Name/Title
The Sheriff of Oxbow presentationEntry/Object ID
2023.18.28Scope and Content
Powerpoint presentation, digital photos, and video recording of a 14 Aug. 2007 SDHS Tuesday Talk by Judy Anthrop and Kay Smalley about Mary K. Bettles titled "The Sheriff of Oxbow."Context
Mary K was a much beloved and much feared Saugatuck free spirit who defended Ox-Bow from trespassers, spoiled her dogs and lived life on her own terms. This 55-minute presentation tells all sides of this legendary Saugatuckian.Collection
1910 Ox-Bow, Development, resistance to, Tuesday Talk, 1960 Gay/LGBTQ+ cultureCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2023.18Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionLocation
* Untyped Location
Digital data in CatalogItRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Old Harbor/Channel piers pre-1906/Ox-Bow Lagoon, Bettles, Mary Katherine 1910-1984, Palmer, Jean (Anderson) 1892-1989, Wise Residence/515 Park/Ferry Store/Heath Shop 1917-1980s?, Smalley, Kay (Norton), Anthrop, Judy (Bowman), Tillstrom, Burr 1917-1985, Deam, Norman Arthur 1932-2022, Deam, Constance "Connie" (Graves) 1933-2019General Notes
Note
Mary K worked at the Ferry Store, the Saugatuck Chamber of Commerce, the Commercial Record and had an ad agency called Holiday Advertising. She was closely associated with the Deam family, the Smalley family, Burr Tillstrom and Ox-Bow. She was involved in a law suit to establish the Ox-Bow lagoon as a private lake.
Her beloved dogs included:
Chloe, a Cocker Spaniel given to Mary K by her partner Jean. Chloe was overfed, had boots and lived 16 years.
George, an adopted stray hound that rode to work at the advertising agency in Mary's convertible. He roamed around town while she worked.
Rex, an aggressive German Shepard that carried a flashlight in his mouth and made entertaining at Mary's cottage difficult.
Greta, a kinder German Shepard prone to barking.Create Date
September 23, 2023Update Date
May 8, 2025
