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Telephone directory 1904

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Digital scans of an 18-page directory for the Saugatuck and Ganges Telephone Company Limited, issued July 1, 1904 for exchanges at Saugatuck, Douglas, Ganges, Fennville and Glenn. The listings include the number (usually just two digits), name and profession of each subscriber; no street address. Most of the listings are for fruit farms or fruit growers and merchants. Only a very few residences had telephone lines at this time.
Telephone directory 1904 picture number 1
Officer listed as J.P. Wade, E.S. Pride, C.B. Welch, H.H. Hutchins, A.H. Tracy J.A. Aliber, George Babcock, H.M. Bird, C.E. Bird, Bird's Dock, Capt. R.C. Brittain, Charles Brandt, F. Billington, C.G. Comstock, Commercial Recrod Otis O. Hauke, J.A. Davis, J.W. Dick, Doug & Son., A. Erler, Forward Movement Park, Fruit Growers' Bank, Alex. Gibson, George Goshorn, Griffin & Henry, T.C. Gray, Hotel Butler, E.H. House, John Koning, Mrs. T.W. Leland, Leland & Co., Maplewood, William Micken, H.L. Miller Dr. J.H. Pear veterinary surgeon, Park Club House, E.S. Pride, G.R.H.& L.M. Railway, Red Cross Drug Store Thompson & Grice, S.C. Reed, Roger Reed, Eli Ream & Sons, J.S. Richards, Miller Robinson, Riverside Fruit Farm, John Schaberg, Dr. H.H. Stimson, W.P. Sutton, Western Union Telegraph, Dr. R.J. Walker, Fritz Walz, Christ Walz, or Chris Walz, J.W. Weston, Williams & Babcock, Beachmond, William C. McVea, Willis Bryan, Canterbury Lodge, W.E. Cameron, H.A. McDonald Central Store, James Chase, C.C. Chamberlain, E.C. Crampton, Mrs. Alice Dawson, William Drought, Elkhorn Lodge C.G. Kendall, John Flagg, D.M. Gerber, H.E. Gray, T.C. Gray, Alex Gibson, H.H. Harrison, Hedgerow Mrs. E. Trumble Mrs. S. M. Kirby, Henry King, G.E. Kurz, L.W. McDonald, Henry Mead, Peter Moran, William Micken, H.L. Miller, Peoples' Store, L.A. Phelps, P. Purdy, E.L. Raplee, Eli Ream & Sons, Capt. R. Reed, J.S. Richards, Rosemont, Dr. H.A. Stroud, Miss Grace L. Taylor, H.C. Tillinghast, C.F. Van Valkenburg, George Walz, Van Walin, C.B. Welch, H.G. Welch, William Weed, P.P. Weed, Weed's Dock, Weed & Co., J.W. Weston, Western Union, D.W. Wiley, E.H. Atwater, M.S. Bennett, Bowles & Leland, Henry Bowles, Dr. E.E. Brunson, C.W. Bowles, Bonacamp by Pieters & Leland, James chase, W.E. Collins, M.J. Darling & Son, W.E. Daily, C.N. Davis, G.D. Dean wagons, Mrs. George Dunn, W.H. Dunn, S.W. Eddy, Henry Ensfield, C.E. Ensfield, A.W. Fisher, Guyon Fisher, John Flagg, George Fry, Ganges Pier, John Goodwin, L.B. Goodeve, Lloyd Goodrich, Hawley & Leland, Andrew Haberer, W.S. Hampton, J.L. Hirner, Mrs. A.T. Howland, A.D. Howland, W.H. Hoover, W.E. Hull, E. Hutchins, H.H. Hutchins, Ed Johnson, Thomas Keirnan, W.H. Lamb, H.E. Lamb, C.W. Leggett, C.H. Loomis, S.W. Loveridge & Son, Long View Lodge, Lake View Rest by Mrs. L.S. Darling, Mrs. E.J. McVea, C.W. McVea, J.H. McCartney, John McGee, George B. Mecham, George Miller, W.A. Moore, Rev. J.B. Peatling, W.H. Plummer, George Repp, M.M. Reynolds, W.E. Rouse, R.R. Shannon, I.J. Smith, T.J. Smedley, A.J. Staring, S.W. Stall, Lewis Wanner, George E. Weed, Cephus Weed, A.A. Wightman, Perry Wright, W.H. Aldrich, Old State Bank, C.E. Bassett, B.R. Barber, A.W. Bassage, W.M. Bale, R.B. Beals, F. Billington, Charles F.H. Brandt, Bravo Station P.M. Ry. W.O.Boshee General Teaming Contractor, J.H. Crane, C.M. Devine, L.S. Dickenson, G.L. Dutcher, Mrs. T.B. Dutcher, Fennville Roller Mills by C. Hutchinson, Fennville Fruit Company, Fennville Herald C.E. Bassett, Fennville Hotel by Frank Stevens Fernwood, Alex Gibson, T.C. Gray, Henry Hardesty, E. Hawley, J.H. Hawley, J.E. Hutchinson, George Huff, George Leland fruit packages, Sid Litzenburger repairs, W.E. McCarty, C.F. McCarty, E.W. McCaslin, Mechum & Fuller hardware, M. Micken, H.L. Miller, Dr. J.H. Mowers, W.A. Nash general merchandise, E.E. Paine, Pere Marquette station J.D. Nafzger agent, Peach Belt P.O. Cora Knowlton agent, J.A. Pieters clothier, O.C. Pemberton drugs, Eli Ream & Son, Roblyer & Luplow meat market, George Sargent, Mrs. Alice Sheffer grocery restaurant, Will E. Shiffert store, A.M. Todd mint farm, L. Truax, George Tucker store and farm, Ames Tucker, Wade & Wade attorney and fruit farm, J.P. Wade, L.D. Wadsworth, E.D. Wadsworth, C.A. Wadsworth, Jay Wattles livery, J.W. Weston, John Whitbeck E.H. Appleyard, J.H. Bardon, Joe Bell, Lew Bell, George Bowles, Dr. R.D. Brown, W.A. Bushnell, L.C. Cady, Mrs. W.S. Chase, S.L. Conrad, George Compton, H.A. Corwin, George T. Clapp undertaker and implements, J.G. Culver, Rev. J.A. Davis U.B. Order, M.J. Daring & son, Ed Denny, Eatondale farm Telephone directory 1904 picture number 10

2024.11.01

The Saugatuck and Ganges Telephone Company Ltd (Allegan County, Michigan) was started by a few fruit growers combining with local steamboat men for the erection of lines reaching into the fruit sections from shipping points. “It is often said that necessity was the mother of invention. Henry Hudson Hutchins didn’t invent the telephone, but he certainly recognized the necessity of it. Bringing the telephone to the Ganges area began with the fruit growers. There were four shipping points where their fruit could be taken to get it to the market; they could either go to the boats that came into Glenn, Plummerville or Pier Cove or to the train in Fennville. Often times they would get to the pier only to discover that because of choppy water the boats could not land. Or, they would take their fruit to Fennville to send it in by train and find that the train had already gone, and by then it was to late to get to the piers. Some system of communication was needed to correct the problem.”—quote by Jeanne Hallgren in her book “Ganges Township Allegan County, Michigan …History, Legends and Memories” page 75 … one of three pages devoted to the telephone company. Published in 2012, her book is a valuable historical record of Ganges Township, Allegan County, Michigan. Henry Hudson Hutchins was instigator and longtime manager of the Saugatuck and Ganges Telephone Company …said to be the first cooperative telephone company in the nation. In her book, Jeanne Hallgren mentions that the phone was a life-changing experience …“For the first time there could be contact with other people without leaving their homes.” Source: From David Nye, posted on facebook Saugatuck/Douglas Informed, Feb. 23, 2024

Utilities and public infrastructure1870 Fruit growing, farming, agriculture

Winthers, Sally

Digital data in CatalogIt

Bird, Harry Moffat 1877-1914Bird, Charles Edmund Sr. 1855-1941Rogers & Bird Shipyard/LineBrittain, Ralph Case 1842-1905Billington, F.Comstock, C.G.Hauke, OtisCommercial Record newspaper, TheDavis, James F.Dick, John Washington 1851-1934Doud, Judson 1835-1921Erler, AlbertPresbyterian Camp/Camp Gray/Forward Movement Park 1899-2014Mize Rose Garden north side/Fruit Growers State Bank/Clapp's Grocery/Flint's Shoes/Walz Meat Market/Griffin/TannerGibson, Alexander Capt. 1855-1923Goshorn, George Washington 1868-1934Griffin & Henry Lumber Yard/Griffin & Henry Sawmill/Griffin & Williams/Stockbridge & Johnson/Wells & Johnson/M.B. Spencer MillGray, Thomas 1820-1895Hotel Butler/Grist Mill/HaymarketHouse, Edwin Harvey 1875-1958Koning, John 1858-1927Leland, Thornton W. 1850-1930Leland's Department Store Building 1907Davis Livery/Heath & Stillson livery/Schaberg’s Roller RinkMaplewood Hotel b.1860/facade 1923Miller, Herman Lester 1856-1912Pear, Dr. John Henry 1864-1926Pride, Edward S. 1848-1912Interurban Railroad 1899-1927Red Cross Drug StoreReed, Samuel Caleb 1848-1923Reed, Roger E. 1868-1946Robinson, Miller 1859-1940Kasten/House's Cherry Cider Co. at Riverside Fruit FarmSchaberg, John 1849-1916Stimson, Dr. Henry H. 1824-1916Sutton, Warner Perrin 1849-1913Walker, Dr. Robert J.1869-1944Walz, Frederick J. “Fritz” 1880-1945Walz, Christian "Chris" 1854-1921Beachmont ResortMcVea, William C. I 1860-1923Bryan, Willis Simon 1888-1972Brandt, Charles F.H. 1839-1916H.A. McDonald Central Store, Douglas (not McDonald's People's Store)Chase, James Waistill 1846-1923Dawson, Alice May (Purdy) 1862-1946Drought, William 1861-1924Flagg, John Lawrence 1836-1922Gerber, Daniel Milton 1862-1929Gray, Thomas Collins 1853-1920Hedgerow VillaTrumble, Mrs. E.Kirby, Sarah M. (Gill) 1861-1951Kurz, George Everhart 1872-1958Elkhorn LodgeMcDonald, Louis WinfredMead, Henry Eugene 1851-1926Phelps, Lafayette Alonzo 1856-1940Purdy, Philetus "Fleet" 1835-1922Raplee, Elmon Lafayette 1862-1934Reed, Robert CaptainRichards, John Shelden 1828-1915Stroud, Harley A. Dr. 1848-1915Tillinghast, Clark 1872-1944Van Valkenburg, Charles Finley 1855-1938Walz, George William 1845-1924Wallin, Van Arthur 1866-1942Welch, Charles Bossard 1854-1924Welch, Horace G. 1856-1932Weed, William H. "Will" 1866-1909Wm. Weed & Co. Basket FactoryWeed, Perry Parton 1858-1941Wiley, David W. 1837-1927Atwater, Edwin Hollis 1856-1927Bennett, Marcius Stanton 1852-1932Bowles, Henry John 1836-1922Brunson, Dr. Eugene Eliel 1851-1934Collins, Ward E. 1871-1960Darling, Martin J. 1839-1909Dean, George Dallas 1845-1914Dunn, William Haile 1844-1934Eddy, Scott Wilmoth 1843-1930Ensfield, Henry H. 1863-1939Ensfield, Christopher 1853-1919Fisher, Guyon 1854-1921Fry, George W. 1852-1919Goodwin, John 1846-1925Goodeve, Llewellyn B. 1842-1909Haberer, Andrew 1850-1936Hirner, John Lewis [Sr.] 1861-1957Howland, Sarah Jane (Chase) 1833-1911Howland, Arthur David 1859-1947Hoover, William Henry Sr. 1846-1919Hull, William E. 1857-1935Hutchins, Henry Hudson 1854-1933Hutchins, Edward 1852-1929Keirnan, Thomas W. 1878-1949Loveridge, Seth W. 1824-1906Long View LodgeLake View RestMcVea, Charles E. 1835-1894McGee, John 1833-1906Tracy, Alva H. 1842-1926Plummer, William Henry 1841-1924Old State Bank FennvilleLeggett, Charles W. 1849-1916Kendall, J.C.

Comment from Cathy Brockington: [via facebook] In their youthful days, my Grandmother Irene Robinson (Webster) and her sister Abbie, among other fine (single) women of the community, were telephone operators. The exchange was in the front room above LandSharks. They had a good job and in the summers when the folks came over from Chicago, they had good social times too. ( taffy pulls, etc). This was probably in the late teens or early twenties. Grandma was born in 1900. Miss Jesse Viets was the third woman I remember who was an operator in the later days— 1917-20?

03/15/2024

04/19/2024