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…

Paola Doyle was raised in Oak Park and Oakbrook, Illinois and spent her childhood summers in Saugatuck. In this interview, Paola remembers visiting her grandparents' cottage near Mt. Baldhead during the summers as a child, and bringing her own…

Paola Onesto was raised in Chicago. Her family was among the first to buy land and build lakeshore summer cottages in Saugatuck. Her family home was completed in 1921, and Paola recounts generations of family members spending their summers on the…

Phillip "PG" Walter grew up in downtown Saugatuck. This interview covers his memories of childhood, work experiences, and the burning of the Big Pavilion in 1960.

Ray Diffenderfer's grandparents were among the first to own land near Mt. Baldhead, where they built a cottage in the early 1920s. In this article, Ray reminisces about spending summers of his youth at the cottage and swimming at the beach in the…

Raymond Foster spent much of his summers at his grandarents' farm outside Saugatuck, Michigan. His memories include watching many groups of motorcycles enter Saugatuck in the mid- to late-1960s. He also recalls that the geography of the land around…

Ray Foster grew up on a family farm near Douglas, Michigan. In this interivew, Foster remembers the motorcycle gangs driving through town during summer holiday weekends, the rock music festival in 1968, and the Saugatuck Jazz Festival.

Renee Zita was born and raised in Chicago. In this interview, she recounts spending several weeks of every summer in the family cottage on Park Street in Saugatuck. As her own family grew, Renee remembers bringing her own children to the family home…

Oral history interview with John and Wilma Riley. Interviewed by Alan Moul on June 18, 2016 in Hart, Michigan. English language. John Riley was born in Hart, Michigan in 1928, as the grandson of two Canadian immigrants. He grew up on their family…

Bob Lord moved to a historic home in Saugatuck in 1978. In this interview he covers the history of his home, known as "The 1894 House." He details some of his favorite summer activities, and offers some hopes for the future of Saugatuck.

Oral history interview with Jerry Spencer. Interviewed by Walter Urick on June 18, 2016 in Hart, Michigan. English language. Jerry Spencer was born in Hart, Michigan in 1932, as the only child of a farming family in Oceana County. He grew up on a…

The first part of a longer interview, Tom Fosdick discusses early memories about the Saugatuck-Douglas area. He describes his time at the Old Schoolhouse and playing with his friends on the school properties.