Online Catalog
You can visit the History Center Archives in person to learn what’s in our collection, but much of the material is now indexed in the CatalogIt Hub. On this page, you can browse through several sets of items or use a search box to look for something specific in the collection.
Archives
2206
The collection is mostly documents. To view everything in the Archive Catalog use "All Items."
Art
434
Artworks with an emphasis on works by local artists or works that illustrate local places
Burr Tillstrom Collection
79
A collection of articles, photographs, sketches, letters, puppets and other artifacts from Burr Tillstrom, puppeteer. Burr Tillstrom (1917-1985) was the first puppeteer to reach millions of American television viewers with shows that were witty, charming, and yet sophisticated enough to appeal to adults as well as children He is most well known for the Kukla, Fran, and Ollie show . Burr's hand puppets were always simple and his sets and props were minimal.
Camp Gray
64
Camp Gray Presbyterian Camp
A wooden model of the building called Swift Villa, one of the early buildings at Camp Gray.
It was built by Bill Lankton donated in April 2014 when the camp was being demolished
Curator’s Choice Exhibit
29
The “Curator’s Choice” exhibit spotlights 30 works of painting, sculpture, ceramics, glass, and metal from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center’s permanent Collection. The exhibit opened November 2021.
Early American logging and woodworking tools ca. 1850-1900
25
Tools from a beginner collection of early logging/ lumberjack tools as were used in the formative days of Saugatuck, Singapore and Pier Cove. (1850-1900)
Fishing, Commercial
92
Commercial Fishing in Saugatuck-Douglas, circa 1860 to 1970
Library
284
A reference collection of approximately 300 books dealing with the history of the Saugatuck-Douglas and surrounding area from the earliest recorded times to the present. The collection includes works by local authors like May Heath, Henry Hudson Hutchins, James Sheridan, Kit Lane, Dr. James Schmiechen, Jack Sheridan, Nancy J. Budd, Sally Winthers, Judy Anthrop and Rob Carey.
Maps
113
A collection of maps of the Saugatuck-Douglas area at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. Included in the collection are both reference maps and thematic maps covering the extent of western Allegan County. This includes government surveys, fire insurance maps, advertisements, drawings, aerial photographs, housing development plans, and other spatial renderings of the Saugatuck-Douglas area.
Mt. Baldhead Radar Station
23
Objects
755
Photos
1573
Postcards
238
Rediscovering a Michigan Painter: Robert “Harry” Fort Exhibition -Fall/Winter 2020
12
A Public exhibit showcasing the Saugatuck artwork of Robert “Harry”Fort (1875-1954) Titled “Re-discovering a Michigan Painter.” The exhibit includes 15 paintings combining new acquisitions by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center with several pieces on loan from other collections.
Seasons at the Lakeshore
76
Simmons @ Midcentury
206
Photos taken from 1941 to 1961 by William "Bill" Simmons
Singapore, Michigan
74
Singapore was a lumbering town near the mouth of the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. It was founded in 1836 and once bustled with two active mill, a harbor full of boats, a store, and a bank which printed its own currency. When the lumber boon ended, gradually, Singapore was carted away. What little was left has been covered by the blowing sand.
All Items
5465
View all of the entries in the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center collection.