36. Butler Street Story

Colorized postcard of Butler Street, looking south toward Mason Street, likely after 1918 when the street was paved.

Named after town founder William Gay Butler, Butler Street has been the central commercial district of Saugatuck since its early days.

This color postcard shows a freshly-paved Butler Street looking south toward Mason Street. In 1886, six buildings facing this intersection burned in a calamitous fire. After that trauma, building with brick was more than fashionable.

A few of the buildings on the postcard remain today. The Saugatuck Drug Store is still there, minus the beige awning. The Fruit Growers State Bank, across Mason Street, has been replaced by the Mize Memorial Rose Garden. Further south (or left in the card), the Sand Bar Saloon even now is serving cup old beers. One big change from the postcard days: parking was much easier back then.