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[Page one of two] Douglas 1857 to 1873 In 1857 Mr. William Dutcher, Grandfather to Geo. L. Dutcher, now of Fennville, came here and located taking land on a mortgage from Wells & Johnson. Thus Dutcherville was started. In 1860 Jonathan Wade wrote a letter to his brother Dudley, then in Canada that he was platting out a village here and was going to name it Dudleyville. This is why the south side of Centre St. (is) that name. In order to establish a post office it was necessary to call the place one name. At the request of Mr. Dutcher (before mentioned) it was decided to name the whole Douglas in honor of his native home on the Isle of Mann. H. F. Marsh owned a mill on the river shore, just a little north east. The Hotel was finished that summer 1863. The fisst thing in the new hotel being a dance Sat eve 4th of July. The hotel was built and conducted by Jonathan Wade for some time. H.F. Marsh owned and run a general store on the corner opposite F. B. Van Syckel's hardware. V. B. Dutcher, son of William Dutcher owned a large mill where the factory now stands including shingle mill, saw mill and lath mill. Mr. Dutcher also owned a store on the bank of the river a short distance south of the mill. Later Mr. Dutcher after the Masonic lodge was organized he built a large three story building where F. B. Van Syckel's store now stands, the lower story being a store, the second a fine dwelling house and the third the first masonic hall of this place, which in after years was consumed by fire. Crawford McDonald (who was L. W. McDonald's [Page two of two] father) located here on his return from the war. He went into mercantile business with D. C. Putnam. A few years later built a grist mill on the shore of the river almost exactly east of the garage, later Mr. McDonald sold out to John S. Payne. While he owned it the boiler burst--killing Mr. Payne's brother and little daughter. Some time later Robert Moore or T. B. Dutcher bought it and built it up. In after years the mill was burned and never rebuilt. In 1864 Mr. Daniel Gerber came here and built a large tannery in the gully just south of the Sam Reed home employing a goodly number of men besides the bark and wood which he bought from the surrounding country. Mr. Gerber lived here until his death 23 years ago last fall or in 1891. There were other and smaller enterprises among them a brick yard by Jonathan & Nelson Wade. The new school house was built by Jonas S. Crouse in 1866 bring a great improvement on the little one where Mr. J. E. Durham now resides but which has been enlarged until the little old school house would not know itself. As the place became older the Methodist Conference sent a minister here. Geo. L. Haight by name. He held a revival in the old school house the new then being in use. There were quite a large number of converts. A place of worship was needed and though many of us thought a union church would be desirable this minister said they were never a success and every one contributed to the funds for the New M.E. Church which was dedicated May 29th 1872 as a Methodist Episcopal Church. The writer went north in 1873 and can not follow farther. Handwritten note: A typescript of a history written by someone in the Dudley Wade family owned by Bessie Rininger.

10/23/2025

10/23/2025