A Young Waitress Remembers
Archive
As a college student I worked at Tourist Home, right next to the Ferry in 1927, 1928 and 1929. As most ferry operators were young men we would say we didn't have any money so they would let us "pump" our way across the river. Sometimes we would go over and back a couple of times a day.
You see after we girls were through working dinner time we would go to the camp on Lake Michigan to swim, crossing on the ferry and walking there. We knew they had swimming hours and we were protected by the safety ropes.
There were two bachelors who came to the Home for the summer from Chicago. They had a deal even before I began work there to take the waitresses on their 25 or 30 foot boat to Lake Michigan to swim. No hotel persons were allowed. He always got us back on time to be back at work a four o'clock. On the way back they had fresh fruit and candies for us.
We also enjoyed the boats coming into Saugatuck Saturday morning. The story was that they got on the boat a five o'clock in Chicago (they had their weekend clothes). Then on Sunday evening they got back on the boat at Saugatuck and got into Chicago in time to get to work.
The Sea Scouts of Chicago also came over for their training.
We made ten dollars a week, room and board. A Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were managers, daughter and son-in-law of the owner.
We could make about $200 for the summer that included our tips. Mayve for one secretary $5 for two weeks at three meals a day.
Sometimes the cooks and kitchen help would get drunk on Saturday night so we waitresses would have to help cook breakfast for the guests. Some girls besides waiting tables did the room work (maids). I planned the salads, bought the materials and made them.
It was a great vacation. We girls would attend parties on "Baldy" by staying out overnight. We tried to find the buried city down the river, but only found some fence. The dance hall was going strong.
Too bad Saugatuck is so busy now with people's own boats.
- Martha B. Thompson
2023.50.21
A firsthand account of working at a guest house that once stood just north of the eastern Chain Ferry landing.
SDHS NL Inserts1880 Tourism steamship era -1930
Winthers, Sally
Digital data in CatalogIt
Mt. Baldhead Hotel 1933-1959/Tourists' Home 1901
This information was OCR text scanned from SDHS newsletter supplements. A binder of original paper copies is catalog item 2023.50.01
11/08/2023
11/18/2023