan and Chris Yoder,
leaders of the Society Family History Group.
Please visit us to see what we are all about and
most importantly, share "lessons learned" about
the many tools available for family history
research.
A great source of hard to find family history
information is found on FOLD3.com website.
Most of us have veterans in the family tree,
sometimes back to the Revolutionary War.
Membership in the SDHS family history gives
you no charge access. In addition to service
records there is other information:
the very near future.
Until next month,
The Landscape and Root Camp Committees
Cletus the Crawdad
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy
Meet Cletus the Crawdad in the Saugatuck-
Douglas History Museum’s new "Crayfish
Corner" for kids.
Rainy day?
Need a break from the sun?
Visit the Saugatuck-Douglas History Museum.
Adults and teens have been amazed by stories of
how water transformed Saugatuck and Douglas.
And now, younger visitors can kick back in the
new "Crayfish Corner."
Crayfish Corner is located in the Supermap
room, just off the main gallery. A children's
activity table features the aquarium-home of shy,
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
WAR OF 1812
- Prize cases
- Land grants
MEXICAN AMERICAN AND INDIAN
WARS
- Ratified treaty data CIVIL WAR
- Southern Claims Commission
SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
- Florida service records
WORLD WAR I
- Naturalization index
- Air Service records
WORLD WAR II
- Hero pages
- Pictures and photos
- Missing air crews
- Prisoners of war
KOREAN AND VIETNAM WAR
- Casualties
- Pictures and photos
Got questions on how to get going? That is what
we are for! Call or email us and remember, the
SDHS family history group's regular meeting
schedule is the first and third Thursday of every
month at the OSH.
Cletus the Crawdad. Visitors can observe Cletus
searching the gravel for bits of food or
rearranging his flowerpot house.
In addition to viewing Cletus, coloring pages
introduce younger children to native fish species.
Need more of a challenge? Try the river maze or
critter search work sheets. Kids can post their
finished pages on the corner display board along
with the Crayfish Fun Facts or take them home.
submitted by Sally Winthers
The Douglas Basket
Factory
The fruit industry along the Lake Michigan shore
of Saugatuck and Ganges Townships was
producing more than 50,000 bushels of fruit per
season by 1874. Steamboats left the port of
Saugatuck each trip during peach season with
baskets of fruit filling the holds and occupying
most of the deck space. Oldtimers used to claim
that after the boats disappeared over the horizon
those on shore could still see, the shimmering
cloud of fruit flies in the air.
Upcoming meetings at the OSH are:
Thursday, July 23 [rescheduled date]
Thursday, August 6
Thursday, August 20
Remember, your family history does not have
to have any connection to the Saugatuck-
Douglas area !!!
Still not sure how to get going? Let us provide a
helpful jump start by recording what you know
about your parents, grandparents, and great
grandparents and send it along for a review by
Chris Yoder or myself. The snail mail address is
SDHS Family History Box 617 Douglas,
Michigan 49406, or email a copy to either
[email protected] or [email protected].
We will soon be back to you with readily found
data and with suggestions on the next steps to
take. Further help is readily available from the
Family History group. Again, the only
requirement is membership in the SDHS.
Mayflower ancestor, Revolutionary War vet,
great grandparents? Still wondering?
Questions/ comments/advice/needs - contact
Jack Sheridan at [email protected]
269 857-7144 or Chris Yoder at
[email protected] 269 857-4327.
This newsletter column is produced by Jack
Sheridan
The Baldhead Panoramas – One by One -
Piece by Piece - 10
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy.
It was obvious that there would be a great need
for containers to carry the fruit to market, and in
the early 1870s Captain Robert Reid retired from
the lakes and started a small basket factory in
Douglas, utilizing an old sawmill near the lift
bridge that crossed the river from Saugatuck to
Douglas. William and Joshua Weed were taken
in as partners, and by 1878 had taken over
ownership, later with William's son Elmer E.
Weed.
An 1880 reporter explained how it worked: "The
material mostly used is soft maple and elm. The
logs are first cut by a drag saw to the required
length, about six feet. After having the bark
peeled each log is placed in a large steam-box
and thoroughly softened by steam directly from
the engine. The log is raised and grasped at each
end by the lathe centers which hold it firmly in
position as it revolves. At every turn a knife
gauged to the required thickness pares off a
continuous sheet which is passed to the cutting
tables and sawed to the various sizes required."
The prepared wood was taken upstairs where the
actual baskets were formed in a department
staffed almost exclusively by women and girls,
including some Native Americans. In the early
days, many of the baskets required a single nail
in the bottom to keep the side pieces from
slipping. Nailing was considered a special skill
and 10 to 5 nailers were hired on for the summer.
Most of these men lived in bunk houses on Lake
Street in Saugatuck, and had a reputation for
being rough and hard drinking. Residents were
wary and young girls were forbidden to walk
along Lake Street during basket season.
Click on the picture for a higher resolution copy.
Be patient, it may take a while to download.
Last September I started a new HBC series of
panoramic photographs taken from the top of Mt
Baldhead. We history buffs are fortunate to have
photos from this great vantage point over a long
time period. The photos appearing span some
fifty years, are accurately dated, and in most
cases the photographer identified.
Other factors make these photos special. First,
earlier photos had few mature trees to block the
view. Second, the photographers used quality
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy.
In the manufacturing season of 1877 the factory
produced 125,875 peach baskets, 1,000 peach
boxes, and 3,000 berry crates, "all of which have
been sold" the factory's annual report bragged. In
1880, the Douglas Basket Factory was producing
3,000 peach baskets and 750 crates a day, and the
demand was so great that the factory was running
night and day to fill the orders.
As the largest employer in Douglas, the factory
was a big influence in village life. The factory
clocks were 30 minutes faster than standard time.
According to one resident, "When someone made
an appointment you had to determine if he meant
factory time or regular time".
The Douglas Basket Factory met its end by fire
on April 29, 1927. It was not yet open for the
season and many of the buildings were full of
leftover baskets from a slow peach season in
1926. The buildings and baskets burned quickly,
with towering flames. The next morning a group
of "inveterate picnickers" roasted wieners over
the coals - and the entire operation vanished into
history.
submitted by Kit Lane
cameras with large glass plate negatives that
were capable of capturing details. Though most
of the glass plates are lost, the prints made from
them, faithfully contain the details. When
scanned at high resolution, the images yield
marvelous results. By 1920 Herman Simonson,
the photographer, was using film as glass plates
were history.
In December we had full photos of 1895 and
1906 without comment. In January, February
and March we looked at the details one third of
the image each month. In April we had 1906
and ca 1920, the full view. In June we
compared 1906 and ca 1920, the north one third.
This month we continue comparison with the
middle one third. The 1906 photographer is
unknown but may have been Herman Simonson.
Note that the 1906 photographer’s location on
Mt. Baldheaded was not exactly the same
location as 1920.
The numbers are keyed to my comments about
points of interest.
38 - The ferry landing - the empty ferry is
visible.
39 - The site of the Ivy Inn.
40 - Old Singapore Bank building now retail
stores.
41 - Women's Club - originally Brueckman
home.
42 - Brown residence now a restaurant corner of
Mason and Griffith.
43 - Griffin and Henry sawmill - peninsula into
river made of sawdust and mud.
44 - Steel truss bridge replaced original 1870
bridge and causeway in 1903.
45 - Fruit Growers Bank building now a rose
The Council Oak
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy
What is the tale behind the "Council Oak" on
Grand Street in Saugatuck?
One of the local trees with a story to tell, the
unmarked "Treaty Tree" on Holland Street, is
memorialized in a story by the late May Heath
which has been preserved by the SDHS in
writing and in the oral history of Allegan County
Historian John Pahl:
Under the Treaty Tree
a. John Pahl Tells the Story As Told by May
Heath (Audio WMA File For IBM)
b. John Pahl Tells the Story As Told by May
Heath (Audio mp3 File For Apple)
. . . but we find nothing written about
Saugatuck's "Council Oak", important enough to
have an ornate marker, now well grown in to the
side of the tree?
A student of Indian lore who saw the recent
WGVU "Michigan Hometown Stories" special
garden.
46 - Now The Uncommon Grounds - one of the
oldest buildings in town.
47 - Bird Drugstore building built by Doc Heath
ca 1902.
48 - Kleeman Saloon in the late 1800s.
Currently being restored as a residence.
49 - Today the site of Wick's Park.
This newsletter column is written by Jack
Sheridan.
The Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society is
again participating in the ArtsAlive!
Competition. Voting started on July 1 and runs
until September 8. Thanks to community
support, we finished in first place last year.
These crucial funds helped support the amazing
new Pump House Museum Exhibit, the Old
School House and its Gallery, the Boathouse
and Back-In-Time Garden. Not to mention
Monthly Meetings and Tuesday Talks. Keep
History Alive Here!
The Keep Your ArtsAlive! is an arts and
cultural competition of the Allegan County
Community Foundation. It was created to
engage and encourage our community to support
the rich arts and cultural offerings we have in
on Saugatuck-Douglas saw the picture of the
"Council Oak" included in the program. He
wrote to the Society to ask for more information
about it. What tales were there of Indian
gatherings? Who placed the metal marker and
Indian profile on the tree? Much to our surprise,
none of our premiere historians could provide
any historic details!
Click on the image for a higher resolution copy
The SDHS Historic Registry cites the Italianate
home which sits behind the "Council Oak", now
marked as 345 Grand Street, Saugatuck, as
having been built in 1884. It was once the
residence of Saugatuck ship-builder John
Baptiste Martel (1832-1909). The Saugatuck City
Map of 1873 shows a structure already on the
property at that time, but an article in the The
Lakeshore Commercial of May 18, 1883
explains:
"Mr. J.B. Martel of shipbuilding fame, has begun
erection of a new residence, to be 18 X 26 Feet in
size, using an 18 foot studding. The present
house will be moved back and will serve as a
kitchen to the new building."
And an article of Jan 11, 1884 says:
"John Martel has almost finished his new house,
Allegan County. Saugatuck-Douglas Historical
Society is one of 18 organizations competing
this year. The organizations compete to see who
can receive the most votes.
Each vote costs one dollar. 100% of each voting
dollar comes back to us at the end of the
competition. Please vote for the Saugatuck-
Douglas Historical Society. Your votes can help
the Society finish on top again this year. Just
click HERE and vote on-line.
Welcome New Members
We would like to welcome the following new
members who have joined the Saugatuck-
Douglas Historical Society since the last
newsletter.
l Victor Cardona, Douglas, MI
l Nancy & Will Gervais, Douglas, MI
l Julee Rosso, Fennville, MI
l Amy Connor, Douglas, MI & New York, NY
l Carole Hunter, Santa Rosa Valley, CA
l Mardi Douglas, Moorpark, CA
l Marianne & Michael Giersch, Douglas, MI
l Judy & Jon Klatt, Grand Rapids, MI
l Samuel Fitzpatrick, Saginaw, MI
l Keith Connor, Douglas, MI & New York, NY
l Karen & Hardy McWilliams, Fennville, MI &
Mansfield, TX
l Sandra Immink, Hamilton, MI
Review of Achievements
and it looks immense. The finishing touches were
put on to it by George Hames, a thorough and
practical builder. W. Finley furnished the scroll
and fancy work."
One thing which IS known was that a daughter of
May Heath lived in the house in the 1950s. So
we contacted May's three great-grandchildren
and the following reply was received from James
Barron Diaz:
"My grandfather, James Barron, was President
of Seeburg Piano & Jukebox Co. After he died in
his 50's of cancer, his widow Gladys Heath
Barron moved back from Oak Park in Chicago
(she also sold their farm in Fennville) to the
house on the hill in Saugatuck . . . " (the Martel
House)
"I remember hearing someone (?) talk about it
(the tree) being the place where the local
Potawatomi Indians held 'council meetings' prior
to the settlers founding of Saugatuck."
You can see a 16mm film shot by James' father
at the home in the 1950s, along with some beach
scenes by clicking HERE.
Unfortunately, this film does not specifically
feature the tree. Did our dedicated local historian
May Francis Heath and her daughter place the
sign on the tree? From the depth to which the
bark has overtaken the marker, it would certainly
seem a reasonable speculation that they could
have had something to do with it 60 some years
ago.
Can anyone out there tell parts of the story of our
"Council Oak"??? If so, contact Chris Yoder at
[email protected] or phone 616-212-3443.
submitted by Chris Yoder
The Society's Review of Achievements: 1994-
2014, a 28 page booklet beautifully written and
designed by Jim Schmiechen and Ken Carls is
now available on the Society's web site. Just
click HERE but be patient, it is a large file but
worth the wait..
ABOUT THE SOCIETY
To become a member or renew your membership select from the following categories:
Individual $50
Household $70
Premium $300
Corporate $500
Life $1,000
Senior (65+) $30
Senior Household $45
Send check payable to the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society to: PO Box 617, Douglas,
Michigan 49406. You can also click HERE for a Society Membership Application.
Send items for the newsletter to: Fred Schmidt, PO Box 617, Douglas MI 49406 or email
New Historical Society Museum Exhibit Examines
Area's Relationship With Water
This year's all-new exhibition at the Saugatuck-Douglas History Museum, opened for the season on
Memorial Day weekend, Sunday, May 24. The exhibition presents multiple stories of how the
Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan have shaped and reshaped our area's way of living, working,
relaxing and thinking since the mid-1800s.
Founded in 1992 by the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society, the History Museum is open daily
Noon to 4pm through Labor Day, then Saturdays/Sundays through September and October.
Admission and parking are free. Tel: (269) 857-7900. Click HERE to learn more about the
Museum and recent past exhibits.
The Old School House History Center and Lifeboat Display is located at 130 Center Street in
Douglas. For group tours, please contact Steve Hutchins at 616-801-3735 or by email at
The Society's Technology Center is located in the lower level of the Old School House History
Center at 130 Center Street in downtown Douglas.
The Society's Archives office is located in the lower level of the Old School House and is open for
research on Monday afternoons 1-4 p.m. Use the back stairway for easy access. The Archives
office phone number is 269-857-7901. E-mail: [email protected]
Society Phone: 269 857-5751
Museum Phone: 269 857-7900
Tech Center Phone 269 857-7901
www.sdhistoricalsociety.org
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