Outdoor scenes of Saugatuck Postcard Series
Michigan
Saugatuck (Mich)
Douglas (Mich)
Allegan County (Mich)
Dance halls
Kalamazoo River (Mich.)
Golf
Sailing
Douglas (Mich.)
Michigan, Lake
Series of four postcards highlighting the natural beauty found in Saugatuck-Douglas, Michigan. The postcards feature the Big Pavilion on the riverfront, the Saugatuck Country Club, a yacht approaching the Saugatuck harbor, and Lake Shore Drive in Douglas, Michigan. All of the postcards are drawings with saturated and vibrant colors. The pictures are primarily of greenery and areas along the water. Circa 1955.
Curt Teich & Co.
Digital file contributed by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives
Copyright Undetermined
Water scenes of Saugatuck Postcard Series
Beaches
Outdoor recreation
Sand dunes
Automobiles
Bridges
Water skiing
Postcards
Series of four postcards featuring the prominent bodies of water enjoyed in Saugatuck, Michigan. The two postcards located at the top feature Oval Beach overlooking Lake Michigan: one features a crowded beach of sunbathers and the other a crowded parking lot overlooking the beach. The two postcards located at the bottom feature the Kalamazoo River: one highlights the bridge crossing the river over to Douglas, Michigan and the other illustrates people enjoying water sports while water skiing on the Kalamazoo River. Circa 1955.
Tennis courts
Docks
Series of four postcards highlighting some of the prominent recreation spaces in Saugatuck, Michigan. The postcard at the top features tennis courts next to a flower garden, while the two postcards found in the middle feature a dock overlooking the Kalamazoo River and the interior of the Big Pavilion dance hall. Saugatuck's main street is the subject of the postcard located at the bottom of series and it illustrates a quiet intersection in the center of town. Circa 1955.
Interior of a postcard series describing the history of Saugatuck, Michigan. The page features a detailed description of the founding of Saugatuck and the industries which categorize the area such as lumber, shipbuilding, and later tourism, art, and entertainment. Circa 1955.
Big Pavilion and Yachts of Saugatuck Postcard
Boats
Postcard of Saugatuck, Michigan featuring the Big Pavilion dance hall along the waterfront and boats in the harbor. The postcard is brightly colored and appears to be an illustrated backside view, as it features a blank area for a stamp and address. The description at the bottom reads: "Big Pavilion and Yachts." Circa 1955.
Greetings from Saugatuck Postcard Series
Stairs
Aerial views
Series of four postcards celebrating the scenic locations of Saugatuck, Michigan. The postcard at the top reads "Big Pavilion and Yachts, Saugatuck, Mich." featuring the dance hall overlooking the water. The two postcards found in the middle feature Mt. Baldhead with views of the stairs and a bird's eye view of the treetops overlooking the Kalamazoo River. The bottom postcard features a colorful artist's palette and reads "Greetings from Saugatuck Mich." Circa 1955.
Raymond Foster (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Saugatuck (Mich.)
Holland (Mich.)
Allegan County (Mich.)
Music festivals
Motorcycle gangs
Oral history
Audio recordings
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.
Foster, Raymond Edward
Stories of Summer project, Kutsche Office of Local History. Grand Valley State University
In Copyright
Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project)
Jane Underwood (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Jane Underwood's grandparents and father came to Saugatuck during the summertime. They stayed in a hotel in Macatawa before buying property in Saugatuck. In this interview, Jane reflects on her own experiences summering and sailing in the area and then moving to Saugatuck during her retirement.
Underwood, Jane
Dawn Schumann (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Religious camps
Ferries
Gay men
Sexual minorities
Historic preservation
In this interview, Dawn Schumann reflects on the changes in Saugatuck-Douglas from when her parents and grandparents arrived to the area through her time working with the Historical Society.
Schumann, Dawn Schwartz Follett Goshorn
Mark Randal (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Mark Randall grew up in Orland Park, near Chicago, in the 1950s. In this interview, Randall recalls visiting Saugatuck in his youth and living there as an adult.
Randall, Mark
Karen Morgan (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
Karen Morgan moved to the Saugatuck area after she graduated from high school and began waitressing at the new West Point restaurant in the 1960s. In this interview, Karen reminisces about her young adulthood in Saugatuck.
Morgan, Karen
Paola Doyle (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
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 children to Saugatuck during the summers as an adult.
Doyle, Paola
Ray Diffenderfer (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
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 1950s and 1960s.
Diffenderfer, Ray
Neil Atherton (Audio interview and transcript), 2018
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.
Atherton, Neil D.
Young woman standing on a road leading to Lake Michigan
Women
Photograph of a solitary woman standing on a road with Lake Michigan in the distance. The photograph is in black and white and she is holding a purse while wearing her summer attire.
Walsh, Jerri
Digital file contributed by Jerri Walsh as part of the Stories of Summer project.
Photograph of a group of young people gathered next to the Saugatuck sign. They are leaning on a rope fence with bicycles waiting nearby.
Woman standing in front of a white house
Photograph of a solitary woman standing in front of the camera and smiling at the photographer. A white house and trees frame her from the background.
Black and white photograph of a group of five women standing with their arms around one another and smiling at the camera. with houses and trees in the background.
Lake Michigan
Memorial Day
Photograph of a young couple out on a speedboat on Lake Michigan. The young man is driving the boat and turning back smiling while the woman on the right side of the picture is lighting a cigarette. Through the rear-view mirror you can see additonal passengers on the boat. The handwriting on the picture says: "Mem. Day. May '68."
Photograph of a young couple smiling at the camera and wearing sunglasses with their arms around one another. The handwriting on the front of the picture says "Mem. Day, May '68." The handwriting on the back of the photograph says: "Saugatuck Memorial Weekend, May 1966. Colleen + I."
Photograph of a group of five young adults with their arms arround one another and smiling at the camera. They are sitting in the sand on the side of a dune with beachgrass in the background. The handwriting on the top of the photograph says: Mem. Day, May '68.
Crowd watching a man climb a pole on the beach
Tree climbing
Photograph of a beach full of people watching a man climb a wooden pole in the distance.
Photograph of a crowded beach with clusters of people on the sand and exploring the dunes.
Photograph of a crowded beach next to a large dune covered in beachgrass. The handwriting on the photograph mentions it's Memorial Day.