Singapore and the Shifting Sands of Historical Memory
Dr. Eric Gollannek, Executive Director of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center, presented this Tuesday Talk on August 13, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the History Center in Douglas MI.
Description: Singapore now lies buried beneath the sand dunes of the Lake Michigan shoreline at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. New York land speculator Oshea Wilder tounded the town in 1836 and for a time was more successful than neighboring Saugatuck. Singapore rapidly declined for both ecological and financial reasons and was uninhabited by 1878.
The talk explores how we have remembered Singapore and some of the things we have forgotten. It addresses how our sense of place changes over time, based on our experiences and imagination. Dr. Gollannek says we can learn to see changes in physical geography while cultivating a habit of attention to how we imagine places and the stories we tell about them.
Names mentioned include Carl Hoerman, Kit Lane, May Francis Heath, Charles Lorenz, Rawdon Wright Hatch & Edson, James Schmiechen, Otis Johnson, Francis Stockbridge, and Alison Swan. Locations include the Kalamazoo River, Fishtown, Breeze, Shoyna Russia, Saugatuck Village Hall, Astor Hotel, Grand Hotel, and Mackinack Island. Topics include wildcat banks, currency, logging, the Clinton-Kalamazoo Canal, historic markers, Great Chicago Fire, Mackinac Lumber Company, and archaeology.
The mission of the Saugatuck-Douglas History Center (SDHC) - https://www.mySDhistory.org - is to preserve local history and inspire learning to inform and improve our community. We were founded as the S-D Historical Society in 1986. Today, we are a volunteer-run organization 700+ members strong that saves and shares the stories of the greater Saugatuck-Douglas area.
This activity is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. The SDHC also receives support from the Allegan County Community Foundation Legacy Grant program. Most of all, we rely on members for all we do; join us today at https://mysdhistory.org/join/