Singapore speech

Archive

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Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

Name/Title

Singapore speech

Entry/Object ID

2021.41.65

Scope and Content

13-page, typewritten, document presenting the history of Singapore. Author unknown.

Context

Text begins with recounting how the ordinance of 1787 cleared the way for settlement of Michigan, government land sales and mass migration figures, roads and railroads, purchase of Singapore site from Barnes family by Oshea Wilder, the land purchase costs, the construction of the Astor House, arrival of William Butler in 1830, Oshea Wilder's background, the wildcat Singapore bank and the banking environment at that time, the story of fooling the bank examiner, the usefulness of the Singapore currency -- $40 to buy a darning needle, depression of 1837, Levi Loomis refusing to sell his lot of boots for Singapore currency and later having to resort to threats to get paid in good money, the burning of bank currency in 1839, Singapore mill closing in 1844 and sold to James G. Carter, John Wade turned to fruit farming, schooner Milwaukee wreck in 1842, the first steamer to enter Kalamazoo River named Rossiter, owned by Capt. Robinson who had but one arm, Ira C. Chaffee, Capt. Costam and Engineer Dutcher, Carter sold mill to F.B. Stockbridge and Artemus Carter in 1847, Stockbridge bought out Carter in 1850 and built sailing schooners Octavia and Crook, O.R. Johnson mill built in 1856, Chicago fire (also in Holland and Pestigo) and resulting greater lumber production levels until resource exhausted, mill moved to St. Ignace, everyone left Singapore except James Nichols who took up residence in Astor House, moving to top floor in 1892 as sand filled the building, Astor building burned in 1894, Singapore docks burned two years later, by WWI only the picket fence surrounding the cemetery was visible. Text also mentions Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Toledo, Maumee River, Salk Trail, Daniel Webster, Ethan Allen, Washington Irving, Martinus Van Leeuwen, John Bekken, and John Nies.

Collection

Buildings: Lost, Buildings: Commercial

Cataloged By

Winthers, Sally

Acquisition

Accession

2021.41

Source or Donor

Schmiechen, James A.

Acquisition Method

Donation

Dimensions

Height

11 in

Width

8-1/2 in

Location

Box

039 Singapore

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Singapore Bank, Wilder, Oshea, Johnson, O.R. 1815-1895, Stockbridge, Francis Brown 1826-1894, Loomis, Levi 1810-1892, Wade, Jonathan 1808-1868, Ira Chaffee (ship) 1867, Octavia, Milwaukie (ship) 1842

Create Date

September 30, 2025

Update Date

October 1, 2025