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Jean Hays Arnold- Interview by Eric Gollaneck
October 4, 2018
0:03
EG: This is Eric Gollaneck, and I’m here today with
0:07
JA: Jean Hays Arnold.
0:09 EG: At the old school house in Douglas, Michigan, on October the 4th, 2018. This oral
history is being collected as part of the Stories of Summer Project which is supported in part by a
grant provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities common heritage program.
Thanks, Jean for taking the time to meet with us today. I’m interested in learning more about
your family history and experiences of summer in the Saugatuck Douglas area. Can you say your
full name again and spell it for us?
0:40
JA: Ok. Jean Marie Hays Arnold. J-E-A-N M-A-R-I-E H-A-Y-S A-R-N-O-L-D.
0:52
EG: Fantastic. Thank you. Uh, and any special accents when spelling your name?
0:58
JA: No.
0:59 EG: Ok. Great. So, jumping right in. Tell us a little about growing up in Saugatuck
Douglas, and your experiences here.
1:09 JA: Ok. Wow. That leaves it wide open. All right. Um, I guess what I wanted to do also
is tell where I grew up. That’s my reference for my memories, which is my address at 177 St.
Peters Drive. And we moved there in about 1964. So that is where I spent my childhood and
1:35
EG: And this is in, this is in Saugatuck?
1:38
JA: Douglas actually
1:39
EG: Or in Douglas. Ok.
1:40 JA: Yeah, so, um, some of my earliest memories just in the general area are that, um, I
would like to play in the area what’s now West Shore Court, Hamilton, which connected to St.
Peter’s Drive, and there was a military tower at one time, that’s gone now, that I would climb up
to and look out, and it was very fun. It was like my own little personal fort. And um, had a lot of
fun there, and it happened to be right next to where the famous root beer barrel was.
2:20
EG: Right. Right
2:21 JA: But, at the time it was closed in the sixties already. When, when I knew of it, but I
had fun running around, and sneaking and peeking into the little
2:34
EG: [laugh]
�2:35
JA: There was a little, there was a little associated house to the barrel
2:38
EG: yeah
2:39 JA: And so I had fun there, and before all the warehouses and the boat storage was the
Hamilton, West Shore Court, um area, it was very open. I did a lot of kite flying in that area
believe it or not. You could not fly a kite there now. And, um, also the Parish family sticks in my
mind as having a house and a very distinctive tower, which I don’t know if that was the tower or
the military tower was behind the name of Tower Marine. Which is the marina
3:19
EG: Ok. Sure
3:20 JA: Down below the hill. And um, on the hill, just is where we would park or we would
sit and watch fireworks over Lake Kalamazoo.
3:33
EG: Right
3:34
JA: When I was a child, so that kind of covers that general area
3:40 EG: Right. Right, and just to back up, it was really interesting about the military tower.
We’ve done other interviews and uh, young, young people being up there has come up, and
during World War two, watching, and this is the same tower, and observation tower.
3:56
JA: Oh. Observation tower. Yes
3:59 EG: For plane spotting. For watching military aircraft. So how old would have been
when you were flying kites and climbing the tower and exploring this area.
4:07
JA: Oh this, this was, probably 8,9,10
4:14
EG: mmhm
4:14
JA: In that time period
4:15
EG: yeah.
4:17
JA: Young, but not real
4:18
EG: Independent
4:19
JA: Yeah exploring the area.
4:19
EG: out there, doing your own thing, exploring the
4:22 JA: Yeah. It was fun. Um, also in that area, um, in the mid 1960’s the Keewatin came
into the area. And I, I pretty much had the Keewatin pretty much as the backdrop of my
�childhood and where I lived, because we were on a bit of a bluff on St. Peter’s Drive, there. Um,
down below they had pulled the Keewatin up. So, um, that’s been, that’s always kind of been the
backdrop for me as I said. And when I became, was approaching thirty years old, I said, “Either
I’m going to be married, or I’m going to have one whale of a party.” So I thought, what better
place to have a birthday, uh, 30-year-old birthday party than the Keewatin?
5:20
EG: Yeah
5:20
JA: So, so, I did that
5:24
EG: [laugh]
5:25
JA: It was a party for 50. Prime rib dinner. Catered by, get this, the Terra restaurant.
5:32
EG: wow
5:32
area.
JA: Where I worked when I worked when I was 16, in the back, in the salad and dessert
5:38
EG: Right
5:38
JA: So I thought, oh, they must cater my event
5:42
EG: Right.
5:43
JA: I shall have my event right next to where I lived practically
5:48
EG: Right
5:48 JA: Um. We had a 6 pieced band in the ball room area. And the dinner, and it was all
videotaped at the time
5:58
EG: Yeah
5:59
JA: So that was a really grand event. I had a ball gown and the whole thing so.
6:05
EG: Right? You did this in style
6:07
JA: Yeah. So
6:07
EG: And this is your life moment with the Keewatin and Terra and
6:08
JA: [laugh] yeah. It was really perfect.
6:13
EG: All this history. Yeah.
�6:14 JA: So, little did I know 24 years later I would get married. But, at the time, I thought
I’m going to do this and do it right, so. I’ve actually had two receptions in my life, so that was
fun. Ok. I think that is kind of the area, um
6:32 EG: Let me, let me ask you a little bit. Do you remember when the Keewatin arrived? Is
that a memorable.
6:38 JA: That was 1964, 5, or 6. Very soon after we moved in. I think we moved in first and
then, and then the Keewatin came along
6:52 EG: What was the reactions to people, or your reaction to that then when this ship, you
know lake, lake steamer just arrives in town?
6:57 JA: Oh, I mean you can imagine. Yeah. Well, we, for sure, had to have a tour and had
more than 1, 2, 3, tours because it was a very special landmark, of course, for the Saugatuck,
Douglas area
7:13
EG: Yeah. Yeah.
7:14 JA: Huge and really kind of a loss. Kind of a piece of Saugatuck, Douglas missing now,
because it had been here for so long. I think just recently in the last, maybe five years
7:21
EG: Right. Yeah. A number of decades.
7:28
JA: It was, uh, removed
7:28
EG: I think it was, yeah. Within that time frame.
7:31
JA: Yeah. It’s been significant to the area and to me, for sure in particular
7:37
EG: Right. So changing, changing eras
7:41
JA: Yeah. Definitely
7:42
EG: yeah.
7:44 JA: So, um, otherwise, I would, I tried to think of some of my earliest memories of, and
trying to keep it focused on summer.
7:52 EG: Yeah. And we can, we can talk about other things as they come as well. So that’s
fine, but, uh
7:58
JA: ok, um,
7:59 EG: Did you have something else specific, or you could talk about school. Did you go to
the Douglas school?
�8:06 JA: Oh, Douglas Elementary School. Of course, yeah. Um, some of my classmates went
to St. Peter’s, to the Catholic school for a while, and then eventually we all joined up during the
elementary years because the St. Peter’s closed down. And it’s funny St. Peter’s Drive, we lived
on St. Peter’s drive. We lived right next to the school and the church, but I did go to the public
school. So, um, yeah. I don’t know so many memories having to do with Douglas Elementary
School. Um.
8:44
EG: Did you walk to school, or get rides, or bike, or?
8:49 JA: I remember the bus. I did take the bus, but good heavens. I could have taken the bike.
Uh, the biking was, very significant, I think for me and the Saugatuck Douglas area to um, get to
your destination. I never really needed transportation or a car later on because Saugatuck and
Douglas was really bike riding easy distance. So you’d bike ride wherever you needed to go.
Which was really fun. And then thing about biking from Douglas to Saugatuck, you cross the
bridge, there’s kind of swampy land on either side. And I had a bit of a traumatic experience
every time I went from Douglas to Saugatuck sometimes. I would be waving my arms above my
head like this as I’m speeding, speeding like the Wicked Witch of the West on the bike because
there are red winged black birds
9:48
EG: Ok yeah.
9:48 JA: That took up residence, uh particularly on the, what would I say? The west side. And
they would dive bomb my head.
9:56
EG: Sure
9:58 JA: Land on my head. So it was a bit traumatic, and I’m waving my hands above my
head wildly to try and to veer the blackbirds away, so that sticks in my head, of course, because
the, the blackbirds were terrorizing me, so a bit of a downside to biking. But still
10:16 EG: Right, er, passers. I’ve not heard that story, but that’s a great description of passing
the bridge
10:20 JA: [laugh] yeah. So.
10:23 EG: Did, primarily bike in the summer I guess then
10:29 JA: Oh yeah. Absolutely. Biked. Yeah. That’s the way to get around, and it gives you
independence as a kid to
10:38 EG: For sure.
10:39 JA: That was fun. Parents provided me with a five speed. I don’t know if they even have
five speeds anymore, but that was big at the time
�10:50 EG: Definitely. That’s good for these hills, good for the, good for some of these hills
getting around as well.
10:50 JA: Yeah. Around late 60’s [laugh] yeah
10:54 EG: If you go down to the beach, then you can make it there and back. Yeah
10:59 JA: Uh, one other thing, backing up to the Keewatin, I remembered was at one point,
probably pretty early, probably late 60’s they had, they used the life boats off the Keewatin in
life boat races. And my mom was on a crew of one of the life boats, and I believe you even tried
to, or it was requested if you could try to dress in period type costume if I’m not mistaken. I’m
not sure about that.
11:32 EG: I think, I think we have photos that are mentioning it
11:36 JA: Do you? Yes!
11:37 EG: Because I’ve seen those boats, and I’ve wondered what are, what are those? What’s
going on?
11:41 JA: Yeah.
11:42 EG: That must what those are, yeah.
11:44 JA: I wonder if it, if it was for a significant Saugatuck event maybe. I’m not, I’m not sure
if it was
11:50 EG: Yeah. The centennial
11:52 JA: Centennial, or something like that. So, uh, yeah. My mom was in that along with
Carol Frikengust (?) and Frey Whiteman (?), that I remembered. So. Ok. I’m just kind of looking
here to see, um, real young memories, I guess anytime in the summer, um, I took swimming
lessons when I was maybe 5 or 6 so at Goshorn Lake. Pottawattamie Beach. In that area. So.
Um, I don’t know if they do that anymore, but I remember jumping off a dock, and it was sink or
swim basically.
12:40 EG: [laugh]
12:44 JA: Um, after you had your little, you know, floating on the shoreline and head in the
water and all that, so, uh, but Goshorn Lake and Pottawattamie Beach and course near to that the
Dune Scooner (?) rides, taking a Dune Scooner (?) ride. Now those have been around huh, my
whole life probably
13:04 EG: A long time, for sure. Yeah.
13:05 JA: [laugh] yeah. So all in that area is a big memory to me.
�13:10 EG: Was that something that you did on a regular, like did you do it once a summer basis
or if people came to visit or with friends or tell me a little bit about that experience as you
remember it.
13:20 JA: Yeah. I think, oh. I, I, was really young at the time, but it really made an impression
on me. And, um, the whole mystery surrounding the Singapore. Um, yeah, and a few things
about that area. And just going through the dunes at fast speed and sand, so it was really exciting
and really fun. I don’t know if we did it so much, but I remember it being pretty significant in my
little child
13:50 EG: Yeah
13:50 JA: mind, so
13:53 EG: Yeah. It’s such a strange experience that’s right there.
13:56 JA: yeah
13:57 EG: I mean you wouldn’t know driving through the area that that there’s this lunar
landscape almost. This other worldly place
14:03 JA: Yeah. So really interesting. So. That is a little bit of, oh and also I remember, when I
was very little, like that age too, my dad took me to Funk’s News Stand, on Butler to get a
newspaper and get me a little stretch candy necklace. And so that was a big treat.
14:30 EG: Yeah
14:31 JA: And, um, Funk’s News Stand is no longer there. I recently run into the son of Roscoe
Funk, and I forget the wife’s name. Paula. I’m not sure.
14:43 EG: And that was a regular stop.
14:44 JA: Yeah
14:48 EG: What newspaper? The Holland Sentinel? Or Grand Rapids or
14:52 JA: Yeah. Or even the Commercial Record, um possibly too, but I think it would be, my
dad would read The Sentinel, the Holland Sentinel, or Grand Rapids Press for sure. So, that was
a regular visit.
15:05 EG: You drove over there? From home?
15:08 JA: Yeah. Yup, yeah. So yeah
�15:12 EG: How did you, what was the, one thing that is interesting in our interviews is people,
the kind of separation, or distinct identities between Douglas and Saugatuck.
15:25 JA: Oh yeah
15:26 EG: Which is true somewhat today, but describe a little bit about that. How often did you
go to Saugatuck, uh, what was that? How did you see the differences between those two places
15:38 JA: Yeah. It’s funny, in my organization of thoughts I started putting Saugatuck Douglas
Douglas Saugatuck on, on, um topics that were in my mind. So that’s interesting. I should say
that, um. And, and thinking about classmates, the classmates that lived in Saugatuck vs the
classmates that lived in Douglas, and, um, yeah. That’s kind of a neat thing. Saugatuck was more
flashy and, you know, Douglas was a little bit more subdued and, you know reserved like and,
not fancy. But you know, Saugatuck was the big place where everything happened. And that’s,
that’s what I kind of remember a little bit. We’d go to Saugatuck. It felt almost like I lived in
Douglas, but Saugatuck and Douglas were all one as well. We just went to Saugatuck like it was
our downtown
16:40 EG: Yeah. Was that on a, would you say on a daily basis. On a couple times a week, or
weekly basis.
16:47 JA: Oh, all the time
16:48 EG: Yeah
16:49 JA: Yeah
16:49 EG: Yeah
16:50 JA: It was just like where we lived
16:52 EG: Yeah.
16:52 JA: So yeah. It was pretty neat. Um, I, I have. Let’s see. Some things. Oh. Another
young memory was, of course, boating is so huge in the area, with, uh Kalamazoo Lake, and my
dad had a small boat. It was a motor boat which could be converted if you put the rudder in and
put the mast up and the sail, it could be a sail boat. And we had our little orange life jackets, you
know, they were all little orange life jackets back then. And, um, my mom, my dad, myself, and
my brother. We’d have our little outing around the lake. So that was a special memory too, and
on that side, also Mt. Baldhead of course is big in any Saugatuck and Douglas mind. Uh, going
up the stairs. Running down the other side. Walking back to the area. And we’ve had more than
one family picnic there, with roasting hot dogs and um having a little picnic by the water at the
bottom of Mt. Baldhead’s stairs. So
18:05 EG: yeah.
�18:06 JA: That was fun too. Yeah,
18:12 EG: Ok
18:13 JA: I, leading up to jobs that I had in the summer, because once I hit maybe 13, 14, 15,
16, um, jobs came about. Oh, I’m seeing that you had an elementary school thing. Douglas
Elementary was very close to a little place called the Tasty Freeze. And that was a big
destination of course. And that’s where I found I loved, uh, dipped top cones. Oh baby. That
was, that was a treat. So I don’t want to forget Tasty Freeze.
18:50 EG: That’s great. Did you have a favorite? Did you have a favorite combination that
18:56 JA: Well, I always got the dipped top cone. I thought that was amazing how you could
have milk chocolate
18:58 EG: Milk chocolate
18:59 JA: On your vanilla ice cream
19:02 EG: Yeah.
19:04 JA: That was fun, um, ok. Let me see what else here. I have memories, think. Uh, oh, I
was baptized in the United Methodist Church on Mason and Griffith. So that is a little. It’s still
there. So. I know about that. Um
19:27 EG: What, was church a regular, regular routine regular part of life?
19:30 JA: Oh my gosh. Yes. And we had to have gloves and a little purse, and possibly a hat,
and little shoes, little Mary-Jane, patent leather probably. Oh. The biggest thing. This is not
summer, but in winter time, I had a muff. You know the muff? Where you have a furry little
tunnel where you can warm your hands. That, that was for Sunday, so, yeah. It was, that was
when I was very young 5, 6. That kind of thing. So.
20:06 EG: And regularly went to church. Whole family?
20:08 JA: Yeah. Pretty much. Yeah. We started in the Saugatuck United Methodist Church.
Moved eventually to (?) but up until I was 12, which would have been early 70’s, it was church
every Sunday
20:23 EG: Yeah
20:24 JA: That’s how it was
20:24 EG: Yeah.
�20:25 JA: Not anymore. So then after that it was not so much, so. Um, yeah. Let’s see. I guess I
will go into jobs. Oh wait. There used to be a tennis court in Douglas. I’m kind of jumping all
over
20:50 EG: You talked about that today
20:53 JA: yeah
20:53 EG: That’s all right. There’s no, uh, formula for this. There was the conversation we had
this morning with another person about the tennis courts that were
20:54 JA: Um, oh did you? Yeah. My sister and I were there. Now there’s just a play park
where it used to be I think, but my sister and I would go there and just lob, volley, whatever you
call it, back and forth and that was a fun thing to do in the summer too, is the tennis court.
21:17 EG: Yeah. Tell us a little bit about for the folks listening to this down the line about your
family, so your mom, you mentioned your mom and dad, your sister
21:27 JA: Yup
21:27 EG: Kind of say a little bit about that
21:29 JA: Ok. Uh, I’m the oldest, um, 3 years later was my brother, Dave, and then ten years
later, or seven after my brother was my sister, Laura. And my brother was, um, mentally
handicapped you could say or developmentally challenged, or however you want to word it. So
that was a big impact on our family. My sister, she also went to Douglas Elementary and
Saugatuck High School, and she graduated ten years after I did in 1989, so, yeah. So that’s kind
of the makeup of our family, and a lot of the focus on my brother, which impacted the family
quite a bit too. And he like to escape, run, drive his little car, or walking on foot, and I remember
people in the area guiding him back home again, so. Um, that was kind of what was happening
with us at the time
22:42 EG: yeah. But it, it sounds like a supportive community. Through all that
22:28 JA: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah
22:51 EG: That kind of village culture.
22:52 JA: Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much. I mean, we didn’t have a lot of neighbors at the time, but
yeah, there were some helpful ones there so yeah. So, ok. I think maybe I will just touch on some
jobs I had. My first job, very significant landmark in the area, I worked at Anchor Park. Have
you heard of Anchor Park and the Island Queen?
23:28 EG: Yes.
23:30 JA: I was, that was that was the first of the paddle wheel, paddle wheel boats of the area.
�Um, owned by Dick Hoffman, Dick and Debbie Hoffman and their kids, Tom, Annie, who was
in my class, and Kate. And I was a crew. I think I was the one person crew for the island queen
for pushing off and docking, so that was a big thing, going out into the lake
24:06 EG: Yeah. So you were on the boat.
24:08 JA: Yeah the whole time. I, I would even steer a little, bit so that was fun
24:10 EG: Yeah.
24:12 JA: I thought the world of Dick Hoffman.
24:13 EG: And you were about 14? You said.
24:15 JA: 13 and 14 I did it two years. The second year I had a little lemonade stand on the top
deck. So that was fun [laugh]
24:24 EG: [laugh]
24:25 JA: And I remember, um, there were charter trips where big groups would rent the boat,
and we’d go out to the basin, the area just before the lake, and go out into the channel. And they
would get off the boat and have their parties or whatever, and Mr. Hoffman and I, there were
mosquitoes galore. This was summer time
24:49 EG: yeah
24:50 JA: Beach water.
24:50 EG: It’s a marsh
24:51 JA: We’d hide under his military olive green wool blankets to keep from the mosquitoes.
While everyone else was having a high old time we were trying to take a nap until they would all
come back. So that sticks in
25:05 EG: Oh my goodness
25:07 JA: My mind, um, also with anchor park, they had not only the Island Queen, but they
had mini golf. They had paddle boat rentals. Canoe rentals. I don’t know that they even had
kayaks at the time. That’s probably a newer thing from the sixties
25:21 EG: Yeah. Probably
25:22 JA: Early seventies. They had darts and, um, Debby Hoffman, she was a wild one, and
there was a boat, a large yacht that had a mermaid on the bow, that, they, you know the owners
of this boat, they didn’t care. The mermaid was wide open in all her chest full glory and Debbie
Hoffman didn’t really think that that was appropriate. And she got an idea that we were going to
�take a bucket of red paint, a paint brush, myself and her daughter Kate, in the night with a flash
light. We paddled all out to the mermaid on the front of this yacht and painted a bra on the
mermaid. [laugh] So the mermaid was now acceptable, and we paddled back and Kate still
remembers that. And that was oh, we were very stealthy, and we thought “Oh my gosh, is
anybody going to catch us?” But you know nobody caught us. We got away with it, and the
mermaid had a bra, so all was well with the world
26:40 EG: Was there, that’s an amazing story. Was there, was there any reaction to that? Did
you wake up, this was in the night time? Was there, was there moon light so you could navigate
across the water?
26:51 JA: Well we brought a flashlight. It wasn’t too far away from the park so we just paddled
in the night and did our thing and that’s a memory
27:01 EG: Right. No reaction, no reaction. At the dis, at the discovery of this
27:02 JA: No, not, no. No. Unfortunately, it would have been good because I would have
known we did that, so.
27:09 EG: yeah. Yeah.
27:11 JA: But it was fun. Um, so yeah. That was one of my jobs. That was my first job. And,
uh, learning about
27:20 EG: How, how did you get that job? Was that just through, through your friend?
27:23 JA: Oh, no. I got that job, my mom and dad played volleyball at Saugatuck High School.
I believe it was with Dick and/or Debbie Hoffman. And they must have gotten the word out that
they had a need for the Island Queen and I remember my mom coming home and saying “Jean,
how would you like a little job? I’ve heard that they could use somebody to help with the Island
Queen.” And voila
27:55 EG: Yeah. That was it. That’s how it happened.
27:56 JA: That was it. And that really taught me a love for water, for boats, um, to this day I
love it, so, um, you know, what you’re close to in your childhood. Just goes to show you what a
long lasting impact it has. So, the area, the water, the boats. So yeah. It’s part of me. Yeah. So,
um a little bit about Douglas, speaking of fun little stories, Douglas Beach, we went to Douglas
Beach more than we went to the Oval Beach. Um, living in Douglas in particular, and just
because it’s a little quieter, little more serene and, um, my dad chose Douglas Beach. And if you
go to Douglas Beach there is usually a big rock. Huge rock. Either on the shore or in the water a
little bit depending on the year and, um, the circumstances. But my dad proposed marriage to my
mom on that rock.
29:10 EG: [laugh]
�29:11 JA: So that is very significant too. So I always look at that rock and think about that. And
later down the road I, I had my little swimming suit on and my mom, I think, took a little photo
shoot, and I was on the proposal rock, um, getting pictures that I was there too, and so, that’s fun.
Something like that, that will always stand there. Go to the Douglas Beach, see the rock and
remember that
29:40 EG: Right. Right. Proposal Rock
29:42 JA: Yeah. Yeah.
29:43 EG: That’s a good name for that, that spot
29:44 JA: I don’t know anyone else that did that but, um,
29:48 EG: Yeah. They should.
29:50 JA: Yeah.
29:50 EG: Great idea.
29:51 JA: Um, we didn’t go to the beach in Saugatuck, but when we did, I loved to, or it was
kind of a tradition to walk out to the pier and back from Oval Beach. That was a big thing, um,
and I don’t know if it’s still, um, that way, but when I was younger, childhood time, I didn’t want
to look to my right because there may be nude gentlemen in the dunes that don’t care whether
someone sees them or not. So I remember not wanting to look to my right as I was going north
along the shoreline
30: 35 EG: Right. Yeah.
30:36 JA: To the pier. That was, that was a little significant memory. Because that was already
the gay population kind of staking their claim at the time to that area and doing what they wanted
to do.
30:48 EG: Do- do finding out about that? I mean do you remember being warned about that?
Or was it kind of self-evident when you went out there?
30:56 JA: Yeah
30:56 EG: Were there signs and things and tents and things, right?
30:59 JA: Oh there were bodies
31:02 EG: Yeah. You couldn’t miss it is what you’re saying?
31:02 JA: [laugh]
�31:04 EG: [laugh]
31:08 JA: So then that’s uh, a little memory that stands out
31:10 EG: What was, what was some of the reactions to that among your, among your friends
or family or neighbors? Or what was your recollection of that?
31:18 JA: Yeah. It, it was kind of well known. It was just kind of a given, but I felt a little
embarrassed.
31:25 EG: It wasn’t hostility toward them from other people necessarily
31:30 JA: I guess there might have been some, but I think as a rule we here in Saugatuck and
Douglas—yeah!
31:34 EG: Said live and let live. Yeah
31:38 JA: Why not? That’s one of the great things about this area
31:40 EG: just avert your avert your eyes.
31:41 JA: Yeah! Right! If you don’t like it don’t look
31:41 EG: If you don’t like—there—there’s other beaches you can go to. Yeah.
31:47 JA: [laugh] but or just carry on with your own business. And they’re free to do what they
want to do was kind of the attitude
31:52 EG: Yeah.
31:53 JA: Yeah. It’s good. I like it. I did, as matter of fact, work at the beach house on a
summer. Speaking of going into jobs
32:04 EG: Ok. Yeah.
32:05 JA: So, um, in the concession stand with the hotdogs and the hamburgers and the chips.
32:10 EG: Right.
32:10 JA: and pop and, um, did that, um, I happen to remember that, um, nothing
32:15 EG: Was, was that a fun job?
32:18 JA: It was a fun job. Of course. I mean, you see everybody and all the beach goers, and
that’s a lot of fun
�32:27 EG: Yeah. What were your hours like when you worked out there? Was it part of the
day? The whole day? Sun up to sundown? Late at or
32:34 JA: Oh, um, yeah, it wasn’t extensive hours. It seems like maybe it was 11-4 or
something like that
32:43 EG: Mmhm. Kind of a lunch. Kind of a lunch
32:44 JA: Yeah.
32:45 EG: Crowd. Afternoon snack.
32:46 JA: yeah. So that was kind of fun. And that was the beach house before the current one.
Now we have the nice modern one. This was the old, maybe there are pictures of the old beach
house out there so, yeah. The beach house. That was
33:05 EG: What did you —how many people worked there with you?
33:08 JA: Um, a couple I think. Don Treckingust (?) I remember worked, um, he was just a
class below me. We worked together and, another one. So someone as at the front and someone
was doing the burgers and it was a lot of fun.
33:25 EG: How, how old were you at that point?
33:27 JA: Oh, I think I was around 16, 15, 16, in there. Maybe 15. So, just a teenager
33:35 EG: Yeah. That sounds like a great teenaged job
33:38 JA: [laugh] I know! There were great jobs!
33:42 EG: Good nostalgia for them
33:43 JA: One that was not so great, or a couple of jobs actually. One job, uh, Timberline
Motel, which I think is now the Starlight or something crazy like that. But Timberline Motel was
owned by, um, parents of a classmate of mine. Debbie Clem. Her parents. And I thought I was
going to be a maid at the Timberline Motel with my girlfriend and her family. Well, I found out
very quickly I don’t want to clean bathrooms and make beds during a summer. That is not my
idea of fun. So we crossed that off,
34: 24 EG: [laugh]
34:24 JA: And I think that might have been a week. My duration of maid at Timberline Motel.
[laugh] Also, uh, waitress, when I was about 16 at a place called the Cousin’s Kitchen. Oh my
word. I’m not cut out for top organization and you need pancakes, and you need a muffin, and
you need butter over there, and syrup over there. This was probably a six table restaurant, and it
just blew my 16-year-old mind.
�34:55 EG: Yeah.
34:56 JA: This Cousin’s Kitchen, I think was in the, um, Peder Gallery. In the southern most
section of the Peder Gallery they had a little breakfast lunch place. I should have been able to
handle it but I, j, oh. It’s painful to this day, and I, I have had nightmares of waitressing the
Cousin’s Kitchen restaurant
35:23 EG: Sounds like a humbling experience [laugh]
35:26 JA Yes. No waitressing, but that was another job trial. Um, of a teenager in the
Saugatuck Douglas area. Um, got that, then when I was older, moved out after graduating. I
worked at a little shop called Brigadoon. This was probably 1979, 80. And it was at the height of
preppy-dom. And we specialized in monogramed sweaters. And I think they might even be
coming back now decades later. So yeah. Polo Shirts. You know, um, whales on your pants, um,
patchwork, madris (?), and all that. And we had customers interestingly enough that we would
send products out to Chicago, to St. Louis, to Kansas City, um, just shows you how far reaching
the visitors were that came to Saugatuck, shopped, and wanted things sent out to, back to their
homes. So, that was interesting. Um, also, I worked at Carl Gables as a coat check girl for the old
Crowe during the height of Disco time. So I thought I was born a little too late. I should have
been born a few years earlier because there were all the Disco dresses and Disco suits going
through, and I was missing it. I was a coat check girl, being 18.
37:10 EG: yeah
37:10 JA: I don’t, I couldn’t, I don’t believe I could get into the bar. But I could check coats
37:16 EG: Right
37:17 JA: So yeah. That was another little stint of mine. Coral Gables.
37:23 EG: Yeah. Now was this, was this a summer job? Was this, yeah.
37:26 JA: Oh, summer job, and July?
37:30 EG: Yeah
37:30 JA: Packed. Woo. Coral Gables was the kind of center of everything. Boats
37:37 EG: Even in, even in the late 70’s? I should say even, but in this moment we’re talking
the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. Yeah
37:45 JA: Mm. Oh yeah.
37:47 EG: This was a dis- And Disco
�37:48 JA: Yeah
37:49 EG: Disco. Disco came
37:50 JA: [laugh] can you believe it?
37:51 EG: In, in Saugatuck
37:52 JA: I know
37:53 EG: Yeah
37:54 JA: Hard to believe. It was really fun
37:55 EG: Well, do you have any particular customers or people, or types of people you saw
coming and going in, in those places?
38:04 JA: Oh, well, of course. The few that were especially inebriated, but I don’t know any
names. There weren’t any celebrities
38:11 EG: Oh, you don’t have to name names
38:14 JA: [laugh]
38:14 EG: just, I’m just thinking what, what people wore or or,
38:17 JA: Oh yeah
38:18 EG: Or kind of just the dynamics. The vibe
38:21 JA: Oh. Well, I mean, there were long lines to get in, and it was just, fun. People
watching and seeing what they wear and the music blaring. And you know, visitors all over, and
boats and people coming off their boats, and oh my gosh, it was just, it was the place. You know.
El Forno (?) if you wanted fine dining, Old Crowe downstairs, the Rats kellar (?). So, um, it was
fun to work there.
38:54 EG: It was kind of resort. Studio 54
38:56 JA: [laugh]
38:56 EG: On the Kalamazoo River
38:58 JA: Exactly. Yes. It was a lot of fun. Loved it, so, um, yeah
39:04 EG: Did you just work there the one summer?
�39:06 JA: The one, the one summer
39:08 EG: Yeah.
39:08 JA: Yep. Yup. Um. Oh, another fun thing that people do at that time, in the summer, is
play golf. At the time, at one time we had 3 golf courses. We had the Myro (?) which went with a
motel, which had a huge, larger than life, very memorable, horse on its back two legs. Reared up.
A white horse. I’ll never forget it. That was quite a landmark.
39:35 EG: This was at, this was the Myro Hotel?
39:37 JA: Myro Motel. Yeah
39:40 EG: OK
39:41 JA: At the intersection of the Blue star high way and the 130th or Wiley Road. And there
is, there is still. I think it’s the Dunes Inn.
39:50 EG: Ok. So that same area
39:51 JA: Yeah. Same area. So there was an associated small golf course there, and of course
the west shore, I believe it’s the West Shore golf course. Uh, with the Wick’s family ran that.
And now that’s done and houses are going up and uh, and of course Clear Brook. So. Golfing,
golfing is a big thing, and with friends
40:16 EG: Did you, did you spend time golfing then
40:20 JA: I did, but this was kind later on, but a fun summer activity that people gravitated
back to Saugatuck for, even when I moved from the area to the Holland area um, I’d come back
with my friends to the Saugatuck and Douglas area to hit the golf courses. So that was another
draw to the area. Which was fun. Oh, and another big draw to the area which I’m sad to see go is
Red Barn theater. Did anyone talk about Red Barn Theater?
40:48 EG: A fair amount. Yeah. Yeah, but tell us, tell us some of your experiences there.
40:49 JA: Yeah. That was, that was special. Yeah, in the summer time, uh, seeing a production
there was, was, great, and we had big names coming from Chicago, and maybe New York even,
uh, as guests.
41:04 EG: Yeah
41:05 JA: And seeing the production. And it was like our own Broadway, right here in
Saugatuck Douglas and
41:13 EG: Such a unique setting I understand as well. Describe it, a little bit of that. Of the
experience of going to the theater itself
�41:18 JA: Oh.
41:19 EG: What the theater was like
41:20 JA: Yeah. I mean it wasn’t fancy. Just a barn. But, um, you know, you go in and they
have little tables set up. They’d usually have little drinks, little snacks available, and um, oh, so,
you’d go in and, um, it’s rather rinky dink. Right, but it’s magical because there it is. It’s a stage
and production, and I wonder if I saw Harvey there. I think I may have seen Harvey, as one, but I
have seen probably a handful of productions over my lifetime and that was always very special,
and I’m sorry to see it go. Like, oh, darn. But a really good memory. Um, so, um, but going back
to Saugatuck, um, the women’s club in Saugatuck was, I like, I like dancing. Hence I was by the
Coral Gable’s Old Crowe. I liked dancing. And in the women’s club, the summer of 79 probably
or 80, George and Joanne Gallis (?) who were famous for their dancing, held dance lessons in the
women’s club in Saugatuck, and I, that’s where I first, uh, got exposed to ballroom dancing. And
loved it. Loved them. I think Nicky, their daughter, is still in the area, and um, dancing’s always
kind of been a thing with me and my name is also kind of known as Jean, Jean, the dancing
machine. So that was part of it [laugh]
43:11 EG: [laugh]
43:11 JA: My teen years I loved to dance at the high school and then ballroom dance. And the
dancing at the Coral Gables well, bi-curiously
43:23 EG: Right. You really did. I can understand the context for your comment about the
disco
43:23 JA: yeah... [laugh] yeah. It was like oh
43:32 EG: That, and that moment passed as well
43:34 JA: yeah
43:34 EG: Disco didn’t live, didn’t last long enough
43:38 JA: yeah
43:39 EG: It sounds like.
43:40 JA: Exactly.
43:41 EG: yeah
43:42 JA: Um, also in Saugatuck I remember Lloyd J. Harris Pine company. My dad, every
Christmas, ordered mince pies, which are kind of an unusual pie. Not your standard. And, uh,
always Lloyd J. Harris and of course, now that’s the location for the Center of the Arts. So, um,
�memories about that and having a manufacturing plant right in Saugatuck was kind of like whoa.
Wow. So.
44:14 EG: Did you have any family or friends that worked there?
44:18 JA: Uh, no. Not, not anyone I knew. It seemed like it was more, almost, I’m not sure if
this is right, but my impression of it was that it was more of uh, almost like a migrant or
Hispanic, you know Mexican, kind of population that worked there. Maybe from Fennville area
or something like that. It seemed to me. It didn’t seem to me like very many locals worked there.
44:48 EG: Like friends from high school or recent graduates. Not those people at all
44:52 JA: mm mm. Nobody I really knew or knew of worked there. And so my impression of it
was that people outside of Saugatuck Douglas worked there. So that was interesting. Um. Yeah.
Um, oh, another thing I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned, but there used to be a teen
center that was open in the summer time where the Douglas Library is right now.
45:24 EG: So at the center across the street you mean? Or the
45:28 JA: yeah
45:29 EG: Yeah? Ok.
45:30 JA: Yea. So. Um, we had basketball in there. And just games and, um, Margaret
Longshore was the one that kind of spearheaded that. And I always remember that, and I still see
her at, uh gatherings of friends.
45:45 EG: Yeah. No kidding. What were, what were some of the other things you enjoyed
doing there? Specifically. Hanging out with friends. Meeting with people
45:54 JA: Just kind of hanging out. Yeah. It was a place to call our own. And for teens that’s
that’s kind of a big thing
46:00 EG: Did they have music there? Or TV?
46:02 JA: Oh music. There was dancing. We have a theme here
46:03 EG: Yeah. Ok. There we go [laugh]
46:07 JA: [laugh] So it was funny. It was called The PITS. And that was an acronym. P-I-T-S.
And I cannot for the life of me remember what that stood for, but I’m going to have to ask
Margaret when I see her next
46:23 EG: Yeah. Was that open year round? Or mostly summer?
46:27 JA: No. It was more of a summery thing
�46:30 EG: Yeah. Ok.
46:30 JA: So, and it was like a big gymnasium inside before they turned it into a library so. It
was, it was fun for the kids to hang out. Friends and so, yeah. Ok. Wow. Believe it or not my
gosh, we’re, I think I’m out of time. I
46:52 EG: You must, you had some great material here
46:54 JA: I’m out. yeah.
46:54 EG: For sure.
46:57 JA: Believe it or not I think I hit on, on most of it
46:58 EG: Some uh, some great memories there. Few, a few things kind of tying that together
or coming out of that, some of the things you said, so you had these jobs. You worked at the
beach. You worked at the Coral Gables. On the Island Queen. What was it like growing up here
as someone who lived their whole life in Douglas, and then this kind of influx of people from
other places. What was that, what was the experience like?
47:25 JA: Oh. Yeah. It, it kind of felt like an invasion in the summer time actually. And, you
know the store, which was Taft’s at the time would be bombarded. And grocery items would
disappear because we have an influx of, of purchasing going on and, oh, there’s no parking
which also led the benefits of biking, and um, just a big onset of hustle and bustle uh, in the
summer time. Which has its fun aspects. The bustle and the people and the fun, but also it took
away from, our being local and living there, took away our peace and our calmness of living in
this relatively small village at the time. Um, locale, so it wasn’t always a welcome feeling. It was
“Oh, here they come from Chicago, and Missouri, and Indiana, and Ohio,” and you at Douglas
Beach, uh cars parked and um, people in for the summer, and you just look at all the license
plates and see where everyone’s from. You know, all over. But primarily Indiana, Illinois, Ohio.
Rounding Wisconsin. That kind of thing
48:57 EG: Did, did you have friends? Or did your friends living here have friends, family that
they knew came back on a regular basis? Did you develop friends over, you know, that came
seasonally? Or not so much?
49:08 JA: Oh. Um, gosh. I, what comes to mind is Brigadoon. And I don’t, I think I was only
there one year, but there were familiar faces who were visitors, um, and we catered to them and
knew them by name. Um, and they were not local. A lot of non-locals that, because I worked in
local business, I was friends with them of course. And they were regulars and got to know them a
little bit. Yeah.
49:46 EG: So yeah. So it was part of the excitement, but also brought its own baggage
49:51 JA: Yeah, pluses and minuses really but, like with anything.
�49:57 EG: Do you have any sense of change over your childhood? This is kind of maybe a
difficult thing to understand, because you’re developing see the world differently, but any sense
of change in the community around that? Over the time period
50:10 JA: Oh my gosh.
50:11 EG: As you were growing up?
50:12 JA: Yes. What was sad to see was the unstoppable development going on in the past few
decades as I’ve been away to, and just as I was leaving. Condos, condos, condos, condos,
development and really taking away our quaint, small town, um, feel. With all these condos, that,
to me in my mind, came to outsiders. Not really to locals as much and, so of course that was
disheartening, and of course the struggle over the Dennison property and the Dunes and the
Padnos, I, in-interest in that land and the development. As locals, I think that generally we could
say we like our, our, our peace, and our calm and our small time feel, and we, I feel, resistant to
any invasion of development and, um, it seems like it’s, of course it’s greed for money. It seems
like and we suffer for it. They build and hopefully people will come. And it’s all about money,
um, we suffer because it, losing what we want for ourselves and our environment.
51:44 EG: Yeah. So something you mentioned, you mentioned about the Keewatin and just the
visible landscape right, and just the visible landscape of looking out there. And certainly the
development just looks, to see that the development of those condos and things.
51:56 JA: Oh, yeah.
51:58 EG: It really has changed the visual landscape.
51:59 JA: Oh, big time. Yeah. Unfortunately
52:00 EG: Other, other changes. Just think about, you know as you were talking about Disco in
the late 1970’s and high school and into the 1980’s. Uh, and you mentioned the dunes earlier,
that area of town. What do you remember about the reaction to, uh, LGBT folks in Saugatuck
Douglas? And maybe the dunes specifically which opened right in, right in those years?
52:35 JA: Hm.
52:37 EG: If, if anything. If anything stands out to you.
52:38 JA: Yeah. You know, there the first inkling of that type of thing, way back when, it must
have been early 60’s is probably what others have talked about, I hope, is a place called the Blue
Tempo or something like that
52:57 EG: Yeah
�52:59 JA: I remember that, and that was a little bit of, I don’t know. Would you call it den of
iniquity maybe? Or something going on. I knew that was something, woo, outside of the norm a
little bit out there. Um, unusual things going on. I was very young. In the 60’s
53:17 EG: Right
53:17 JA: I was just a young child, but I remember that place
53:20 EG: Or people talking about it at least
53:21 JA: Yeah.
53:22 EG: Having reactions to that
53:23 JA: Yeah. That, that, that was hmm. And um, so I don’t have a lot of clarity on that
because I was so young when that was happening. That’s my first exposure to something
alternative to your normal, accepted, uh, standard lifestyle going on, so. But I think, I think it
gave me, it opened my mind. That this is ok. Because of Saugatuck Douglas and its acceptance
and that group, um, feeling comfortable in this area. Coming to this area and putting, frankly, a
lot of money in this area. And improving the area. And, uh, embracing the arts. And embracing
class and elegance, and really kind of doing good things for the area I think. So. That’s been a
good thing. Live and let live and they have made a lot of contributions to the area, which I
appreciate.
54: 37 EG: Yeah, yeah for sure. Yeah. I was just interested, thinking about the, the kind of
timing of that. The reaction and being in high school
54:44 JA: Yeah
54:46 EG: And one way or another. But not really
54:49 JA: No
54:49 EG: Not all that remarkable
54:51 JA: Not, not
54:51 EG: Like the beach, it’s kind of like the beach story. Let people do their thing right?
54:55 JA: [laugh] yeah! It’s, it’s a good thing
54:48 EG: Do you remember much of being, just being a teenager, being a high school student.
Were there, yeah, what was that like? What was the culture of high school, Saugatuck High
School like in the 1970’s, late 1970’s?
�55:10 JA: mm. Well, I what really stands out, one big thing is there was the old high school,
and then there was the new high school. And the old high school, I was, um able to go. I was,
um, 7th grade, which it was a 7th, 8th, and up high school, I went to 7th grade in the old high
school. I was the last class to come in and to go there before they, they built the new high school.
So um, I was really glad to have that experience. And there’s still cement steps that were put in
place for the students to go back and forth to that high school yet. So that’s kind of a nice
remnant of what was. Um, and the new high school was 8th through 12th. And that was where I
spent most of the time, and it was very exciting to be in a brand new high school. Very modern,
uh, lots of sports going on. I did track, I, I was a little bit of an outsider. I, I got along with other
groups, but I kind of had a group of outsiders in a way, um, Wendy Strum. Steve Wa, and
myself, and, so, um, I was the MC for the pep rallies. I was actually, strangely enough and
maybe not, the senior class president for my class. So. What do you know? [laugh]
56:53 EG: How is this just coming up now? You should have started right there.
56:54 JA: I know. Yeah
56:57 EG: Yeah
56:59 JA: Yeah, so I, I was, I usually ran the dances at high school. You know. Because I was
Jean, Jean the dancing machine, and the music, and we’d have music in the cafetorium. That was
a new catch phrase at the time. We ate there, we had dances there, we had
57:19 EG: How, how often were those? How often did, every week or?
57:20 JA: Yeah. With the football season, it was at the time and um, pep rallies in the
gymnasium. That was me on the microphone
57:29 EG: Firing up the crowd
57:30 JA: [laugh] Fired up and ready to go. Woo
57:37 EG: All the, all the, all of that.
57:39 JA: Yeah. Making posters. The whole thing
57:42 EG: What, what kind of dances? What kind of music were you all listening to?
57:48 JA: Oh yeah. Well
57:52 EG: Was Disco, was there any tension, was there a disco vs.
57:54 JA: Yeah, vs Rock. You know, we had Boston, and the Cars, and Led Zeppelin, and but
what I liked was Michael Jackson, and I could pretty much cut a good robot in my day, so um,
so, we had a variety. Had to have a variety of music, but I was more of the dancey, discoy,
�because I was trying to get in on that. Because at the time, that was the disco time when I was in
high school. So I’m trying to recreate that on a high school level. The dances
58:34 EG: yeah. Was that successful? Did you have followers?
58:36 JA: Yeah, somewhat. I mean, we had a variety of music. But there were a lot of hard
rock people too, so. Yeah. So there you go
58:50 EG: So high school life. Um, graduated
58:57 JA: Yeah
58:58 EG: Left, left the area
58:59 JA: Senior trip we should say
59:00 EG: Senior trip. Talk about that. Yeah
59:03 JA: Senior trip. That was a summery deal. We went to Daytona Beach, Florida. [laugh]
so
59:07 EG: [laugh]
59:08 JA On a bus, on a school bus with, I don’t know how we had music playing, but we did.
And that’s where I remember the Cars and Boston and that type of music
59:20 EG: So you took a school bus from Saugatuck, Michigan to Daytona, Florida
59:21 JA: Yes. Can you believe it?
59:25 EG: How long did that take?
59:27 JA: Way long. Really long.
59:29 EG: Really, I mean that would by car that would be like 20 plus hours. Days.
59:34 JA: Yeah. So, I don’t know. We were on a budge obviously.
59:39 EG: Clearly
59:39 JA: Yeah. Yeah.
59:40 EG: No air conditioning?
59:41 JA: No. No you know we were
�59:44 EG: This was in, this was in May or June when school got out
59:47 JA: Yeah. Yeah. So, um, at, well, oh boy that was fun. Um, once we were down there on
the beach in our bathing suits, and the, the gift shops, and oh probably a little, you know, less
than ideal behavior happening. Um, I was pretty, pretty goody two shoes you could say, but I
know there was an all, not everyone was.
1:00:18
EG: This is in a, to compare with some earlier time periods we asked people too,
and I’ll ask you, you know what sort of shenanigans were pulled? Did people get into? Maybe
not yourself, but other people that you were high school with? I mean, what was, or didn’t they
much, was there much, was there much issues with, and you don’t have to name any names or
say anything you don’t want to share, but, uh, you know. Parties. Run ins with the law.
1:00:49
JA: [laugh] yeah. Oh no.
1:00:50
EG: Pranks.
1:00:50
JA: I guess I don’t know a whole lot of that because that was, that was not my
circle. I wasn’t a real bad girl. I was kind of a good girl, which, eh, so that doesn’t lend to a
whole lot of exciting, stories, but that’s what I got.
1:01:05
EG: all right. That’s totally fine. Yeah. Um, thinking kind of, you commented on
a little bit on things that since have changed over time that you really valued about the
community. Hopes for, hopes for the future of, of the community; looking ahead
1:01:30
JA: Oh, well, probably just continuing with the thought of, um, guarding against
more development and preserving the quality of the area. And the, um, oh. What, oh, how do I
want to say it. Preserving the good parts, the best things about the area. Not losing that to the
greed and the development that I think probably continually pushes in on the area from someone
trying to make a buck from our wonderful little Saugatuck Douglas area. We want to, we want to
keep it wonderful. And, and the dunes area, and the environment, and preserving that because
that is a real treasure. So yeah. Those are the two biggest things, I think.
1:02:30
EG: yeah. For sure. So, last, last question I like to ask, penultimate question, uh,
we’re doing these interviews so they’ll be saved for a long time. Uh, imagine someone listening
to this 50 plus years from now. That’s a long time. 2068
1:02:48
JA: [gasp] wow.
1:02:48
EG: You know, uh, what would you like them to know about your life and about
the community, as you’ve experienced it?
1:02:58
JA: Hm. Yeah. Well, wow. Yeah. Somebody in the future. What do they need to
know? Well, I, I would hope that it would still be similar. That they, the water would be a big
aspect of it, the, the work of the area, and the inspiration of the area on artists. That’s really, I
hope that is still going on. And that was a big part of it now. Um, and hopefully they can enjoy
�the dunes. And enjoy the water, and still, I’m hoping that the elements that make Saugatuck
Douglas so special are still intact and still able to be enjoyed and treasured. It’s like, oh, I’m
getting, [laugh]
1:03:56
EG: [laugh] It’s powerful, it’s powerful stuff right? The sense of place here is so
strong. I’ve got to ask you one more question to kind of follow up on that. Thinking about art, we
didn’t touch on this at all, but growing up here, all of your experiences, kind of on the
Kalamazoo and in this area, uh, what was your awareness of or any interaction you had with
Oxbow or artists that came here? Uh, yeah
1:04: 24
JA: Well that’s a significant place is Oxbow, and it’s kind of a secret society art
place, art school in a way. I mean, it’s not main stream. I mean, everybody kind of knows about
it. Although they always have a wild representation in the parades for holidays, but, um, yeah.
That’s pretty significant that that was established here in this area. Which accounts for the
inspiration of this area to artists
1:04:57
EG: Yeah, do, do you remember much out of it, I mean what did you notice
growing up. Particularly different states, as someone who grew up here, from childhood through
adolescence and teenaged years. Do you have, do you have early memories of it, or was it just
kind of always mysterious place?
1:05:17
JA: Yeah, memories but also you could drive through it and see some of the
buildings, went through it. I don’t know that I knew anybody that attended there. It seemed like it
was kind of an outsider um thing, that came locally to study there and be a part of Saugatuck in
that way. So, um, but art has been a big part of this area. And here we are, sitting in a room full
of artwork and watching dunes, so it’s kind of perfect, but um, art fairs, art shows. Always a big
part of Saugatuck, and um, artists in the area. I mean, that’s huge. That’s how you, that’s a big
descriptive of Saugatuck. So.
1:06:08
EG: Yeah. Anything, anything else in your notes that’s come up that you want to
share that I haven’t asked you about?
1:06:15
JA: Yeah, well, one thing I mentioned last night, um, that just speaks kind of to
the pride of being from here as a fact, like I said last night, when somebody asks where are you
from, and I say Saugatuck, and they say “oh, wow? You’re from Saugatuck? That’s great. That
must have been wonderful to group up in a place like that,” So the reputation of Saugatuck
wherever I go, and they find out where I’m from, they have a positive, um, impression of
Saugatuck. That it is a wonderful place to be, to visit, and someone at the time said she had
responses of “You actually live there?” Because I think it’s a lot of understanding that this is a
resort town, and we just have visitors come in, but, um, yeah, there are locals. There are native
Saugatuck and Douglas people. And I was born in Douglas Community Hospital. So I am truly
of the area
1:07:31
EG: Legitimate. Exactly legitimate Douglas, Doug, Douglas person
�1:07:36
JA: Yeah, and Dad delivered me actually. Dr. Hayes is my dad. I should mention
that. He was a prominent physician in this little area so
1:07:48
EG: Right, yeah, we didn’t, somehow skipped over that. Family connections. I
can’t believe I didn’t circle back to that.
1:07:49
JA: Well you did ask me. I didn’t mention that so yeah. He set up a practice I
think in 19, 1959, 1960. In that area. In Douglas actually.
1:08:00
EG: Is that, is that how your family came to this community? Was he from here?
1:08:07
JA: No. He wasn’t from here, but he went to Flint for his residency, I believe, and
um, came to explore Michigan and really appreciated the coast line and the water. Considered
Petoskey and maybe a couple others. And settled on Saugatuck Douglas, so.
1:08:30
EG: Where had he gone to school before coming to Flint?
1:08:33
JA: Uh, he was in Ohio. Ohio State. That, that system in, originally born in
Kansas, so completely out of the Michigan area, but his residency took him here and he fell in
love with Michigan, so. And my mom is an RN, and they met at Holland Hospital, and they
settled here and the rest is history. [laugh]
1:09:02
EG: yeah. [laugh] Well this has been a wonderful interview. It was so great
1:09:05
JA: Oh, well thank you, Eric. I appreciate you having me, and your time
1:09:09
EG: That’s great
1:09:09
JA: I appreciate. Thank you
1:09:10
EG: That’s wonderful, well, all right. Thanks so much for, for your time, and, uh,
this concludes the interview.
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
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Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
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1910s-2010s
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Various
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
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Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
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Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
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Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
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image/jpeg
application/pdf
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Text
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English
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2018
Oral History
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DC-07_SD-ArnoldJ-20181004
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Arnold, Jeanmarie Hays
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2018-10-04
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Jeanmarie Hays Arnold (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Description
An account of the resource
Jean Arnold describes growing up Douglas with many memories of various jobs she held as a teenager. She also describes her encounters with the LGBT community in the 70's
Contributor
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Gollannek, Eric (Interviewer)
Subject
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Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Outdoor recreation
Beaches
Sailing
Oral history
Audio recordings
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Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
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Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
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audio/mp3
application/pdf
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eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/015c6310fb69f771716e4cfebfec1b3a.MP3
5de30092c966ab3e3edcab11d105c9f8
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3dbba063ac53c3e26dbec59161701d92.pdf
72892a941b3c61852f5a2ca985a4d895
PDF Text
Text
Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
1
Ken Kutzel: Okay. This is Ken Kutzel, I’m here today with Neil Atherton at the old schoolhouse in Douglas
Michigan on uh, July 27th 2018. This oral history is being collected as a part of the Stories of Summer
Project which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowments for the Humanities
Common Heritage Program. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today, I’m interested to learn
more about your family history and your experiences of summer in the Saugatuck Douglas area. Can you
please tell me your full name and spell it?
Neil Atherton: Good morning, my full name is Neil D Atherton N E I L, D, A T H E R T O N.
KK: And then do you use any accents when spelling your name?
NA: No.
KK: Okay. Alright uh, Neil uh, tell me about where you grew up?
NA: [clears throat] I grew up in Illinois and, in the Milwaukee area and then uh, came to the Saugatuck
area to open up a store in 1982, and had the store Hoopdee Scootee for a number of years and then
closed the store um, Labor Day of 2016.
KK: Okay, and what are some what are some of the most vivid memories you have of um, your time
here?
NA: Uh, the vivid memories are is that we started a a business with not a lot of money and we thought
we would come to this town and do some things that were creative and a little bit different and being
kind of a snug little fishing village way back then, um, we bought a property on Mason Street at 133
Mason from Linda Holmes who was a owner of several properties here and in the real estate business
um, her shop was full of bomb boxes and brass and a lot of nautical goods and we decided that we
wanted to not sell that, and wanted to something a little bit on the crazy way out side. So, we decided
that seeing as we were on a side street that we needed to get attention for someone to come off of
Butler to Mason, so we came up with, or actually my partner Jim Yarro came up with, mannequin legs
which we extended from the second floor of the building and it which became an identification direction
for many people that visited this destination store over the years. Um, from that we opened up the
store, and uh Linda because we did not have a lot of money, uh, gave us 30, 30 cents on the dollar. So
we sold bomb boxes and we sold anchors and we sold a lot of things we didn’t care to sell and then, we
decided to start bringing in some Flamingos, which really didn’t fit in Saugatuck but it created a lot of
verbal conversation. From that, we bought boxes of flamingo feathers, actually turkey feathers from
Philadelphia that were died hot pink, and we used that as an attention getter to put feathers all over our
store. Needless to say, we became very popular and a lot conversation throughout the community
because in the winter months people would pick up the feathers on their boots, walk outside in the in
snow and where you’d go in different places you’d always see pink feathers in the snow banks which
was free advertising and people asked where they were from. That became, became our journey uh,
Hoopdee Scootee was and became a destination store for many many people and our, our, um most
recognized uh, reputation was uh, unique, different, and if we did anything we not only sold a lot of
things, but we sold laughter and laughter became our identity. So, when people would come to town
and say, we have to go to that store it’s the one with the legs, we gotta, it’s just crazy. Come in, the
music’s loud but its fun and we used to have people stand in line to come into our store, we had a
doorman and at one time we were up to 12 employees, um, its was great place for people to buy cards
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
2
and clothing and gifts. We even went into adult gag gifts um, but I would say the, the greatest thing
about Hoopdee Scootee is that we always had product that nobody else had that was creative and
different and that brought people in and exposed them to other things other than anchors and little, uh
nautical town which is great, but we wanted to be a little bit different.
KK: Okay, great. Um, why exactly did you choose Saugatuck?
NA: By accident. Um, we both my partner Jim Yarro and myself lived in Chicago in downtown Chicago
and I was a Vice President of Chicago Display Company and uh, the display company lost a major uh,
account which was my responsibility, Im not going to take responsibility for losing the account but, we
lost an account and I was not affordable to the company and being not only a Vice President there, I was
also asked by the President of the company who I knew on a personal basis, if I would not resign but
consider looking for a different position. So, we walked out and went to the Lake Michigan shores and
sat there and Jim said to me, ‘What do you want to do?’ and I said, ‘You know I’ve always wanted to
open up a gift store’ and I have a good education and uh, some degrees and I said, ‘I don’t know if I can
do that, I think I should be going into the corporate world again’ and he said, ‘Well what would you like
to do? I said, ‘I really would like to do this’ so he says, ‘I know of a town called Saugatuck that’s a resort
town that we could go to’ and we came to Saugatuck, and we found out there was a place called the
Douglas Dunes and we went to the Douglas Dunes and we spent the evening and walked around town
and Linda Holmes showed us her building that was, that we leased with the option to buy and after
being here 1 year, uh, we did buy the building from Linda and Hoopdee Scootee was off and running.
KK: Okay, great. Um, what was your first impression of the area?
NA: Well like anybody else there’s not much not to like here. Um, the ambiance of it, the quaintness of
the town, um, and every small town everybody knows your secret before you do so therefore you got to
be used to that. But other than that, it’s a it’s a destination town for people to enjoy life and this town
certainly has all that to offer.
KK: Good! Can you share any particular memories about living here?
NA: Memories of living here, when we first got here there, we used to um, Marro’s and Linda and some
of us we wanted fireworks and so we took jars and we wrapped them with paper and said ‘Fireworks
Fund’ and we passed them out to everybody in town [clears throat] and some of the people in town
donated more than other and we came up with enough money to have fireworks, better then what they
had in the past. Then we promoted and went on the, the uh Venetian Weekend and got involved with so
many things of people competing with boats and making that a celebration, another reason for people
to come for a good time, um. We were very much involved in the Red Barn and for their 25th anniversary
um, I, with Kyle, uh and Loretta created a birthday party celebration for their 50th anniversary and I
collected some favors from the restaurants and everybody in town and asked if they would donate food,
and prizes and we would have a fundraiser to buy new seats and air conditioning for the Red Barn, and
on the 16th which was February, which was a June 15th we had a big party at the Red Barn the only
problem was is that a lot of people had left and gone home for the weekend and we weren’t sure if we
were going to have a successful event. As a result it was more than successful, people stayed over, we
raised lots of money and the Red Barn benefited by a lot of hard effort from a lot of people.
KK: Great, um, were there any places, restaurants or institutions that uh were kind of special to you?
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
3
NA: Yeah. Marro’s. And I will tell you why, not only was the food good and not only are they friends but I
have friends that have restaurants that I’m not mentioning for no other reason but to answer this
question. Marro’s was next door to us and a lot of people would come to our store and shop and look
for cards and the rest and we were going to do a PA system into this thing to call Lynn and say, you
know call us when their reservation is ready because they’re shopping in the store and I don’t want to
lose the sale. So we worked off of their crowds and as a result, because of Marro’s they really helped
our business to grow.
KK: Yeah, well that’s, kind of when businesses can work together like that…
NA: …True, true, true story.
KK: Yeah, I believe you, I am, listen and remember your store, I spent a lot of money there.
NA: Yeah, that’s why I could close and go to Florida.
KK: Maybe at this point it would be uh, um, I’m going to ask you, would you please tell us the story
about when the Hoopdee Scootee legs were stolen?
[10:26]
NA: Yeah I don’t remember the exact year but I know that I was um, the, the legs were, were very well
known because they always put a smile on people’s faces and when the bus tours would come through
they’d always come back, back to the store and they would take pictures, hang out the window and they
would point to the legs if the Duck Boat was going around and ‘This is a destination of you haven’t been
there’ but the legs became and identification to um, not only promoting our store but kind of for the
town. Um, it’d be a little difficult probably today to do that, we didn’t get permission to put them out
there, back then we didn’t need it and so we just hung these mannequin legs out and there was a time
when, um women’s groups were really offended and against that because they were women’s legs and
they wanted us to put men’s legs out there if we were going to have women’s legs. We had people
picketing in front saying it wasn’t, uh, supposed to be up, that isn’t the rule of the town. So, we had to,
to fight some adversity and not that we won, we were able to keep them up there for all these years.
The legs, um, were stolen, and we weren't even aware of the fact until I was out in front of the store and
some customer walked by and said, where your legs? I said, what do you mean? I looked up and I said,
you know what, I have no idea. So I went in, I talked to Jim and Laura and they said no, and I said, you
know what, I’m, I’m going to call a television station, because these legs are the identification to the
town, and I'm also going to call the police department and let them know that something was stolen.
And in the antrum thing, being a pretty much of a promotion guy and great part of my blood and
thinking, I thought, I don't want to get the police here too soon without the television station being
here. So I waited for the Kalamazoo television station, which is, it's left my name…
KK: Yeah, its channel 17 I think.
NA: Yes, and uh, I called them and told them, they said we'll be right down. So when they got there, I
called the police. They were making the report and I asked the uh, young lady, if she would mind going
up and sitting in the window where the legs were with her legs out and giving the newscast. And we
were, we were lucky enough to get over six minutes on primetime TV at six o'clock, which I could never
even afford to do, and it was a great discussion about the loss of the legs. Well, we offered a, a uh,
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
4
thousand, or I think it was $1500, something. A hoard of money for, for it and it was on the television
quite a bit and it was talked about, it was quite the hub. Well, just so happens that um, one of the
people in town that was uh, uh a regular, um, had swiped the legs as a joke and it got to be a little bit
nervous for him because it started to get to be a big deal and now he didn't want any part of it. So he
took the legs and threw them in the dumpster at Roly Peterson's yacht club at the north end of town.
And when we found that out, um, I decided that I would call the channel to come down and write a
story on them returning and I called the police department, they said, well, you can go and pick them up
and I said I'm not picking these up, I need somebody to go over there, and so they did. And the
policemen department was always good to us, always. They were always there when we needed them
and they were our right hand of security in Saugatuck. And so, um, the guys came over to the store
opened up the trunk, the legs were in the trunk, the, the television station was there, they got a picture
of the legs. I had to back the car up so they get a picture of our name Hoopdee Scootee again and we
were on television again. Then Labor Day weekend, Connie Chung, I believe, had a news thing and
something to the order of concluding it with on a, uh, on a, on a lower, had something to the effect that
with the legs being taken, she used it for part of her commentary. So she said, and on a lighter note to
conclude the Memorial Day weekend, this is not the exact copy, but this is what I remember. Um, a, a
small town in, in Saugatuck, Michigan, one of the stores have mannequin legs that were stolen and it
was just kind of a kinky thing to bring up to, to end the weekend. So we not only got publicity from the
television stations, we've got on national TV. My son in California called and said, geez Dad, I just saw
your, your stuff on television. So that's how we began, it was a great store. It was a store where, um, uh,
if you couldn't get a smile on your face, you were either having a bad day or you were crabby.
[00:15:52]
KK: Okay. You mentioned to me once before, uh, along with that story that the mannequin legs were
somewhat damaged?
NA: Yes.
KK: Okay, so do you want to tell about that please?
NA: Yeah, the, the legs had been damaged and there was, I don't know if it's still existing, but at that
time the only mannequin repair place was in Michigan. So we sent the legs off to them and they
repaired them and then they went back up. Every year she had a different outfit on, some years she was
in gowns and tops. Other years she was in combat boots. It was a visual that you, as a result, people
would come by to see what she had on the following year. Um, great promo, but a great thing for the
city because, uh, at that as well put on smiles, on people's faces, just like the store did.
KK: Okay, thank you. Uh, Neil, uh, did you have any contact with people from Oxbow?
NA: Yes.
KK: Okay, can you talk about that a little bit?
NA: Um, Oxbow, Joyce Petter was one of the first people that I really meant when we came to town and
she had beautiful galleries and she had beautiful um, art, and the more I researched and looked into it, I
found out that Saugatuck is really a well-known and, um, superior, art town with many galleries and lots
of creative input. Um, I lived in Milwaukee and I was at one time there, one of the chairs for the
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
5
Milwaukee Arts Festival. So I had had a, had a background um, in the arts and fundraising and the rest
and um, pursued a number of different ways to promote art in the area. Um, attended the Oxbow
celebrations, where, um, local artists and students were able to put their art on for sale and the local
people and others who came, we'd buy it as a fundraiser.
KK: Okay, great. Um, let's see uh, and this is going to be LGBT related because this is part of what we're
doing uh, with the summer thing.
NA: Okay.
KK: Uh, well let's see well, well we talked about your first impressions of the area. Uh, were you aware
when you moved here that the Saugatuck area was somewhat welcoming of the LGBT community at a
time when other places we're not?
NA: Absolutely.
KK: Or, was it really at that time?
NA: It was.
KK: Okay.
NA: And we knew of, of that and um, being a gay man with a partner, uh, I will not say I moved here
because of the gay community, but it's certainly made our life a lot easier because um, of the fact that
we were a gay couple. We had some problems in the beginning with those that either didn't understand
or didn't want to understand and that was okay because, um, when you're a straight person in life and
you don't choose to be gay, but you face the reality that you are, you then become a minority. And it's
real tough when you like who you are and now you're a minority and then what you have to do is you
get past all that. Well this town created that, where you didn't feel like a minority here. You were, you
were a part of the community. We had people coming in from all, they drop off flowers, they’d bring in
fish. It was like owning a student union and we had one lady uh, in town that had a difficult time with us
being here. And uh, her name was Gladys Column and she owned stores, or she was an elderly lady, very
nice, and she was next door. And whenever there were cigarette butts on the street or things that
weren't right, she would come over and yell in our door and throw the cigarette butts in because we
were a gay couple and she didn't want us to live there and say, oh, Gladys, now you need to take your
medication, and we were always there to help her even though she was angry. So, um, Saugatuck is a
town for everybody. Um, but it's a great place for, um, gay couples to be welcomed in to this city as
today they are in most anywhere in the United States.
[00:20:21]
KK: Okay. What made uh, Saugatuck Douglas different from the other lakeshore communities?
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
6
NA: [Pause] It was small. Um, had really good history. Um, had great feelings when you were here
because you had probably the number one beach in the whole United States. We've won lots of awards
for that. Um, and the comfortability of meeting other gay people at that time, which wasn't as always so
easy in other places. So, um, yeah, I would say that's the reason.
KK: Great, uh, what were the local destinations for the LBGT community? Remember, we're going back,
you know.
NA: What were the local?
KK: Yeah the destinations, where did they hangout?
NA: Um, Douglas Dunes. It was the, it was the largest gay resort in the Midwest. Um, it was clean. It was
classy. Uh, it, it represented the gay community and eliminated some of the stigmas of negative because
it was a very positive, um, environment. It was well accepted, not totally, but within this community
because Saugatuck being in the arts and having so much, uh, so many um, artistic, uh, places to go if
they're not art galleries. But of courses you can take and, and creative people. And there's a lot of very
educated, um, men and women that have had major jobs in this country who are very bright, who come
here to live for the luxury of not only the visual of being here, but being in a community where there are
other creative gay people and men with common denominators. I'm not saying this whole town is gay
because it isn't. It's a town for everybody.
KK: Okay, great. Uh, destinations that were uh, you know, LGBT friendly, what was it and where the
advertised is LGBT friendly?
NA: No, not to my knowledge. I mean, you don't have to, I'm a big person on not throwing something in
somebody else's space. As they learn about the people here, then they become comfortable because of
the people.
KK: Great. Thank you. Um, be, um, well, I think you answered this, but I'm going to ask it any way.
Beneath the surface, was Saugatuck Douglas accepting of the LGBT community and why or why not?
NA: It, for myself, very much so.
KK: Okay.
NA: Um, there was one point in my life where I was, uh, I'm going to promote, uh, a weekend and I
learned to do it when we did the parade for 4th of July. And I came up with a theme, Saugatuck makes
me happy. And the idea was that whether you are gay, straight, little, big old or whatever, whatever
makes you happy about Saugatuck dress up and be yourself. And there were some negatives because
they said it was too much of a gay theme. And it became quite a conversation piece in town where some
of the um, locals objected to it and some of the locals were in favor of it. And, um, I remember people
getting up from the Council board and walking out and I thought, you know, what am I doing here? So I
politely backed off because I had only been here for a short time. I didn't want to create any problems
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
7
for the city or for ourselves. And we decided to let it go. Other than that, we never had any, any
confrontation. And as the time has gone on and where we are in 2018, um, there's a major
comfortability factor for anybody to be here, gay or straight or whatever.
KK: Okay, great. You don't have any memory of the blue tempo. You came here after that, didnt you?
NA: Right.
KK: Okay. So that we don't need to go there. And um, how would you describe Saugatuck Douglas to
somebody who's never been here, and I know you've touched on that, so.
NA: Well with the hub and the franchises an America and, and the texting and no one knows what a tree
fort is. Nobody knows what it is to go fishing. Know what it is to take a walk in the woods. You don't
know what it's to be on the beach. And I'm not saying I'm making this as a generalization, but today's
society has changed and Saugatuck has all that and it's a great escape from a lot of things in life, stress
and other things because you can come here and just enjoy life and all the god given things that we are
able to, to uh, appreciate. Um, that's what I think Saugatuck is. I think that's why Saugatuck has been
here for all the years. I think that's why it has survived the rollercoaster ups and downs of our country.
And I know that it will survive just as long as it's been here for generations to come. That is my feeling.
And I think that if you ask people, you would probably get about a 95%. Right.
[00:25:48]
Kk: Okay, uh, in what ways has the area changed over the time that you've been coming here?
NA: Are’s changed in a number of ways. Because you know, people have opinions. And, um, if I were to
uh, say that I came to Saugatuck, um, to, uh, be supported by a small town, um, that would be an unfair
statement because you, you have a base and there are only so many people that can support you and if
you're going to have a successful business, you need support from other parts of the United States, from
Saint Louis, from Detroit, from Chicago, from Indianapolis, from northern Michigan. And that was our
base. That was where we were bringing people in. And in the beginning we had the boat races and we
had a lot of wealthy young, successful people coming to this town and they had dollars to spend. As
time went on, generations changed the boat people weren’t coming. We had um, a time when
motorcycles were big from Harley Davidson. And then there was a big push to bring families. It's a great
family town. But today coming back, I see more families in Saugatuck than I ever have before. I think
that that's great for the city as a retailer, I think its okay, because we need all denominations. Those with
a lot of money to spend those with some money to spend. And those that don't want to spend any
money. But I've seen the curve going towards more of a family directed city than it was when we first
got here, and were in business. That's, that's really true.
KK: And, was Hoopdee Scootee open all year?
NA: No, we were open from April until Christmas.
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
8
KK: Oh, okay.
NA: Um, and our business was strong and struck, was the strongest, um, in the summer months. We
tried the, the winter business season in back in the good old days, um, it was difficult to sell all your
Christmas stuff and have it in the basement for the next year and not have that money returning things.
So we pretty much closed um, in October and had the luxury of going down to Florida where we live and
then come back in the spring and we were open seven days a week. We're open every night until 10
o'clock. And because we had bills, we had people to, to take care of.
KK: Yeah, I'm sure, you said you had a big staff. Um, let's see. Let me see what I have any, well you, you
really covered uh, most of it. I guess one of the questions is, um, what was your impression of law
enforcement in Saugatuck Douglas? And I know you touched that.
NA: Well, law enforcement in Saugatuck Douglas, I, I, I, I was, we had two police departments. The
Saugatuck Police Department was the police department that I was the closest to and I was the closest
to them because I needed their security and support and we really supported them and they were a
bunch of good Joe's and they were good policemen and they followed through and they made us feel
secure. Personally at this particular time I find it, um, not as secure because of the change that was just
made. Um, our manager who lives in Fennville, the policemen have to come from Allegan to come in
and, and secure the people. Well, what is that?
KK: So you're talking about the fact that Saugatuck got rid of its police department.
NA: Yeah.
KK: And is like contracting it out.
NA: Right, I’m against that, I'm against it. I have a building here and I don't think it's for the better of the
city or the people and with the tax base in this city, which is healthy in both cities, it costs a lot of money
to live here, costs a lot of money to own a building, and those dollars should be going and allocated for
our security as well. Not just garbage pickup or someone to take a trip.
[00:30:19]
KK: Okay. Thank you very much for, you know, telling me your feelings. I, I do understand because I live
here too. Uh, who did you socialize with in the summer?
NA: I didn't have any friends. Nobody liked me. No, I'm kidding. [Laughs]
KK: I would find it impossible.
NA: You have to say that. What did we socialize? Actually we socialized with our customers because we
worked all the time.
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
9
KK: That’s what it sounds like.
NA: We had, we, we owned a student union. If you went to college, or in high school, you ever had a
student union where everybody meets? That's what our store was people. People, but they would come
in and they would stay and they'd talk and they'd be there at 10 o'clock. Back then I could pour them a
glass of wine and more wine they had the more they bought. Um, no, that was a joke, but it was true.
Um, but it was, it was a place where we tried to create a social life, but unless you can pay back, if you're
going to accept an invitation, you want to be able to pay back. And we didn't have that opportunity
because we worked seven days a week. So it was, our store was our life.
KK: Yeah. Well, and, and, and I know myself every, any time I’ve gone in there. You were there, so.
NA: Yeah, I was.
KK: Yeah. Uh, what are some of your hopes for the future for yourself?
NA: My hope is for the town to keep growing, that we have a few franchises here which somehow snuck
into this town. I fought hard to eliminate franchise, especially when the McDonald's, I don't have
anything against to Mcdonald's. I have a lot against franchises coming into our town and taking away the
ambiance of what Saugatuck is all about if you want to be out on the highway, you want to be
somewhere else, but let's keep this little fishing village, a, a cute and quaint and as classy as it's always
been. And um, my, my other hope is, is that, uh, people will always come here with the enjoyment of
the experience of being here a short time or long time and come back another time. It's always been
that way. That's been the history. Once you come to Saugatuck, you're going to come back. Yeah. And I
like that for forever.
KK: What do you think are some of the greatest needs currently facing the community?
NA: [Pause] From a retail standpoint? I mean, we've been out of this for a couple of years. I always felt
that there wasn't the coordination or, uh, I think competition builds business, but I never felt that there
were many people that were all working on the same team. Um, if you were in, in, uh, business here and
you were successful, uh, you are the target of trying to get what he had, where he was going, which is
fine. But I, the community was never one where all the retailers other than the associations we were
with, um, really supported each other and said a lot of nice things. It’s all competition. That's fine,
because I'm going to win because that's how I feel.
KK: Yeah.
NA: Um.
KK: Okay.
NA: Yeah.
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
10
KK: No, I understand what you're saying. Uh, remembering that this interview will be saved for a long
time. When uh, when someone listens to this tape 50 or more years from now, what would you most
like them to know about your life and the community right now?
NA: Well, my life is um, spectacular. Um, I could've stayed in the corporate world, but I chose to go into
a more creative world, which was 35 years of my life. I have the good fortune of having a son and a
daughter. And through that I have two grandsons that um, are keeping me and will keep me younger
and thought and mind. So I have that luxury, and now I have the luxury of making an interview and
talking openly and honestly so that someday when my grandkids come to this town, they'll see those
legs hanging, and they'll have seen some information from my son and they could listen to a recording
of their grandfather and say, yeah, that was exactly who he was.
KK: Well, let me, you know, for, for posterity here, let's talk about where are the legs now?
NA: The legs are now here at the school.
KK: Okay.
[00:35:00]
NA: We had, we had um, many options because they were a popular thing and uh, we were going to
donate it to the um, fundraiser for the gay community, which does a lot for, um, a lot of people in this
community that was started by Carl Jennings and Larry Gammon years ago, which we all support and
still do. And there were other organizations for, um, cancer and for a number of things, but we felt that
the best thing would be to have the legs because we were here for such a long time and we were at
destination store. We got letters from different senators complimenting us when we closed the store,
that it was a destination for store for Michigan and that we were complimented on bringing a lot of
people to share, not only Saugatuck, but the other things that Michigan had to offer. So it was a nice
reward.
KK: And uh, by the way. We're really, really pleased to have them here, they are hanging in our stairwell.
NA: In pink!
KK: Yup. And uh, she's got quite an outfit on.
NA: Yeah, and she’s not wet in the rain.
KK: [Laughs] But uh, you know, at the, they still are here for people to come and see.
NA: Right. So when you come to the library, take a look at the legs, there's a wonderful little plaque
down there and we're soon going to have some other information, for you to read.
KK: Okay. Uh, any advice for a young person who may listen to this tape?
�Neil Atherton – Interviewed by Ken Kutzel
July 27th 2018
11
NA: Yeah. Go with your dream. You can, there's nothing you can't do if you want to do it. I, I love money
and I am a materialistic guy and I gave all that up to come here and sell stuff. When my father saw this
store the first time when he came to visit, he loved the town cause the golfer, he was a golfer. So this
was a great town. But he said, what are you doing? You got all this education, you got a store full and
nothing anybody needs, why are you doing this? You got a family to support what you're doing? So go
with your dreams and there's no free lunch, no free lunch. You got to work for it and you've got to work
hard.
KK: Okay. And you know, uh, kind of to finish up, is there anything else that you'd like to share that I
might not have asked you about?
NA: Um, yeah, the good health and wishes of anybody that comes here so they enjoy the day.
KK: Thank you. Uh, Neil, thank you so much for sharing your memories with me. And, uh, this concludes
our interview.
NA: Thanks.
[00:37:46]
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Oral History
A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-AthertonN-20190727
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Atherton, Neil D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018-07-21
Title
A name given to the resource
Neil Atherton (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Description
An account of the resource
Neil Atherton grew up in Illinois near Milwaukee and came to Saugatuck in the early 1980s. He and his partner Jim Yarro operated the gift shop Hoopdee Scootee from 1982 to 2016. In this interview, Atherton reminisces about Hoopdee Scootee, creative advertising, the art community, and being openly gay in a small town.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Kutzel, Ken (Interviewer)
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Gay men
Sexual minorities
Oral history
Audio recordings
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
application/pdf
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/af89307a604771dd609f63d11cae2741.jpg
8014ea627f1c37ab61b041dcf7024d37
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Oxbow-02
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Battles, Bob
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Title
A name given to the resource
Oxbow Summer 1966
Description
An account of the resource
A black and white photo of the theater group, the Oxbows, from Wayne State University. There are ten individuals depicted, all in various costumes. One holds a baby.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of Local History from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center for the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b8db6b0f3dfd26fd42de6c6038493c55.jpg
04d56219ad2b5024676d42fb0f71b9a0
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Oxbow-03
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Battles, Bob
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1966
Title
A name given to the resource
Oxbow Summer 1966, Back
Description
An account of the resource
The back side of "Oxbow Summer 1966." It lists all of the names from right to left of the individuals depicted in the phot and descriptions of them, all written in blue pen. In the bottom right, Oxbow 1966 Summer is written in red pen.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of Local History from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center for the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d81e441dbfe6a32cd6610051d520c7fc.jpg
2e58e04348029ff1957a0752b860993b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Oxbow-04
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Battles, Bob
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2010
Title
A name given to the resource
A Place Called Ox-Bow
Description
An account of the resource
A brochure for the Saugatuck-Douglas Museum 2010 Exhibition, "A Place Called Ox-Bow." The brochure describes the exhibit and also gives the location, admission cost and dates of the exhibition.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of Local History from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center for the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/250e66357647747abdeaa637b9c08594.jpg
1d855ace82e0b11018614e94df8b0ad3
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Oxbow-05
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Battles, Bob
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2010
Title
A name given to the resource
Ox-Bow in '60s Meeting Topic
Description
An account of the resource
A scan of a newspaper article written about the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Societey Tuesday Talk that was put on to provide "[a]n intimate look Ox-Bow during the mid-1960s and '70s."
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file collected by the Kutsche Office of Local History from the Saugatuck Douglas History Center for the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
Language
A language of the resource
eng
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7b8c5fa2cc4246422ca5d24afb46dcee.jpg
ef66e0fa5091701f353bb46c96fff985
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0001
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1910
Title
A name given to the resource
Fishing on the Pier, Saugatuck, Mich. Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Front of the postcard of individuals fishing on the pier in Saugatuck, Michigan
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Outdoor recreation
Fishing
Postcards
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55360568c67d3f5d5ad194c6b4fcd073.jpg
07affda57dd2fd88cbbed7e9c640c44b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0002
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1910
Title
A name given to the resource
Between Bridges, Saugatuck Mich. Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Front of the Between Bridges postcard depicting a road with trees on either side, circa 1910
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Postcards
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5ef816e24c3fcd4b09301375d9be8b6b.jpg
ccea475e1763be55935d3cd11aa68653
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0003
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1910
Title
A name given to the resource
Old Pets, Douglas Mich. Postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Two children are sitting in a horse-drawn carriage infront of a house, circa 1910
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Postcards
Carriages & coaches
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bcfeedf9b7007930bae63d48ef9eb97a.jpg
a493f689d660503db77e8f23401dbd6c
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0004
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920
Title
A name given to the resource
Hotel Butler, Saugatuck, Mich. postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Postcard of Hotel Butler, a young women can be seen sitting on the front porchcirca 1920
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Postcards
Hotels
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c74d856793778d9a346cf61ea459d199.jpg
f2d16917ca9857af117d697979c2aa33
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0005
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920
Title
A name given to the resource
"Summer School of Painting," Old Harbor, Saugatuck, Mich. postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Scenic view painting of the beach, with forest and a house in the distance, circa 1920
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Postcards
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c6ac358ab1c4aea3fc916abbdfe0ef4c.jpg
5c865b70a29f7a113854d0cf8c74c9da
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History
Description
An account of the resource
Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1910s-2010s
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Various
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Allegan County (Mich.)
Beaches
Sand dunes
Outdoor recreation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Saugatuck-Douglas History Center
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
DC-07_SD-Brigham-D_0006
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Brigham, D.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1920
Title
A name given to the resource
Lake Shore Drive, Saugatuck, Mich. postcard
Description
An account of the resource
Postcard of a scenic road in the midst of forest, circa 1920
Subject
The topic of the resource
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Postcards
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Digital file contributed by D. Brigham as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Relation
A related resource
Stories of Summer (project)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a>
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
image/jpeg