Jim and Peggy Boyce on growing up, marriage and family in the '60s

Oral History

Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

Name/Title

Jim and Peggy Boyce on growing up, marriage and family in the '60s

Entry/Object ID

2024.41.004

Scope and Content

Video recording of Margaret "Peggy" Boyce and James Boyce III talking about their Chicago-based fathers both meeting and marrying local girls and attempting to live on self-sustaining farms during the Depression, their childhoods, school days, courting, and making ends meet in Saugatuck in the 1960s. The May 21, 2003 interview, conduced by Judy Mauger, happened at the Boyce family home at 275 North Street in Saugatuck. One of the first questions from Mauger was how the town reacted to "gypsies" that temporarily camped at the bottom of the dune north of Goshorn Lake. Born in Gibson, Jim worked as a "grease monkey" at Dicky Newnham/Ihle's Shell station, for Force's Florist "where township office is now" under John Kluster, and at Montgomery Ward and Goodyear Tire in Holland. He worked with Harold Johnson at Saugatuck Marine (Pier Marina) and in 1961 they purchased swampy land from Frank Sewers to build Saugatuck Yacht Service with investment by Bob Weller and Roger Cruise of Battle Creek. Jim claimed he and Harold drove most of the local piles and seawall then. He shared lively stories of being a police officer during the "hot town" era along with Hilton Brown, Bob Breckenridge, Mort Herbert, Gordon Alderink, Harold Whipple, Joe Dempski, Larry Brooks, Harry Newmham and Justice of the Peace Junkerman. Jim also told stories from his time as Gibson Church and Saugatuck Congregational Church deacon, how to drive from Gibson to Glenn (M11?) before the Blue Star Highway was built, his chemist father's inventions including Gold Dust Scouring Cleanser and relationship to Dorr Felt, meeting Peg while washing dishes at Plummer's Restaurant, his 1928 Model A Roadster pickup truck, tensions between commercial fishermen and pleasure boaters, and observed improvement in river water quality (no strawberries or celery leaves floating by) Peg was born at Saugatuck's first hospital (behind Dr. Walker's office) and lived in the drafty, scrap-wood "Buffalo House" at 526 Butler Street until she was 9 years old. Peg mentioned how once the Morgan Ice Company provided clean, hard ice made from city water, the Canara's Ice House, behind the Twin Gables, when out of business. A former teacher and school board member, Peg shared her knowledge of teacher's salaries and working conditions before and after "Master Contract" unionization and consolidation and her personal memories of Saugatuck school, Superintendent L.H. Waugh and the teaching staff. She recounted the challenges of raising a large family including working at Coral Gables from 6pm to 2am to earn cash and take home leftover roast bones for "Il Forno stew." Peg told how she came to be the 1959 Mrs. Michigan State Fair, how she went back to school to earn an art education degree and teach at West Ottawa High School for 20+ years. Places mentioned include the David Webster family farm on Silver Lake, Saugatuck telephone exchange, Flint's store, Sessions IGA, A+P grocery, the Big Pavilion, Kramer's Feed Mill in Douglas, Jager Orchard, Gibson Church, Gibson School, Green and Howard Pennant Company, and the early days of the Red Barn Theatre under Paul Steward Graham, Events mentioned include the Big Pavilion fire (Jim was on of the first on scene), Thursday night beach parties with the Brittain, Funk, Graves and Viets families and the decimation of the Boyce family farm by the 3 April 1956 tornado The interview concludes with a tour of artwork hanging in the house and a view of Jim's 1928 Model A Roadster.

Collection

Family History, Police, sheriff and law enforcement, Education and schools, Weather, extreme, Artists, Childhood, 1870 Fruit growing, farming, agriculture

Cataloged By

Winthers, Sally

Acquisition

Accession

2024.41

Acquisition Method

Found in Collection

Credit Line

To view this recording, scroll down to the bottom of this entry and click the blue web link. This video was created by Saugatuck-Douglas History Center volunteers or was donated to the Center in a good faith effort to preserve local history. If you feel this content should not be available to the public — or have additional information that will add context to this interview — please contact the SDHC Archives at archives@mysdhistory.org.

Oral History Details

Interviewee

Boyce, Peggy (Webster) 1932-2021, Boyce, James "Jim" III 1930-2008

Interviewer

Mauger, Judith Morris "Judy" 1938-2016

Interview Date

May 21, 2003

Location

Oral History DVD/CDs

AWS/VidArch SSD/DVD originals

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Boyce, Peggy (Webster) 1932-2021, Boyce, James "Jim" III 1930-2008, Robinson, Abbie (Wheeler) 1865-1903, Webster, David C., First Congregational Church Saugatuck, 525 Butler/Heathcote 2nd/First Congregational Parsonage, Kramer, John, Morgan Ice Company, 133 Main/Design Shop/Whipple Sister's House, Ihle's/Newnham's Service Station, Jager Orchards, 142 Butler/Art Glass Alcove/Curious Cove/Green Parrot Cafe/Sorenson Building, Veits, Jessie Della 1885-1978, Force's Florists, Denison, Frank A. 1909-2000, Saugatuck Yacht Service, 880 Holland/Southerner/Elbo Room/Clover's Landing, 220 Water/Coral Gables/Hotel Saugatuck/Columbia Hotel/Leiendecker's Inn, Junkerman, Leslie (?-1965), Graham, Paul Stuart, Wheeler, John 1824-1910, Wheeler, Annie Culpert (Cowan) 1827-1890, Kobernik, Bob, Robinson, Miller 1859-1940, Wilson, Grace (Cobb) 1897-1992, Dempsey, Joseph "Joe", Greene & Howard Company

Web Links and URLs

https://sdhc-collections.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/videos/004-BoycePeggy&Jim-.mp4, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvbaWcM8x9c

General Notes

Note

YouTube summary (generated by AI): Nov 4, 2025 SAUGATUCK Peggy Webster Boyce (1932-2021) and Jim Boyce (1930-2008) were interviewed by Judy Mauger on May 21, 2003 Peggy’s mother was a telephone operator. She met her father, who came from Chicago, at the telephone office. Peggy recalls living on Butler Street, shopping at local stores, and attending the Congregational Church. The conversation covers encounters with gypsies, trips to town for supplies, experiences at the beach, the Morgan Ice Company, the Jager farm, and childhood in the small community of Gibson. Jim's Grandfather, a chemist from Chicago, bought a farm in the early 1900s and moved the family there. He invented a detergent and other products, but never profited from them. The parents met while attending school in Holland, and Mother worked as a waitress at a local restaurant to supplement her teaching salary. Jim recounts dating Peggy in high school and attending the prom at the American Legion Hall. He describes their small graduating class and the school’s limited resources. He also shares memories of their church and the tornado of 1956. In 1961, Harold, Bob, Roger, and Peggy started Saugatuck Yacht Service on swamp land previously used by fishermen. Peggy worked nights at Coral Gables while they built the marina. She became Mrs. Michigan State Fair in 1959 and later pursued a degree in art education, teaching at West Ottawa High School for 20 years. Jim recounts his time on the Christian Education board and his involvement in the early police force. He describes the challenges of controlling crowds at the jazz festival and the lack of proper facilities in the old jail cell. Jim also shares his experience at the 1960 Big Pavilion fire, where he was one of the first responders. The fire started above the theater and spread to a cottage across the river. High school students helped contain the fire by removing burning debris. The conversation also touches on the history of the Red Barn Theater, Peggy’s artistic journey, the evolution of river life, school consolidation, master contracts for teachers, the expansion of educational opportunities, and changing expectations for women. Peggy’s family history starts with ancestors who arrived in Singapore after the Civil War. Her mother married a man who worked for the telephone company and Western Union, and she married Jim, a local police officer. She also talks about the impact of the jazz festival and the challenges faced by the town during that time. The interview also discusses paintings, a violin brought from Ireland in the 1860s, and a 1928 truck, Memorial Day parades, and the excitement of moving into a new house with modern amenities.

Create Date

November 10, 2024

Update Date

November 7, 2025