Scope and ContentFolders and binders of typewritten curious or historical text snippets transcribed from back issues of the Commercial Record by CR editor William "Bill" Simmons. Over the years, subsequent editors (like Art and Kit Lane) and historians (James Schmiechen) shuffled through the pages, looking for amusing filler material for the newspaper or to research. As well as a compilation of amusing snippets, Mr. Simmons was also collecting information about notable residents and historic buildings. This person and organization (building) information has been copied to the appropriate CatalogIt profiles. An inventory of the loose papers compiled by Arthur Ashley, 2025: 1. Obituary - William R. “Bill” Simmons 1891-1966 2. Letter - from Bill Simmons to “Joe Ambrose, Press” - Looks like a list of ideas for a newspaper noting subject and whether he has pictures Dark Blue Folder - transcripts from Saugatuck-Douglas newspapers thought interesting enough to document. 3. LOCAL OPTION LOSES - Vote (in August 1896) on prohibition of local alcohol sales. 4. A RECORD BREAKER! - Record breaking -45° temperature on February 17,1899. 5. BONERS - Grammatical errors in newspapers - with many amusing examples. August 6, 1868. 6. CAUSE AND EFFECT - Describes Saugatuck prosperity with the decline of the pine lumber industry to fruit and farming. 7. A LOVE LETTER - “The following is sublimely splendiferous, and we recommend it as a model to letter writers:” 8. HISTORY OF ALLEGAN AND BARRY COUNTIES - A July 2, 1880, story announcing the release of a 520 page history of Allegan and Barry counties. 9. WHAT I SAW LOOKING OUT OF MY WINDOW - “(Composition of a Douglas school girl of twelve years, written while in school one day last week) - 4-30-75).” 10. JEDKINS OR JUDKINS - From the Saugatuck Commercial, May 1 & 8, 1869 - Excessive drunkenness. 11. THE VOLUNTEER COUNSEL - Story published February 15, 1978, dramatizing a court trial on August, 8, 1841, in Clarksville, Texas. 12. B E L L S, Bells, bells, bells…. A satire of October 8, 1975, regarding a cows roaming freely in Douglas and Saugatuck. See “Man and Cow” See catalogit # 2022.29.08 for details. 13. HOME-GROWN-POET - A GREAT EVENT - A January 17, 1879 article about Cecil Hill, a “home-grown poet” from Saugatuck, including his poem - A GREAT EVENT. 14. TRAIN DAY - August 1899 - Coverage of the August 19, 1899 “Train Day,” celebrating the opening of the The Holland & Lake Michigan RR Company (also called the Interurban) train service between Holland and Saugatuck. 15. “Base Ball by the Amateurs” - Article in the July 22, 1887 Lake Shore Commercial, Fred Wade, Publisher. This is almost the complete article about the ball game between the business men of Saugatuck and Douglas on Tuesday, July 19, 1887. Omitted from the transcription: It was a good broom. It knew a good club to stay by. Capt. Winslow said he anticipated the result, but that’s all in your eye. The Saugatuck “boys” think “they did so well they can do it ag’in and ag’in.” The Douglas club will give a dinner to their opponents at the Douglas House to-morrow evening. Putnam was the only “offensive partisan” playing, and he ran as though there was a postoffice on every base. T. W. Leland was the first man disabled. Frank Brueckman took his place as catcher at the first inning. Milton Gerber played second base for the Douglas club and when he went in to bat he sent the ball clear over into the next school district. 16. SAUGATUCK—files, 75, jan 23. “75 Years Ago (10pt c & 1c ‘The “Business Directory” of the Lake Shore Commercial contained in on numerous cards.’ Looks like a series of adds from an unknown date. 17. A N O L D T I M E R - A March 26, 1886 article referencing a December 8, 1856 copy of the old Allegan Record. It contains some news of the official canvas of the county general election, comments on how long it takes to receive results from other states, and “complains of derelictions in the mail service..” 18. LITTLE LECTURES - December 10, 1880. Advice to a young man having attained his majority at the age of 21. 19. MURDER IN HOLLAND and WRETCHES CAPTURED - Two articles regarding the May 5, 1896 murder of Enos Lawrence by his wife’s brother, with whom it seems were having an affair. 20. PROSPECTUS OF THE COMMERCIAL - Unknown date - Plan for how to conduct business, publication dates, subscriptions, advertising terms, and associated advertisements. 21. WHY GREATEST AND BEST - an editorial in the Lake Shore Commercial September 6, 1878; Editors: Dr. D. Maclean, Charles F. Wasson. Explains why “the Chicago & North-Western Railway is being called the greatest and best line in the country.” 22. PINE PLAINS - from THE COMMERCAIL, May 15, 1869 - how the “old Pine Plains House, located about half-way between this place and Allegan”, now considered worthless might once again become productive farm lands by good farming practices. 23.T O B A C C O - a letter to the editor of the Lake Shore Commercial by Mrs. M.E.Morrison in the issue of September 13, 1878. - The author lectures on the evils of tobacco (and alcohol), ending the letter with “But I suppose woman is man’s savior and she must suffer and endure; not so by a steady apposition and resistance on the part of woman all this trains of vices would be abolished forever.” 24. JANUARY 5: 1894? - A synopsis of the contents. R E C E P T I O N N O . 2 — September 30, 1881 Lake Shore Commercial - documents a reception given by John Koning after his wedding with Miss Mary VanZoeren, of Vriesland. “About thirty five of the most intimate of the young fiends of both bride and groom were present at the reception in Holland.” There was a list gifts with a total valued at $150 and $17.50 cash received. 25. GOOD RIDDANCE - November 5, 1875 - Story how bad will developed between people of Saugatuck and George P. Heath - citizens giving money for a grist mill that he subsequently tore down - and how he acted as a member of the Common Council. 26. Lake Shore Commercial, July 8, 1892 - “…that in 1873-8, when the government still maintained a garrison at Fort Dearborn Chicago it was no unusual thing for the people who lived at this place to hear the report of the cannon as the morning salutes were given at the old fort.” 27. A NEAR TRAGEDY - unknown date - incident about a fish tug almost ran down a small outboard motor boat containing Mr. Herbert Graham and Rev. H.E.Maycroft. 28. A BIT OF WAR HISTORY - Lake Shore Commercial, September 30, 1892 - A recount of an event in the fall of 1862 regarding the Third Michigan calvary. 29. SAUGATUCK,MICHIGAN - Summary of Principal Advantages - unknown date - 30. EDITORIAL BULLS - The Commercial, June 29, 1877 - Several queer expressions that editors might see hurriedly written by reporters. 31. FIFTEEN FOLLIES - The Saugatuck Commercial, November 7, 1868 - Two example: “FIRST - To think that the more a man eats the fatter and stronger he will become.” “SECOND - To believe that the more hours children study in school the faster they learn.” 32. MORRISON WOODS - February 1, 1878 - Editorial supporting The Morrison Woods, a plot of ten acres that could be purchased for $1,000. A LETTER TO THE EDITOR - February 15, 1878 - Response in support of the above, seeming to make the citizens feel guilty for not supporting. 33. January 5, 1894 - Summary of local news. 34. Four of July Celebration details from the June 28, 1878 and July 5, 1878 editions. 35. MRS JAY GOULD - Oct 12, 1894 - Person claiming to be heir to Jay Gould “millions”. 36. SAUGATUCK’S SAWYER POET - Tale with an unknown date about “a home-grown poet”, Cecil Hill. 37. “REMARKABLE STATEMENT - and man” - March 4, 1881 - Self description but Rev. Allen Tibbits of Coldwater, MI. 38. DEATH OF CAPT. R.C. BRITTAIN “Another Old-Time Lake Navigator Sails the Uncharted Sea.” - Brief history of Capt. Ralph C. Brittain of Saugatuck. 39. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck—May 23, 1952 - Story by Editor Fred Wade appearing in the Lake Shore Commercial April 29, 1881, about the tug, Jennie King with Capt. Geo. Crawford, her owner, and engineer Sherm Upham surviving a lake storm. 40. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck—August 22, 1952 - Examples of some advertising in the June 30, 1882 Lake Shore Commercial. 41. TRUNK - Saugatuck - April 18, 1852 - A story in Feb. 19, 1875, Lake Shore Commercial about a young man getting locked in a trunk when caught visiting a young lady. 42. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck - February 13, 1875 - Charles M. Winslow, editor of the Lake Shore Commerical “skins” the editor of the Allegan Journal, Don C. Reid, about an article written about the death of Salmon Thayer. 43. Saugatuck Files - June 14, 1878 - Recap of stories: Frightened horse drags plow through house; 500,000 pounds meat sent to France; Queen Victoria on the throne for 40 years; band of Cannock Indians ordered whites to leave prairie under penalty of death; double-yolked eggs. 44. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck - letter printed in the September 5, 1868, issue the Commercial singing the praises of Douglas and surrounding agriculture, especially fruit. 45. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck - November 28 - In April of 1873 the Lake House bar was almost wrecked. (See #47) 46. OLD DAYS, Saugatuck - October 3 - Story from the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer-Press that was published in the February 14, 1890 Lake Shore Commercial. 47. ROW IN A DRINKING SALOON (4-11-1873) - Same story as #45 (above) about a fight at the Lake House. 48. ODDS-99 - Several excerpts from 12 newspapers July 12, 1889 to December 20, 1889. 49. Hand-written page with what looks like ideas for stories about how streets that end at the river banks are handled in Saugatuck. 50. Four stores from the first quarter of 1886: 1/1 - Saugatuck people are described as lethargic; 2/26 - no flags were displayed on Washington’s birthday; 4/2 - Chicago newspapers stewing over the supposition that Lake Michigan is raising at the rate of four inches per year and that “it does not seem to occur to them that Chicago may be gradually sinking under her sin”; 4/30 - postmaster reports that money order business was $1,300 in two days.