Santa Fe Trading Company/Old World Bakery/Rosemarie/Wilson Ice CreamGrins/Martha Shop/Dr. Walker's office/Miller Robinson/Turell BuildingButler StreetRobinson, Miller 1859-1940Saugatuck Village Square/Green

Researcher

Faasen, James T.

2024

Street view of Butler at the Public Square circa 1888 This photo is of Butler Street looking north towards the Public Square. Two buildings on the west side of Butler Street that are not shown in the 1873 Atlas map or the 1895 Sanborn map. However, that sign above the Telegraph office sign is Miller Robinson’s. Later, in that more common photo circa 1902 of his shop, he used his clock or watch sign when he was at the exact location only in the Turrell building. That Kit Lane account that he operated the first telegraph office in Saugatuck is in error. Saugatuck had a Western Union telegraph by 1873, and Miller Robinson was its operator at least by 1891. My best guess is that the photo was taken in July 1888 or whenever that large GAR reunion happened in Saugatuck and the veterans camped in the Public Square. In 1887, Postmaster Frank A. Winston ran the telegraph office. The 1888 date is a good guess. Schaberg moved into the S. Goshorn building [at right with arched detail over sign, also called Schaberg bakery] in 1882, so there's no conflict. I wish the sign on the left could be read so we knew who was there and what building this was, as it’s not shown on the 1895 Sanborn map. I'm just trying to backtrack Miller Robinson to get a handle on that street scene photo in the Lorenz collection. In 1882, he was with Civilian M. Cook in the Tanner building, i.e., the Griffin building, and advertising; he was in the post office building. In 1883, Robinson’s ads state on Butler Street, but no address or reference to other shops is mentioned, So that’s where I am now. My working theory is that the photo shows the Robinson Building, which may be different from his residence behind it. Newspaper accounts say Robinson was a door north of Bird’s drug store in 1887, which should be the building the Commercial Record was in later. From March 1894 to 1897, he was in the new Stimson building. However, accounts by his granddaughter state he opened his shop at that corner in 1894. I did find an ad for his shop in the telegraph office in 1893, but no address. That photo shows a large tent set up on the east side of Public Square between D. L. Barber’s general store (roof line seen) and Schaberg’s bakery. The Mat Wixon Circus was in town in September 1891, and Robinson was the Telegraph operator that year, so maybe that dates the photo. Again, that's just a guess that I’m trying to prove or disprove. LATER ADDITION I'm now thinking that photo was taken after April 1895 and before 1897 when Robinson moved to Dr. Stinson's new building. The building looks the same as seen in the circa 1874 and 1895 photos, so something changed. Darius Baker bought the place in 1896 and was a carpenter. He may have changed it before Turrell bought it in 1899