|
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Mark your
calendar
●
Wednesday, March 10, Female
Artists of the Saugatuck-Douglas Area, 7:00 PM, Old
School House
As a tribute to Women's History Month, we will be discussing some
women artists who had worked in the Saugatuck area. Included will
be: Olive Williams, Mabel Wheelock, Minnie Harms Neebe, Elsa
Ulbricht, and Christiana Ackermann Hoerman.
ANNUAL PUB PARTY SLATED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 13
The Society's annual "Pub Party" is scheduled for
Saturday, March 13, from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. at Coral Gables
restaurant, 220 Water Street in Saugatuck. Cash bar opens at 6:30,
and dinner begins at 7:30, offering choice of a traditional corned
beef meal or a vegetarian option, with drinks available from a cash
bar throughout the evening.
Pub Party tickets are priced
at $25 per person. Last date to purchase party tickets is
Wednesday, March 10. Phone orders accepting credit card payment can
be placed immediately at (269) 857-5751. Tickets may be purchased
at Uncommon Grounds, 127 Hoffman Street in Saugatuck, or Respite
Cappuccino Court, 48 Center Street in Douglas.
●
Wednesday, April 14, Old School
House Garden Project, 7:00 PM, Old School House
CHARLES J. LORENZ AWARD
Nominations are being accepted for the 2010 Charles J. Lorenz Award
of Achievement. The Award is given to acknowledge distinguished
leadership in service to the Society toward fulfilling the spirit
and mission of the Society, namely, "to provide leadership, enabling
the community to understand its past, and use its history to shape
its future and preserve its quality of life". Click
HERE to download a printable nomination form.
OLD SCHOOL HOUSE RENOVATION RESUMES
The 2010 phase of our Old School House History Center
renovation kicked off in January with installation of light fixtures
in the 2nd Floor rooms and the addition of doors, HVAC ductwork and
thermostats in the Lower Level.
The 2nd Floor is being developed for rental as
professional or commercial office space to provide ongoing income
for History Center operation.
The Lower Level will house the Society's Technical/Archival Center (TAC),
which for years was located in a smaller facility nearby in Douglas'
Dutcher Lodge and now temporarily occupies what will be the
reading/research area of the Old School House main floor. In its new
Lower Level home, the TAC and its volunteer staff will record oral
histories, perform digital conversion and storage services for
archival materials such as historical documents, maps, photographs
and genealogy records, and will operate the delivery system that
allows on-line access to them.
The TAC also will expand technical support to the Historical
Society's Museum, committees, programs, publications and web site,
and become an interactive part of our community's educational
infrastructure. To that end, a point-to-point 10mbps line-of-site
wireless link has been installed between the Old School House and
the Historical Museum located at the foot of Mount Baldhead.
The Society's Old School House project is being funded by grants
plus community and corporate donations, targeting certification as a
LEED ("green") Gold-level renovation. Operating in partnership with
the area's District Library, Public Schools and other area
not-for-profit organizations, the Center is envisioned as a
community resource the where children and adults alike can explore
the area's history, culture, ecology and architecture through
recreational activities, educational programs, special events and
access to a unique archive of local artifacts, photos, records and
newspapers. As such, the Center also is expected to enhance the
area's destination appeal in the growing heritage tourism industry.
A new donation portal is ready for use on the Society's web site at
www.sdhistoricalsociety.org
Carpenters Jim Rosser (left) and Curtis Lyon, from Darpel &
Associates Builders, Inc. in Fennville, install interior doors in
the lower level
HVAC technician Barry Dehaan, from Bremer & Bouman Heating &
Cooling, Inc. in Holland, installs a programmable thermostat in the
lower level.
Electrician Mitch Van Dam, from Haveman Electrical Services in
Holland, installs fluorescent light fixtures in the upper level.
HEINZE'S RESORT, SAUGATUCK
|
 |
 |
|
Heinze's Famous Resort circa 1930 |
Heinze Home in 2009 |
"Heinze's Famous Resort", located at 445 South Maple, was built by
Fred and Lizzie (Palzer) Heinze in the winter of 1911-12. Lizzie was
a daughter of 1857 Saugatuck settler Herbert Palzer and had been
born in Saugatuck in 1865. Fred would pick up clients from Chicago
at the dock in Saugatuck. He would taxi the guests where they wished
during their stay. Elizabeth would cook and do housekeeping, it was
said she did most of the work. Their resort operated for nearly 20
years and closed in the early 1930s when Lizzie's health began to
deteriorate. She died in 1938. Fred spent the remainder of his years
cultivating dahlias at his home on South Maple and died in Chicago
from injuries resulting when he stepped in front of a car in 1951 at
the age of 92.
|
 |
 |
|
Fred Heinze circa 1900 and circa 1950 |
Frederick Anton "Fritz" Heinze was the youngest son of Johann Daniel
and Fredericka (Hoffer) Heinze who emigrated from Eisfeld Germany in
1865. Johann was a master soap maker and the family settled in
Chicago. In 1871 their home burned in the great Chicago fire and
they escaped with what they could carry. After the death of his
first wife, Fred Heinze married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Palzer of
Saugatuck on Aug. 24, 1908 in Chicago. They lived there several
years before moving permanently to Saugatuck. Fred and Elizabeth
rest in the Riverside Cemetery. (info. provided by Ray & Chuck
Foster & Whitney Gulbrandson descendants of Fred’s brother Emil. The
Fosters are shown in the 2009 photo of the home.)
submitted by Chris Yoder
JACOB FOX FAMILY
Jacob Fox rests in a lonely grave in the Douglas Cemetery. He was
born Nov. 12, 1807, in Northampton Co., PA, and died Apr. 7, 1871,
in Douglas. His wife's name was Loretta Schug Fox. In the 1870
census Jacob was listed in Douglas as an invalid, his wife as a
housekeeper, and several other children. Son James, then 24, was
shown as a teamster and the property owner. After Jacob's death, the
family moved to north Florida, where wife Loretta is buried in
Parker, Florida. Thanks to g-g-g-granddaughter Kay Fox for sharing
this family photo taken about 1855, one of the earliest of local
residents.
submitted by Chris Yoder
Standing: Mary Ann Fox, Peter N. Fox, Front row: Boy standing is
Jacob Fox Jr.. Sitting: James P. Fox, Loretta Schug Fox, Jacob Fox
|
WHAT YOU MISSED
February 10, 2010 SDHS Meeting at the OSH
Alice Haight's and Merle Malmquist's sweet Valentine treats plus
Uncommon Grounds coffee greeted Society members and guests who
braved the elements remaining from a school snow day to share their
thoughts and reasons for settling in the Saugatuck-Douglas area.
Of the twenty-six present, only one was born and raised here. Most
from Chicago or St. Louis inherited property and related the
attractions of lake, art, friends and pleasant experiences were
determinations for permanent location. As the microphone passed,
tales were told of sailboat races, Labor Day and other parties,
retreats at the Presbyterian Camp, retirement dreams, art and
dancing lessons and concluded with the 1991 bank robbery, biggest in
the United States that year and in Michigan, ever, money-wise! Jane
Underwood's idea for sharing a walk down memory lane was MOST
successful!
President Harold Thieda and others announced:
●
Hope for full OSH occupancy in May
●
Pub Party March 13 at Coral Gables, $25.00, raffle tickets @$10.00
or 3 for $25.00 for a 10 person cruise
●
Summer volunteers needed for OSH as well as the museum
●
Approval for a memorial plaque at the drinking fountain in the
square, honoring the 50th anniversary of May Heath’s
death
●
Requests for information on Olive Williams, Mabel Wheelock, Minnie
Harms, Christina Herman and other lesser known female artists
WIN A COCKTAIL/DINNER CRUISE FOR TEN
Mahagra
THIS YEARS PUB PARTY RAFFLE
A SUMMER'S COCKTAIL/DINNER CRUISE FOR TEN!
You could be the lucky winner in the SDHS Cocktail/Dinner Cruise
raffle. The afternoon or evening cruise (between Memorial Day and
September 30) on the vintage Chris-Craft Mahagra includes
cocktails and dinner catered by Butch's of Holland. The raffle
drawing will be held at this year's Pub Party at Coral Gables on
Saturday, March 13.
Bonnie Keller generously donated the cruise, which was originally
donated by Matt & Cindy Peterson. All proceeds benefit the
Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society. Rules, restrictions and
scheduling information is available by calling 269 857-5751.
Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25. Here's an idea, join with a group
of friends and buy the tickets as a group!
DON'T MISS OUT!
HERE'S WHERE TO PURCHASE PUB PARTY AND COCKTAIL DINNER CRUISE
TICKETS
Pub Party tickets ($25 each) and Cocktail/Dinner Cruise Raffle
tickets ($10 each or 3 for $25) are available at the following
locations: Note: Last day to purchase Pub Party tickets is
Wednesday, March 10
Uncommon Grounds in Saugatuck
Respite Cappuccino Court in Douglas
At the March 10 monthly SDHS meeting
By phone - 269 857-5751*
By clicking
HERE and then on the "Donate" button* |
* You can pay with a credit card if you purchase tickets by phone or
on-line.
FAMILY HISTORY GROUP
THE GROWING ARCHIVES
2009 has been a busy year in the archives at the SDHS. We have
accessioned more than 190 items that came in 53 separate
collections. Many of the donations/gifts were only one or two items
but one gift had over 60 items in it. The process of accessioning
means that each item needs to be photographed or scanned, cataloged
into the computer data base, paper files made, and the gifts
acknowledged. A very time consuming process. All this while trying
to operate out of the crowded basement of the Dutcher Lodge and now
in temporary digs in the office and middle room at the OSH.
One interesting gift accessioned this year was a handwritten
notebook listing all the Saugatuck High School graduates by the year
they graduated. The notebook was donated by Larry Davis,
Valedictorian of the class of 1958, who told us that it was
originally given to him by May Heath. The notebook has been re-typed
and will soon be available on line through our website.
Sometime this spring we hope to move into new permanent headquarters
in the basement of the Old School House. More volunteers are
desperately needed as there is a back log of donations that need to
be processed. If anyone would like more information about helping
out and seeing what we do in the archives, stop by, we are here most
Monday afternoons or call Mary Voss (616) 396-2013 or Jack Sheridan,
(269) 857-7144. Others working in the archives are: Mary Lyons and
Chris Yoder. submitted by Mary Voss
SDHS 101
Plans for this year's "SDHS 101" sessions are already
in progress, with the first session planned for Saturday, May 1st,
at the Old School House, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Additional programs
will be held on July 31st and September 11th.
The meetings are designed for new members and for former members who
want to learn about the history of our award-winning organization
and the opportunities that it has to offer. This is a wonderful
chance to meet our new members and discover talents that can benefit
the Society. If you have any questions or plan to attend, contact
Nyla Hensley at (269) 857-5704 or by email at
noteablenyla@yahoo.com
SAUGATUCK COUNCIL APPROVES HEATH MEMORIAL
On February 8, 2010, the Saugatuck City Council unanimously approved
a proposal to place a memorial marker to May Francis Heath on the
front of the water fountain in the city square. A dedication
ceremony will be scheduled in August 2010, when members of the Heath
family will be present to participate. Thanks to Ken Carls for help
with the graphic design. Donations toward this memorial may be made
out to "The Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society" marked for "the
May Heath Memorial Fund". "May related" activities will continue
through the golden anniversary of her death next year. We are still
collecting photos of May, of her paintings, and personal
recollections from people who knew her. Contact Chris Yoder,
cyoder@tds.net (269)
857-4327 or Marsha Kontio (616) 566-1239.
MEMORIES OF MAY FRANCIS HEATH - A SERIES
May Francis Heath - Public School Teacher
MAY AND HER SCHOLARS, c1893-5
May Francis Heath was a school teacher in her youth, first teaching
in rural schools, and then the Saugatuck Union School. From the
Lakeshore Commercial (Commercial Record) of the times we see that
May was hired to teach the primary department of the Ganges School
in March 1892, before she had herself received a High School
Diploma. In later years she spoke of the poverty of her family as a
child and perhaps that is why she went to work so early.
She did get her degree as a member of the Saugatuck High School
Class of 1893, giving the Valedictory address, an essay entitled
"Drifting", at the June 2, 1893 Commencement Ceremony. Other members
of her class were: Archie Pierce, Mae Naughtin, Gilbert Pride, Emma
Randall, Ray Nies, and Gertie Shriver (the Salutatorian). May
promptly was hired to teach the intermediate grades at the Saugatuck
Union School, under Principal James Warnock (1851-1899).
The next year, as a staff member, she was on the commencement
program again and presented the "Class History", perhaps a
foreshadowing of her future role as Saugatuck village historian.
submitted by Chris Yoder
|
Click
