2021.41.72

2/9/95 Interview with Bill McVea, Douglas, Michigan His grandmother was Mrs. W. C. (Rachel) Mcvea, who managed the Beachmont Hotel on Lakeshore Drive from 18-- until her death in 19--. Although her husband helped run the business, she was the chief manager. The hotel had 14 rooms on the upper floor. She provided meals for her guests--much of the foodstuff coming from her farm gardens. She had a cow, a horse in the summer, and a hired man to manage the gardens in the summer. She apparently did most of the cooking herself. She issued a small advertising book, the "Beachmont" in about 1900, which describes the hotel and its services. (see file, copy provided by Bill McVea) The hotel was destroyed in about 1960 by new owner who built a residence across the street (the concrete block residence). [an 1875 report states that the farm had 50 apple trees and 50 peach trees] WHEN WAS THE BEACHMONT ESTABLISHED--WAS IT PRIOR TO THE SAYRE-GARSCHE LAND PURCHASE (1897-99) FOR COTTAGES? For McVea Grocery, see typed m.s. "McVea Grocery and Real Estate," by Kit Lane (?) • Re: great aunt, Elizabeth J. McVea, managed another hotel/resort called "The Homestead," which was further north on the Lake Shore Drive, near to Campbell Rd. It was destroyed as well. Re: Marie R. Garesche (from St. Louis) (see Lane p.-), purchased land from William McVea in 1899, and at some later point owned a number of cottages--which she rented--on the lakeshore. This was also the case with Mrs. John O'Fallon Delaney, also of St.Louis, who came up to Douglas by chauffeur, and who also bought cottages and rented them--McVea says the two of them had six cottages between them. The Delaney cottage is now owned by Hollands (?) and is the large black cottage, next to (south of) the old Garesche cottage. The McVea's owned the cottage next to the Garesche's (to the north) until _ RE: THE commercialization of leisure which took place in the 1890s (?), took place by way of the establishment of resorts and resort and summer cottage services, such as the McVea ice cream shop, store, (post office), and the various transportation enterprises, such as the ferry run by Tisdall and Campbell, and the auto (omnibus?) bus. [Page 2] What is quite striking is the importance of women in this process--note the number of women who run boarding houses-hotels in the Douglas/Saugatuck area.

1900 Lakeshore community1930+ Tourism, lodging, hotels and B&Bs

Winthers, Sally

10/23/2025

10/23/2025