2023.10.429

George Hames (1835-1917) was born in Rochester, N. Y. in 1835, moved to Battle Creek with his parents the next year, and was left an orphan there when he was eleven. He came to Saugatuck as a carpenter to help build the Saugatuck House in 1856 and remained here the rest of his life. On Nov. 14, 1859, he married Miss Martha Barnes (1836-1924) and they lived sixty years as man and wife. Shortly after they were married he built the house in which they lived until his death, which is located at 346 Griffith St in Saugatuck. Hames was an expert boat builder and worked in the Saugatuck shipyards as well as those in Green Bay. He also built many homes in Saugatuck, Douglas and at Old Singapore. ​George and Martha had seven children: Allie, the oldest son, was drowned at the pier as a young man; daughter Allie died in childhood; two sons died in infancy; son George lived in Chicago; Mattie married Edward Lewis Dale and moved to Newago, MI; and daughter Ada married Charles Edwin Houtkamp of Milwaukee and later Holland, MI. ​Ada's father-in-law Adrian Houtkamp had been an editor of the Saugatuck Commercial Record. In her history of the Commercial Record, Kit Lane writes: In April of 1882 the paper was sold to Adrian Houtkamp, In 1885 Charles Winslow, a former editor, returned to Michigan and started a newspaper in Douglas called the Weekly Record. Editor Houtkamp was incensed and wrote in the January 1, 1886 issue: "Three years and nine months ago I bought the Lake Shore Commercial. I have owned it longer than any other person. It having been clearly demonstrated in the past two years that there is no possible show for a man with a family -- let him live ever so economical -- to make more than a bare living in the printing business here, the publisher has concluded to shut up shop and go where his labor will pay him." The paper was not published for two weeks, the only issues missed in more than a century of its existence. ​George died Dec. 8, 1917, from the effects of a 15ft fall off a ladder which had occurred two days prior. He experienced a scalp wound from which he did not recover. ​The Hames were charter members of the Congregational church, which was located directly south of their Griffth Street home. When the church was first built and struggled with financing, Mr. Hames was very active in obtaining subscriptions to clear the debt. She remained active in the church until finally giving up their Saugatuck home after the death of her husband. At that time she went to live with her daughter Mattie in Newago. Before her marriage Mattie had been organist for the Congregational church choir. Martha died Dec. 4, 1924, after many years of deteriorating health. Both George and Martha are buried in the Riverside Cemetery. ​The Hames home looks today very much as it did 100 years ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The old photos are from the Hames Collection of the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society. Several years ago, a gentleman from Spring Lake Michigan started to sell a collection of photos he purchased at an estate sale. We identified the family, contacted him, and he allowed us to scan the collection for our digital archives. He also donated some of the originals to the society.

Winthers, Sally

05/26/2026

05/26/2026