REPORT OF THE LAKE SHORE SOCIETY. 53 



Manlius and also divided by the Kalamazoo, reaches well into the Pine Plains 

 country, a zone of "light sandy pine barrens " several miles in width, crossing 

 the county and dividing the tine fertile belt of the lake shore from that excel- 

 lent farming section, the eastern portion of the county. To the southward 

 of the river, — including the south part of Saugatuck, the southwest pirt of 

 Manlius, the principal part of Ganges, a few sections in the northwest of Clyde, 

 and the entire of Casco (a lake township) lies a district of level, rich country 

 of farming and fruit lands — quite variable in soils, but with little if any waste 



gently sloping to the lake, which it meets with a ledge of the general surface 



from 30 to CO feet above the water line — all in excellent shape for receiving 

 the influence of the lake against early frosts and the extremest severity of the 

 ■winters as shown by the experience of farmers and the thermometer record of 

 the last two cold winters. This tract is 15 miles long with an average of 6 or 

 7 miles width, the eastern border on the plains conforming to the trend of 

 Lake Michigan which recedes in its line to the southward — about 3 sections or 

 9 miles at the "Base Line." 



The greater breadth of Lake Michigan lies opposite this section : with the 

 atmosphere passing over the lake the cold has never exceeded 5° to 7° below 

 ZL^ro on the shore, as evinced in the record of the cold New Year's of lb64, 

 when the storm was from the west. Severer cold has been experienced here, 

 however, though very seldom, as in the winter of '54 and '55, when it reached 

 about 20*^ below zero, and next in '72, 12*^ below, and again this year ('73), 

 20 below zero. In all these cases the cold has been of but a very brief duration, 

 with a slight atmospheric movement from the east, — a reaction induced by the 

 lower temperature of the lake and a severe cold, still night, — the extreme cold 

 occurring at or just before sunrise. All the circumstances naturally attending 

 such cold here prevent any disastrous result to the peach so far. The river 

 Kalamazoo, in sections 9 and 16, Saugatuck, widens into a lake one-half mile 

 by one mile, to which the aborigines gave the name "Kalamazoo." This lake 

 is inland about one-half mile, but about two miles by navigation to the greater 

 lake; it is 22 feet in depth, and with the river below forms a grand capacious 

 harbor. Its entrance not having received its proportionate improvement with 

 other harbors of the east shore, it lost prestige. It is now being considerably 

 improved, however, and with the care bestowed on its sister ports, will scarcely 

 rank second to any. Ttie towns of this port are : 1. Singapore, in section 4, 

 of notoriety in former times as the site of the " Wild Cat" " Singapore Bank," 

 but now is known only as a location of one of the best appointed lumber mills 

 in this country. 2. Saugatuck, a mile above, in the central part of section 9j a 

 village of about 1,500 population, platted as " Kalamazoo" as early as the land 

 came into the market, in 1834; afterwards known as "Newark," and incor- 

 porated as " Saugatuck." 3. Douglas, upon the opposite (south side) of 

 Kalamazoo lake, in the central part of section 16, containing about 700 people. 

 This village was platted in 1861, and incorporated in 1870. During the sum- 

 mer season this harbor has direct communication with Chicago by steamer 

 line. The township of Casco has the port of South Haven, at which place the 

 Saugatuck steamers stop as a convenient outlet for produce. This Haven is 

 situated near the Base Line, the south line of Casco. The C. &. M. L. S, E. R. 

 passes along the eastern border of the more valuable farming section, and affords 

 a prompt shipment of fruit northward to Muskegon and Grand Rapids, as well 

 as to Chicago. Fennville, a station in section 5 of Ciyde, received by far the 

 more shipments, being convenient for the township of Ganges. The more con- 



