OTTAWA COUNTY. 335 



To E. A. Treadway, Spring Lake, second premium for a Concord vineyard. 



To C Allen, Spring Lake, first premium for an acre of strawberries. 



In 1873: To J. B. Soule, Fruitport, first premium for an apple orchard for 

 profit. 



To J. B. Soule, Fruitport, first premium for a peach orchard for profit. 



To J. B. Soule, Fruitport, second premium for a peach orchard for profit. 



Li 1874: To J. B. Soule, Fruitport, second premium for a peach orchard 

 for profit. 



To Thomas Petty, Spring Lake, second premium for a peach orchard for 

 profit. 



To J. B. Soule, Spring Lake, first premium for a peach orchard for profit. 



In 1875 : To D. K. Waters, Spring Lake, first premium for a red or yellow 

 raspberry plat. 



Contributions of fruits to the exhibit of the State Pomological Society, at 

 the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, in September and October, 1876, 

 were made from this county by the following persons, viz. : Walter Sinclair, 

 Spring Lake, Baldwin apples ; Hunter Savidge, Spring Lake, grapes ; Thomas 

 Wilde, Berlin, apples. 



The citizens of Spring Lake have cemetery grounds in a beautiful grove of 

 preserved native trees. 



Macatawa park was commenced in the fall of 1881 by a stock company 

 organized at Holland with a capital of 125,000. The company purchased 

 two hundred and forty-eight acres of land, mostly on the south side of Black 

 lake. Macatawa is the Indian name of the lake, meaning black water. 

 The park is bounded on the west by Lake Michigan, and on the north by 

 Black lake and the harbor. 



Improvements were commenced in the spring of 1882 by building a dock, a 

 hotel, sidewalks, etc. The hotel has been enlarged every year since, and 

 many other improvements have been made. There are now twenty-two 

 cottages, with bath-rooms, etc., and more than a mile of sidewalks. Three 

 of the buildings are double cottages. The light-house and the government 

 life-saving station are also upon these grounds. The latter was built in 1885 

 and '6. The land is mostly covered with heavy timber, some of the trees 

 being three and four feet in diameter. 



The purpose is to keep the timber as nearly as practicable in its present 

 condition, removing only what shall become needful to make room for drives 

 and buildings, so that the people may have at least one piece of original tim- 

 ber to be seen and enjoyed. 



Lots are leased for twenty years, and at the end of that time may be re- 

 leased ; or the lots may be reclaimed and the improvements paid for. The 

 object in leasing the lots is to be able to control the sale of intoxicating 

 liquors and other objectionable matters, and provision is made for the forfeit 

 of a lease, as the penalty for the sale or the giving away of a glass of liquor, 

 it being the purpose of the management to avoid the connection of the estab- 

 lishment with any kind of immorality. 



During the past summer (1886) two steamers, each making four trips per 

 day, have been employed between Holland and the park, a distance of six 

 miles, while four others have acted as ferries and in carrying fishing parties. 



The number of visitors the past summer was probably not less than fifty 

 thousand. 



The foregoing is communicated by 0. A. Dutton, the efficient superintend- 



