Bounty & Bust: Commercial Fishing in Saugatuck-Douglas, 1860-1970
2021. Sally Winthers and Randy DiRosa. 128 pages.
Commercial fishing was a vital part of Saugatuck-Douglas. This richly illustrated book tells the stories of families, tugs, gear, and even fish. Published in conjunction with the opening of the Demerest Shanty.
Back to School: The Douglas Union School Story, 2nd Edition
2017. Nancy J. Budd. 64 pages.
Details the history of Michigan’s oldest standing union school – today’s vibrant Old School House in downtown Douglas. Also tells about the teachers and students, as well as trends in school design and development. (first edition was in 1999)
The Village Table: A Delicious History of Food in the Saugatuck-Douglas Area
2011. Stacy Honson and Kit Lane. 144 pages.
‘A celebration of the culinary history of Saugatuck-Douglas—with attention to the area’s climate, growers, fishermen, hunters, professional chefs, and home cooks.
The Big Pavilion: The Brightest Spot on the Great Lakes
2010. Kit Lane. 48 pages.
A chronicle of the history of Saugatuck’s most famous building, a dance hall that stood at the bend in the Kalamazoo, from construction in 1909 to destruction by fire in 1960, through many phases of Saugatuck’s (and America’s) changing social scene.
History by Camera: Saugatuck & Douglas Photographs 1870-1970
2008. Jack Sheridan, editor. 164 pages.
Includes rare “stop and stare” photos, maps, and historical views.
Raising the Roof, Revised Edition
2006. James Schmiechen. 192 pages
The history of the Saugatuck and Douglas area, examining its buildings and architecture as a mirror of the life and times of its people. (originally released in 1999)
Lincoln’s Ready-Made Soldiers: Saugatuck Area Men in the Civil War
2005. Kit Lane. 224 pages.
From the perspective of the men themselves, this work tells of events during the Civil War. Presenting letters, newspaper reports, maps, military records, drawings, and photographs, it illustrates the war experiences of the men of western Allegan County.
Tales of the Villages
2004. James Schmiechen and Brian Cook. 26 pages. Out of print.
These thirteen illustrated stories were first handed out to children in conjunction with an exhibit of the same name. Later the tales were compiled into a coloring and activity book to be sold at the museum shop.
Snapshots – A Saugatuck Album: A Photographic History of Saugatuck, Michigan
2003. James Schmiechen and Bill Kemperman. 184 pages.
From the lumber trade of the 1860s to the dance halls and art schools of the 1930s, essays and photos about one of Michigan’s best known Lake Michigan resort areas, including the villages of Saugatuck, Douglas, and Pier Cove.
Storm, Fire, & Ice: Shipwrecks of the Saugatuck Area
2001. Jack Sheridan and Kit Lane. 72 pages.
Stories from the 19th century to the present, including the wreck of the Chicora.
Off the Record: A Pictorial History of Saugatuck in the 40s and 50s — The Unpublished Photographs of Bill Simmons
2001. James Schmiechen, Jack Sheridan, and Kit Lane. Out of print.
157 representative images, selected from nearly 3,000 photographs shot in and around Saugatuck by Bill Simmons, who served as editor of the Commercial Record. Simmons shows how people interacted with the local geography, village life, and work.
Lost & Found: Ghost Towns of the Saugatuck Area
2000. Kit Lane, Rboert C. Simonds. 47 pages. Out of print.
Tells the story of towns that cannot be visited but which influenced the history and people of the area. Includes towns such as Naples and Breese that never made it beyond elegant maps created to entice investors.
Building the New and Rehabilitating the Old: A Builder’s and Owner’s Guide
1999. Saugatuck-Douglas History Society. 36 pages.
A “how-to” manual that provides design and preservation-restoration information and advice for individuals, developers, and planners, with a focus on preserving the traditional character and quality of local village life.
Heroes, Rogues, and Just Plain Folks: A History of the Saugatuck Area
1998. Kit Lane. 78 pages. Out of print.
The lives of these seventy-two individuals tell us something about the human condition and how one individual can touch a community, ultimately becoming a defining factor in its life and character.
Painting the Town: A Century of Art in Saugatuck and Douglas
1997. Kit Lane. 64 pages.
Traces the evolution of an important Midwest art center. Pays special attention to Ox-Bow, the Art Institute of Chicago’s summer campus. Includes a glossary of 100 area artists. Winner, Michigan Museums Association Design Excellence Award.
