History of Saugatuck Douglas

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Notes: John Malloy (1/1/40-8/3/05) gave the script to Peg Sanford before he died. Status: OK Status By: Mary Voss Status Date: 2012-04-16

OCR scan of printed pages at 2012.25 by S. Winthers, 21 Oct. 2022 7/15/2010 Johnn E. Malloy wrote this script over a number of years. It has been presented by or at the Woman’s Club a few different times. Johnn gave me a copy for the archives before he died. Johnn was born January 1, 1940. Died August 3, 2005. Peg Sanford SDHistory: 1830-2003 1830 (LOCAL) The fur trade boom began to fade in western Michigan. The few beaver that had been in the area were virtually extinct due to over-trapping. Hunted fur-bearing animals were still plentiful but less valuable. The last local fur trading settlement was John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Co. post at what the Indians called “Peach Orchard Point.” French fur traders had planted peach pits there earlier, and 200 peach trees were growing in rows. That location was later known as Mack’s Landing, about two miles upriver from present-day Douglas. Louis Campau of Detroit also had a post further upriver in the future Manlius Township. Settlers were replacing the fur traders. The first was William Gay Butler, his wife Emily and two children from West Hartford, Conn. They settled at present-day Saugatuck (Algonquin for “lake near the mouth of the river”) and sold supplies to Indians and local farmers. This was the first settlement in the future Allegan County. 1831 [LOCAL] William G. Butler began trading his extra supplies for furs. Local Indians passed the word over the winter that a white man and his family had built a cabin at the wide bend in the Kalamazoo near the slip where the two Indian tribes (Ottawa and Potawatami) kept their canoes and barges. 1832 [LOCAL] William G. Butler became the first white man to build a boat in Saugatuck’s harbor. He named the scow Groton — after a community in his home state of Connecticut. Within the next 70 years, Saugatuck produced over 200 lake and river boats. 1833 [LOCAL] Present-day Allegan County was created as a township — part of Kalamazoo County. Samuel Barnes located the land upon which Singapore was built — buying it from the federal government and selling it the next year to the New York & Michigan Co. 1834 (LOCAL] (May 8, 1834) — William G. Butler brought in surveyor J. Wittenmeier to plat the “The Flats” at Lake Kalamazoo. Butler hoped to name his prospective town Kalamazoo. Fellow investors Henry Hoffman, S.E. “Jasper” Mason and John Griffith had streets named for them that covered both the flats and the hill. Butler could not use the name Kalamazoo, however. The town of Bronson upriver changed its name to Kalamazoo, and The Flats did not really have a formal name until the Village of Saugatuck was founded in 1868. He sent a letter to his father in Connecticut saying that he was selling village lots for $20 to $80. New settlers came to present-day Saugatuck. Edward Johonnett and Rennselaer Robert Crosby set up a tannery on the banks of the river between the present-day Griffith and Butler streets. Daniel Plummer from Maine built a house on Hoffman Street. Benjamin Plummer, his wife, mother and young son set up in a shack in Saugatuck while looking for a place to open a tannery. Stephen D. Nichols opened a lighthouse and warehouse at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River and stayed there for 17 years. H.H. Comstock bought 160 acres near the site of Singapore and built a warehouse. H.H. Comstock and Stephen D. Nichols performed a prospecting report of the Kalamazoo River and noted Saugatuck had three houses. Singapore was first settled by the New York & Michigan Co. with Oshea Wilder as the local manager. The company plan was to build a sawmill and get settlers to locate there. He wrote his bosses that the Kalamazoo River harbor was more protected then the St. Joseph and Grand rivers, so land could be sold at a premium. 1835 (LOCAL] (May 1835) — Stephen A. Morrison came to the area from Vermont — looking for an abundance of hemlock and build a tannery. Instead, he bought out Johonnett and Crosby’s mill at the foot of St. Joseph Street (present-day Coghlin Waterfront Park), expanding it and operating for more than 50 years. He built two large Dutch-style windmills that ground hemlock bark to use in the tanning process. (Aug 12, 1835) — Allegan County was formed and subdivided into four townships — the westernmost being Newark. Today, Newark Township is made up of Casco, Clyde, Fillmore, Ganges, Laketown, Lee, Manlius and Saugatuck Townships. Michigan Territory’s acting Gov. Steven T. Mason chose Elisha Ely as chairman, justice of the peace and Allegan County representative to the State Legislature. Martin L. Barber became the first sheriff. All appointed officials kept their jobs at the first election one year later. Mrs. Mary Wells Butler died four years after becoming the first white woman to settle in the Saugatuck area. She had given birth to a daughter a few months earlier, who died soon after, becoming the first death in the community. Andrew Ames Plummer became the first surviving white child born in Saugatuck — in a shack at present day Culver and Butler streets. He was the son of Benjamin and Elvira Plummer. As a young man, he was in Texas when the Civil War began, and he was involuntarily conscripted into the Confederate Army. He returned to Ganges after the war and lived out his life as a farmer and staunch Republican. A Mr. Wells opened a tannery on Goshom Creek to make use of the locally abundant hemlock tree bark — used to tan hides. It operated under Wells and later with the Wallin family of Chicago for 46 years. Rensselaer Robert Crosby was appointed the first postmaster of present-day Saugatuck. He was replaced three years later by William G. Butler, the founder of the town. Stephen P. Nichols set up at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River and built a navigation light and warehouse for local goods. 1836 (LOCAL] (Apr 25, 1836) — Oshea Wilder of Marshall and New Yorkers George Gordon, Daniel S. Jones, Knowles Taylor and S. V.S. Wilder purchased 200 acres on the northernmost bend of the Kalamazoo River for $25,000 and named the area Singapore. The lakeshore of Allegan County was established as Newark Township. The oversize township included what later became Laketown, Fillmore, Saugatuck, Manlius, Ganges, Clyde and Lee townships. Benjamin Plummer became the township’s first supervisor. Benjamin Plummer opened a sawmill at Goshorn Creek beyond the east end of Goshom Lake. It operated for 10 years in the area later called Dingleville. Today, it’s Clearbrook Country Club. Mill workers began to settle into Singapore to saw trees felled upriver and floated down to the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. John Allen, Ralph R. Mann and Jonathon F. Stratton began cutting trees in was is now Manlius Township and floated the logs down to the Kalamazoo River with a sluice they built. Mann became the first white resident in the area and founded the site of New Richmond. Hollister F. Marsh platted the new town and opened a sawmill and store. Mar) Elizabeth Peckham came to the area to visit her sister and was promptly hired to teach school at Benjamin Plummer’s home. The next year, a school was built in Singapore, and she moved her students out there as the area’s first schoolmarm. 1837 |LOCAL] SINGAPORE (Spring 1837) — The New York & Michigan Co. constructed a sawmill along with housing and a store for workers. $25,000 got them a steam-powered rotary motor to turn the saw. Later in the year, the three-story Astor Hotel was constructed — later called the Big House. MANLIUS — James McCormick settled north of Hutchins Lake and became the first white farmer in the area. Because he kept his boat on the Kalamazoo near the old American Fur Co. trading post, that area of the river (four miles upriver from Saugatuck) became known as Mack’s Landing. When local whites began using Mack’s Landing, the native population moved across the river to Indian Point. THE FLATS — James McLaughlin came to the area and became its first multiple boat builder. Until 1853, he constructed two sloops, three steamers, two scows and eleven schooners. GANGES — Harrison Hutchins settled in the area as the first white resident farmer in present-day Ganges Township. The next year, he harvested the first crops. In 1842, he also harvested the first fruits with neighbor James Wadsworth. Also settling in the area that year were Levi Loomis and John H. Billings. It was estimated to clear land for farming, a five-acre woodlot would yield 50,000 board feet of lumber and 400 cords of hardwood for heat and cooking. CLYDE — Jacob and Leonard Bailey opened the first sawmill in present-day Clyde Township. Green Mitchell and Co. of New York sent the brothers there. The mill operated for three years. SINGAPORE — Ruth Johonnett and John Charles Wooster became the first couple married in the area. Wooster was a lumber speculator from the east, and they soon moved to New York. 1838 | LOCAL] SINGAPORE (Feb 1838) — Surveyor O. Wilder platted a half-mile wide community — named Singapore. The plat was accepted in April by the Singapore City Co. SINGAPORE — The Bank of Singapore closed its doors after one year of operation, because it could not retain the 30 percent hard money (coins) on hand to support its printed currency. Upon closing, the bank’s ornately designed paper bills — known as “wildcat specie” — were burned in a stove. GANGES — Harrison Hutchins built a log cabin for his family, his sister, Mrs. Sophia Stillson, and her two children. Before the year was out, John H. Billings with his wife Mary and five children came and shared the tiny cabin until he could build his own log home in February. Thirteen people in a small space during winter certainly made for some severe space management. 1839 (LOCAL] SINGAPORE (Feb 5, 1839) — The plat map of Singapore, created by surveyor O. Wilson one year earlier, was officially recorded in Allegan by the Singapore City Co. MANLIUS (Mrh 6, 1839) — Manlius was established as a township east of present-day Saugatuck — the first township to separate from Newark. The legislature approved the split. State legislator John R. Kellogg named the township after the village of his birth in New York state. One month later, the new township held its first meeting at the home of Ralph R. Mann. John Allen was selected as supervisor, assessor and commissioner of highways. The first election one year later totaled 10 voters. FILLMORE (Aug 2, 1839) — The Rev. George N. Smith and his family became the first white settlers in present-day Fillmore Township. He came with the Ottawa Indian colony, Old Wing Mission, from Allegan to serve as its Congregational missionary. Isaac Fairbanks built the new mission house before moving on to help construct the Saugatuck Lighthouse at the mouth of the Kalamazoo. The Indians cleared the first road though the area from Richmond. SINGAPORE (Fall 1839) — The first schoolhouse in the Saugatuck area opened at the present-day Pine Trail Camp. Its first teacher was Mary Elizabeth Peckham, who later married Stephen A Morrison, the third white settler in Saugatuck. GANGES — James Wadsworth came as the future township’s fifth settlement family. He was the only one in the area to have a yoke of oxen, so they all shared in their use. Wolves prevented raising sheep, but deer were plentiful, so venison and home-grown vegetables became the food staples — except for any trading with the local Indians, who were friendly with the families. THE FLATS — James Bush built the first riverboat for Milo Winslow. It was named the Pioneer and took 12 men to pole up the river to Kalamazoo or float back down to present-day Saugatuck. A trip one-way to carry freight was $100 each way. 1840 [LOCAL] SINGAPORE (May 1840) — The second marriage in present-day Saugatuck united Stephen A. Morrison and Mary Elizabeth Peckham. The Rev. E. Ward of Ostego performed the ceremony. Mrs. Morrison resigned as the area’s first schoolteacher and was replaced by Jane Bixby of New York, who had just moved to Heath Township. Mr. Morrison had just founded a boatyard that produced eleven boats until 1861 — ten schooners and one sloop. He also became the town’s postmaster and not only rode regular mail routes himself but also hired local Indians to deliver mail in the area. NEWARK TOWNSHIP — The assessment roll for the township noted 14 taxpayers with a total evaluation of $174,709. GANGES — The Rev. L. Gage of Plainwell began Methodist service in present-day Ganges Township. Parishioners met in homes and Pier Cove School until they could build a church in 1867. THE FLATS — The Kalamazoo’s first locally built steamboat was the C.C. Trowbridge for trips upriver without having to use men to pole it. Unfortunately, it was too big to make the trip, so it was used on Lake Michigan. 1841 (LOCAL] MANLIUS — John Billings became the fifth settler in present-day Manlius Township. Later, he made postal deliveries by horseback with stops in Allegan, Singapore, Pier Cove, Plummerville and South Haven. SINGAPORE — Octavia was launched as the mill town’s first lake sailboat — paid for by F.B. Stockbridge and Artemus Carter and built by Joseph St. Germaine or James McLaughlin. It was 75 feet long. 1842 (LOCAL] THE FLATS (Nov 17, 1842) — Schooner Milwaukee foundered off Saugatuck’s harbor after its crew mutinied and killed the captain during a raging snowstorm that lasted 40 days. The boat and its cargo of flour and wine washed ashore at the future Saugatuck Dunes State Park. The flour saved area settlers and residents of Singapore who were starving in the colder-than-normal, late autumn season with four feet of snow on the ground. Consuming the wine led to more trouble. Chief Joseph Waukazoo got drunk, accused his neighbor of theft and was almost shot by the accused. GANGES — Harrison Hutchins harvested the first peaches in the area from three seedlings he planted four years earlier. Within 60 years, the area became famous throughout America as a major peach-growing locale. GLENN — Arba Nelson Crawford, his wife Eunice and their children became the first residents in present-day Glenn. He cleared a 400-acre plot to farm and lived there for almost 60 years. NEW RICHMOND — Ralph R. Mann constructed the first bridge in Manlius Township to cross the Kalamazoo. It cost $700. 1843 [LOCAL] NEWARK TOWNSHIP — Dr. C.B. Goodrich became the first physician in the enlarged township and quickly set up a busy practice. In 1847, he moved to present-day Ganges and spent the rest of his life there. 1844 (LOCAL] CASCO — John Thayer and his sons became the first white settlers in present-day Casco Township. LEE — Thomas Scott was the first white settler in the future Lee Township — Allegan County’s 24th settlement. SINGAPORE — James G. Carter, financed by the Massachusetts Banking Co., purchased the entire holdings of the New York & Michigan Co. in Singapore. John P. Wade was hired to oversee the operation. PIER COVE — A.N. Crawford settled land on the lakeshore, becoming the first resident of the future Pier Cove. THE FLATS — The team of Plummer and Coates built a grocery-drugstore combination on Hoffman Street. In 1890, a Queen Anne-style house was added to the front and became the home of Dr. H.E. Kreager, who was village president in the 1920s and 30s. The back part of the building (the kitchen and bean grinding area of present-day Uncommon Grounds) is believed to be the oldest existing structure in Saugatuck. 1845 [LOCAL] CASCO — Mortimer Timothy McDowell joined the John Thayer family in settling the future Casco Township. His father and family followed soon after. The McDowell home became a stopping point for stagecoach travelers heading north to The Flats (Saugatuck). McDowell was selected the township’s first supervisor a decade later. 1846 [LOCAL] NEWARK — Robert A. McDonald and William Scovill made a deal with landowner Michael B. Spencer to clear part of a section that is the present-day Douglas. McDonald and Scovill were Douglas’ first settlers. SINGAPORE — The town lost its first sawmill when it burned down. Partners Carter and Stockbridge rebuilt the mill, but it burned again three years later. PLUMMERVILLE — Benjamin Plummer and his family moved their Goshorn Creek sawmill to the present Plummerville area and ran it for another nine years. O R. Johnson & Co. opened a tannery and helped Plummer build a dam. THE FLATS — Michael B. Spencer constructed the first steam-powered sawmill in present-day Saugatuck and sold it to O R. Johnson & Co. four years later. This mill drew workers to The Flats, who needed boarding houses to live in. This was really the beginning of Saugatuck becoming more than a scattered woodland settlement. GANGES — C O. Hamlin opened the future township’s first blacksmith shop. 1847 [LOCAL] OTTAWA COUNTY (Feb 9, 1847) — The Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte and six Dutch emigrants settled along the Black River. Within two years, the area held 235 dwellings and 1,200 people — 90 percent were Dutch. GANGES (Apr 5, 1847) — A H Hale was elected supervisor and justice of the peace in the recently established Ganges Township. Orlando Weed’s home was the site of the first meeting. Voters totaled 27. SINGAPORE — Dutch emigrants began stopping at the Big House, Singapore’s 3-story hotel-boarding house, on their way north to Holland and the surrounding area. ALLEGAN — H R Schoolcraft conducted the first census taken of American Indians and showed there were four bands in Allegan County. The local Old Wing band appeared to be the most prolific hunters of the tribes. LAKETOWN — Arend Neerken and James Rutgers became the first settlers in the present-day Laketown Township. ALLEGAN — Adelade became the second steamboat built on the Kalamazoo River. Its paddlewheels could propel the boat around the tight bends, sandbars and snags that infested the lower parts of the river. Capt. Henry Mixer would direct Adelade to Singapore with a stop at The Flats on one day and back to Allegan on the next with another stop at The Flats. The machinery aboard the boat came from the first Maid of the Mist that plied its trade at the foot of Niagara Falls. SINGAPORE — Aremus Carter and F.B. Stockbridge bought out James G. Carter to take control of the sawmill, store and hotel in the community. They installed a new engine and boilers for the sawmill. GLENN — William Packard constructed the first sawmill at the crossroads of the future town. His steam-powered saw could cut 15,000 board feet each day. A pier was built to load the lumber on schooners for shipment across Lake Michigan. 1848 [LOCAL] SINGAPORE — James Fennimore Cooper used the community of Singapore as a setting in his novel “Oak Openings” about a young man looking for honey. Although no records show Cooper was in the area, some locals reported that he stayed at the Big House soaking up Indian lore. Also highlighted in his book was Chief Mucsaube, an Indian who lived along the Kalamazoo and was popular with local whites. 1849 [LOCAL] FILLMORE (Apr 2, 1849) — Seven voters selected Isaac Fairbanks as the first supervisor of the newly established Fillmore Township — named after Vice President Millard Fillmore. Fillmore was the 17th settlement in Allegan County. DINGLEVILLE — James Goshom came to the area after serving in the Mexican War and settled at the lake later named for his family. His brothers John, Perry and Samuel soon followed and settled by the small lake. James was a bookkeeper and shipped wood to Chicago. John was a grocer in The Flats. Perry bought James’ Goshorn Lake farm, and Samuel was a boot maker. GANGES — Marcius “Deacon” Sutherland purchased land at present-day Pier Cove and constructed a 200-foot-long pier out into Lake Michigan. It permitted steam-powered lake boats to load cordwood and hemlock bark without having to lay up at South Haven or Saugatuck harbors. It later was used to ship fruits across the lake to ports in Illinois and Wisconsin. SINGAPORE — The federal government constructed piers at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River along with a small stone light house. THE FLATS — Wayne Coates and his family came to town and opened the area’s first drug store in Daniel Plummer’s old house on Hoffman Street. 1850 [LOCAL] THE FLATS — Sandy soil and lake conditions affected climate to make the area ideal for growing fruit. New orchards went up, and Western Allegan County exported $2,582 worth of produce from Saugatuck harbor after the first harvest. NEWARK TOWNSHIP — The U.S. Census showed over 500 people in the future Laketown and Fillmore townships. The Saugatuck area had 250. Ganges and Casco totaled 190. Manlius and Lee contained 116. SINGAPORE — F.B. Stockbridge bought out Artemus Carter’s interest in the sawmill, store and hotel in the town. CASCO — The Thayer and McDowell families were relieved of their isolation after being the only families in present-day Casco for the previous two years. On this single year, 16 families showed up and established residences. Locals said the plentiful wolves were so neighborly that not a night went by without their howling around the cabins: THE FLATS — Dr. James C. Elliot and Charles Mixer constructed the second steamboat built in present-day Saugatuck. The Adelaide learned from the mistakes of the first boat, which was too large to navigate the bends, snags and marsh areas in the river. It traveled successfully among Singapore, The Flats and Allegan for two years before the boat was sold. For the next two decades, small steamers plied the river — boats such as Aunt Betsey, Helen Mar and Mayflower. By 1869, the railroad came through New Richmond and more freight was hauled over land. 1851 (LOCAL] SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP — Jonathan Wade built a sawmill on the south bank of the Kalamazoo River in present-day Douglas, which he called Dudleyville to honor his brother. Also, Wade constructed a boarding house and cottages. 1852 [LOCAL] PIER COVE — Sidney Squires installed a steam-powered sawmill — the first in Pier Cove. Charles Richards followed up with a furniture factory and woodturning shop. HEATH TOWNSHIP — Col. John Littlejohn built the first sawmill in Rabbit River Village. He called it Rabbit River Mill. The community renamed itself Hamilton 20 years later. SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP — Pottawatomi Chief Mucsaube died during a trek to his camp on a miserably cold winter day. It was believed that consuming “fire water” contributed to his death. He was popular with the white residents along the Kalamazoo River, since he was one of the first friendly natives they met when they settled here. James Fennimore Cooper gave the chief a part in his novel “Oak Openings.” SINGAPORE — Timothy Coates rented the store and restocked it with more goods. He ran the place for three years and worked as the lighthouse keeper. During this year, Coates built his residence in Greek revival style on Butler Street in Saugatuck. THE FLATS — Steven A. Morrison got tired of using his home as an informal hotel for travelers, so he donated a lot next door to Battle Creek carpenter R.S. Smith, who built the Saugatuck House. Soon after, Smith got drunk, had a boating accident and drowned in New Richmond, so Whitney and Strong took over and coined the slogan, “Feed the hungry and rest the weary.” It operated for 61 years and was replaced by Parrish’s drug store. Today, it’s the Saugatuck Drug Store. DUDLEYVILLE — William Bush opened the first general store in present-day Douglas, and Joshua Wade built a small home where the first white baby in town was born, Frank Wade. The house still stands as the oldest in Douglas. 1853 [LOCAL] DUDLEYVILLE (Jan 1853) — Frank Wade became the first baby born in present-day Douglas. The happy father was Nelson Wade. DINGLEVILLE — Leather manufacturer C.C. Wallin of Chicago purchased the 18-year-old Wells Tannery on Go shorn Creek at the site of present-day Clearbrook Country Club. The Wallin family turned hides into leather for another 28 years before hemlock bark (used to provide tannin) became scarce in Western Michigan. MANLIUS — Elisha Mix arrived in Manlius Township with Elam Fenn. Mix was a retired army officer who fought in Florida in 1839. He became commander of the local Michigan Militia that entered the Civil War and was brevetted a brigadier general. His staff consisted of Asst. Surgeon Samuel D. Toby of Ganges, 1st Lt. Homer Mannel of Saugatuck, along with Capt. Timothy Cook and Sgt. John McDowell of Casco. The company joined Gen. William Tecumsah Sherman in the Battle of Atlanta. 1854 [LOCAL] PIER COVE (Jne 15, 1854) — Samuel W. Thompson was appointed the first postmaster of the new Pier Cove Post Office. His kitchen was the post office. John Billings delivered the mail from Allegan to Singapore, Pier Cove and Plummerville to South Haven. PLUMMERVILLE — Stock was sold to construct a pier out into Lake Michigan near the creek so goods could be shipped without having to go to South Haven or Saugatuck harbors. The Wallin family set up a tannery there and shipped out leather goods from the pier. CASCO — Timothy McDowell was selected the first supervisor of the newly formed Casco Township — the 18th settlement in Allegan County. It was named to honor War of 1812 hero Gen. Lewis Cass, who also served as the appointed governor of Michigan Territory from 1813 to 1831. ALLEGAN — James Bush built the Helen Mar, the third locally built steamboat to ply the lower Kalamazoo River. It was smaller and more agile than the C.C. Trowbridge and Adelade, the first two steamers on the river. It carried freight and passengers at a steady rate for six years. 1855 |LOCAL] GANGES (Feb 15, 1855) — The Ganges Baptist Church was formed as a mission station of the church in Allegan. The Rev. Harvey Munger came from Allegan monthly to hold services. The parishioners met in homes and schools until they could get together the $1,300 needed to build a house of worship in 1880. PIER COVE (Dec 14, 1855) — John S. Thompson was the first white baby born in Pier Cove. SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP — William fuller Dutcher, his wife Lucinda and their family from Pennsylvania purchased Johnathon Wade’s sawmill and some of his land in present-day Douglas. THE FLATS — Pine Grove School was built on Mary Street, the first school in the town. It sat in a small grove of pines at the bottom of “the hill .” The building later became the residence of Frederick Fursman and was redesigned into a Colonial Revival style by his friend Thomas Eddy Tallmadge. GANGES — Giles Rockwell built a water powered saw and opened the township’s first sawmill. Two years later, the dam collapsed, and the mill closed for good. Soon after, William Phillips constructed a steam-powered saw and continued cutting lumber. One of his clients was a chair factory in Chicago that purchased hardwood boards. He could cut up to 12,000 board feet each day. 1856 [LOCAL] SINGAPORE — Robert Helmer build a new sawmill 100 feet east of the Wilder mill. Walter Griffin was the chief engineer. A fire destroyed it 12 years later. 1857 [LOCAL] THE FLATS (Sep 11, 1857) — William G. Butler died at age 58 when he was accidentally crushed by rolling logs. Butler and his family were the first white settlers in the Saugatuck area, arriving by boat in 1829. PIER COVE — The widow of the recently deceased Samuel Thompson open the town’s first school in her kitchen. Salone Patch was the first teacher. Mrs. Thompson’s husband had opened the first post office in that same kitchen, but it moved to notary public Lorenzo Weed’s house after Thompson died. THE FLATS — The bridge at Saugatuck’s ferry crossing was abandoned, because it became unsafe to use. Too many schooners had bumped it during its short life. A regular ferry was again set up and still runs today. The first official ferryman was 19-yer-old Darius Billings, having received the contract paid by his father John for $300. 1858 [LOCAL] THE FLATS — Land speculator and mill owner Elnathan Judson built a large post & beam, Greek Revival house on Butler and Francis streets. He housed his family and mill workers there. Doc Anderson Heath and his wife May next lived in the home. It was from this house that May spotted timber cutters downing village trees, and she went out and saved the “Treaty Tree” by parking herself and her baby under it. When the tourist influx began at the beginning of the 20th century, it became the Colonial Rest Inn, a “resorter” hotel. 1859 [LOCAL] LAKETOWN (Apr 4, 1859) — John Rouse was elected the first supervisor of the newly formed Laketown Township — the 20th settlement of Allegan County. The first meeting appropriated $160 — $75 for roads, $10 for town books and $75 for incidentals. Laketown’s first school was also established. CLYDE (Oct 12, 1859) — Allegan County established Clyde Township as the county’s eleventh settlement. Ralph Parris named it to honor his hometown in Clyde, N.Y. One year later, he was selected the first town supervisor by 13 voters. LEE — Thomas Raplee was elected supervisor of the new Lee Township — named after him. He was the second white resident in the area. Township status was achieved 15 years after the first white settler came to the area — Thomas Scott, described by locals as “the man with the wolf skin cap.” THE FLATS — A new lighthouse was built to replace the original facility constructed by Stephen D. Nichols in 1852. The first light was built of stone close to the water’s edge, and years of storm waves undercut its foundation. The new light went up around the bend from the river mouth, was 53 feet above the lake level and could be seen 14 miles out. One hundred years later, a tornado destroyed the lighthouse. 1860 [LOCAL] THE FLATS (Jan 11, 1860) — The Congregational Church was formed at a meeting at Pine Grove School on Mar) Street. It was Saugatuck’s first church. Henry Brueckman donated the land at Hoffman and Griffith streets for the building, and C H Eaton was is first minister. CLYDE (Apr 2, 1860) — Ralph Parrish was elected supervisor of recently created Clyde Township. THE FLATS — Frederick Theodore Kleema... 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