64. Wicks Park
The area along the east bank of the Kalamazoo River extending from the chain ferry landing at Mary Street south to Main Street was an early site of boat building, especially the vessels constructed by James Elliott for Captain R.C. Brittain. In 1909 the first of Saugatuck’s dancing pavilions was constructed here, a one-story gray building. When the Big Pavilion was completed a couple of months later, the owners of the smaller pavilion converted it into a skating rink called the East Shore Pavilion Skating Rink. After 1912, the building served as the waiting room and warehouse for the Graham & Morton Co. Transportation Company ships that stopped at Saugatuck until 1929. In the winter the building was used as a cold but indoor court for the winning Saugatuck High School basketball team.
The East Shore Pavilion was demolished in 1937 and the land put up for sale. The Saugatuck Village Council debated purchasing the parcel, but, in the midst of the Depression, did not have the money available. Former village president Frank Wicks and his wife Carrie felt the village should have the land for a park. They purchased the property with their savings and allowed the village to pay them back at no interest over a period of time. The land was then leased to Dick and Deb Hoffman who ran Anchor Park, a small amusement park that included a dock for their paddle-wheel excursion boats, a miniature golf course, and other games and attractions. By 1976 the land had been paid off and the city began the work of turning it into a public park. To celebrate the United States Bicentennial in 1976, an old-fashioned bandstand, designed by Douglas artist Nat Steinberg, was built and the entire park was dedicated to the Wicks who made it all possible.
