This information was OCR text scanned from SDHS newsletter supplements. Binders of original paper copies are in the SDHC reference library.

This article inspired James Schmiechen to write the following text for the 2009 Museum exhibit "Summertime" 6. Boating A Sunday Afternoon On the Harbor in the 1940s [PHOTO 1: Saugatuck kids sailing (Buz Heuchen) “The youngsters of Saugatuck, Mich., have the steady eyes and poised ways of those who go down to the sea in ships. Of course, the ship may only be a tiny sailboat and the sea is a lake and a river….” [PHOTO 2: pick one from a collection of boats around the Big Pavilion “…Cape Cod never bred more enthusiastic sailors than those who play along the water fronts of Saugatuck.” [PHOTO 3: George Worthington or in motorboat with Pavilion in background] “The lad who guided us down the three mile channel of the Kalamazoo River seemed dwarfed by the gigantic dance hall on the riverfront, but we never doubted for a moment that he was master.” [PHOTO 4: Venetian festival photo (from archives?) “Supper has to wait in Saugatuck until the sun goes down, for old and young were out in their boats, participating in an unstaged, but most effective Venetian parade.” [PHOTO 5: one or more SYC club photo –with people getting into boats “Beside the harbor where the yachts and sailboats come to rest is the clubhouse of the Saugatuck Yacht Club. In 1933 a group of boys whose principal summer diversion was sailing boats decided that Saugatuck should have a yacht club. This year the club has 93 members….” [PHOTO 6: “Harry Fort, marine engineer and artist of Saugatuck, encouraged the boys by designing and building a model 16 foot sailing boat which he called a “papoose” –which the boys came to build their own, and race. [PHOTO 7: Jackson Park-Saugatuck race photo(s) (archives) Last month, an early club member, George Quick, of Chicago and Saugatuck gave a dinner picnic in honor of yachtsmen completing the 5th annual Jackson Park, Chicago—Saugatuck sailing race. Many Chicago sailors are active in the Saugatuck Yacht Club. The Scene: ​This story is based on the Chicago Tribune article, “Young and Old Enjoy Boating at Saugatuck,” Sunday Edition, August 18, 1940, by Lolita Linn, with photos from the 1940s and 1950s added for this exhibition from the SDHS archive. Local Historic Context: The arrival of the leisure culture by the 1880s, meant new pleasure boating opportunities for “summer
 people.” A variety of vessels, often built in Saugatuck boat yards, were 
offered by local entrepreneurs: steam driven beach “launches” that carried 
customers to Saugatuck’s large Lake Michigan beach house, flat bottom 
river boats provided river excursions, and riverside boat liveries provided
 rental boats for visitors and cottagers. By the 1920s large private 
yachts were part of the local scene and the era of the family
 powerboat had arrived. Then by the 1930s regattas 
were part of the summer action with the coming of the Jackson Park Yacht
 Club’s Chicago-to-Saugatuck Race. Old riverboats were replaced by
 paddle boats, the most popular one was built in 1953 (the 
Island Queen). Marinas were built and the Saugatuck Yacht Club was
 formed in 1934 in order to popularize sailing among all 
ages. Few locally built boats were as present on the waters as the
 Club's small wood racing craft, Papoose and 
Lightning classes. Few mid-century boats caused as much attention as did
 the cruisers, of which the West Michigan built Chris Craft led the boat 
fashion parade. ​