2023.10.92

The Old Ferry Store from https://sdhistoricalsociety.org/publications/NLHist/NLHist/P79.php [SDHS newsletter insert, page 79] As the years slip by products, services, and institutions that once were seen as necessities either disappear completely, become quaint curiosities, or adjust to new times. The trolley that once provided transportation between Saugatuck and Black Lake no longer exists; the ponderous chain-propelled barge that was often needed to carry cars (and sometimes even the fire engine) across the river has become a romantic, lace-trimmed toy to amuse tourists; and the Ferry Store long ago switched from life support basics to fun, frills and extras before vanishing completely as a retail establishment. When our family first came to Saugatuck in the early 1930s, the Ferry Store was a small frame structure with a lean-to and fenced-off area in the back where the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ormiston and their young son could camp beside the river. The store stocked perishables like milk, butter, bread, some seasonal produce and a few staples. There was an A & P grocery in the village of Saugatuck, near the post office, but the Ferry Store was our life line, depended on daily by the summer residents of the wooded peninsula across from town. The Ormistons were always helpful and accommodating, and they often went out of their way to see that individual and special needs were met. It was with alarm and trepidation, then, that we heard in 1940 that the Ferry Store had been sold and would open under new management. The new owners seemed an unlikely pair: Mrs. Jean Palmer, fragile, citified, trailing a background of privilege; and Mary Kay Beetles, strong, capable, efficient and down-to-earth. Mrs. Palmer, it was said, had suffered a tragic bereavement. The Ferry Store was to be part of her therapy, and she threw herself wholeheartedly into its gentrification. Where the Ormistons had roughed it, camp style, in the back, a spacious apartment, thoroughly winterized, was now constructed. Invited to tour it as it was nearing completion, we were duly impressed with its attractive plan and numerous then modern amenities. I remember that the bathroom was still being painted, "for the third time," Mrs. Palmer explained, because the painters had not yet been able to achieve the shade of pink she required. The store itself still carried some few necessities, but the important part had become the enlarged porch area which served as an elegant ice cream parlor. Other snacks and sandwiches may also have been served. The ice cream was extra special, the "Haagen Daaz" of its day. One would often find an acquaintance loafing at one of the old-fashioned wire table and chair sets, licking a cone and thumbing through the old New Yorker magazines which were stacked in a corner. The store at that time was a kind of laid-back "in" place where you could buy unusual small gift items as well as impromptu picnic materials. Mrs. Palmer provided glamour. Her perfectly coiffed silver curls, her silk dress, pearls, and dress shoes contrasted with the counter behind which she sat perched on a stool. When asked if she ever went to the beach, she shrugged delicately and spoke reminiscently of white satin swim suits and padded sun lounges in Nice or Cannes. She was not always present, a heart condition it was said. Mary Kay, on the other hand, seemed to be energetically everywhere, keeping things humming, hiring and firing, cheerfully in control. The hours when the Ferry Store was open, however, became more and more irregular, and residents ceased to depend on it for serious needs. Fortunately, cottages began to be equipped with reliable refrigeration, so that daily service became less important, replaced by more infrequent shopping at supermarkets. I'm sure there have been several other owners and incarnations of this building since this time, and even those things that I remember so clearly may be remembered differently by others. We can all agree, though, that the Ferry Store has been, and will continue to be, Saugatuck landmark. -Helen Gage DeSoto A store building has been located at the west chain ferry landing since at least 1900 when May Francis Heath ran it, getting up at 4 a.m. to bake cupcakes for her customers. Others followed Mary Kay and Jean including the mother of Dick Hoffman. Dick was for several years president of the Village of Saugatuck and ran a series of popular river boats based at Anchor Park (now Wicks Park). When R. E. Peterson received the franchise for the chain ferry he also obtained the building. The workmen he assigned to refurbish it quickly discovered that there was little foundation under the structure on the swampy river bank and, with the high water prevalent at the time, portions of the east wall were occasionally submerged. He had the building raised, filled and stabilized the land on which it sat, and built a concrete foundation under it. After a series of short-term businesses the structure now serves as a real estate office, and club house for guests at nearby Holiday Hill.

Winthers, Sally

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06/18/2023

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03/31/2024