Early Memories of Saugatuck, Michigan : 1830-1930
Author: Heath, May Francis
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, Mich: 1930

GEORGE P. HEATH

The Heath family are of Scotch descent, who migrated to America very early and made settlement in Vermont and New York. The grandfather, Daniel Heath was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. George P. Heath was born in Nunda Valley, Cayuga Co., N. Y., in Dec. of 1820, the son of James and Susannah Heath and with the family came to Michigan in 1839 settling near Flint; he returned to New York and in 1845 thought to try his fortune again in the west and bought four hundred acres in Allegan county, which was all wilderness and his family being the first to settle in this section, the Legislature set off a portion which then belonged to Allegan township, and it was named Heath township.

The family of James Heath consisted of ten children, the eldest being George Heath, who like his father was a millwright, and built several mills in the country and a grist mill at Breedsville. He with his brother John Heath owned and operated a saw mill and shingle mill at Mill Grove, Allegan Co., in 1860 and one at Bear Creek in 1861, when he sold and in the same year built a grist mill on Rabbit River at Hamilton which was burned and he did not rebuild, but came to Saugatuck and in 1866 built the first grist mill here on the river where is now Phelps Boat property. He built the steamer G. P. Heath in 1871. In 1872, he built another mill at Tannery Creek, Wallinville which he operated three years. In 1875 he tore the Saugatuck mill (four stories high) down and had it laid on the dock ready to load on the Heath to go to Ludington, where he had bought a city block and intended to build a large mill there, but he was taken with typhoid fever and died Dec. 20, 1875. His sons Cal and George rebuilt the mill and operated it until 1879 when it was burned. Mr. Heath was married to Amelia Ross Bigsby in December 1846 and theirs was a very happy marriage and blessed with six children; Clarence (deceased); Florence; George; Mary, (deceased) ; Frances and Doc Anderson.

For forty years the Heath home was what is now “Colonial Inn.” Mrs. Heath's family were also pioneers in Allegan county coming from Alleghany county, N. Y., in 1840, locating at Pine Plains, taking up a preemption of 160 acres. For nearly a year they had no neighbors except a band of Indians who had pitched their camp on the river bank.

Mr. Bigsby had just twenty-five cents in cash after paying for his land and it became a serious problem as to how best to invest that quarter, and finally it went for baking soda for that was a necessity in every household for johnny-cake and pancakes.

Mrs. Heath was bereft of her husband when she was only 46 years of age, but she carried on, a woman of strong will power and great vitality. Soon her older children went out for themselves, but her youngest, Doc Anderson, became her inspiration and she instilled into his growing years the honest endeavor which had guided her life and at an early age he became her partner venturing into many business activities with success and thus early he became prominent in the local business affairs and become a joy to her declining years; she passed away in 1905.

For the past thirty years he has been a prominent realtor and his keen business judgment with local and tourist residents has made him many friends in various activities of life. He believes in young people and is happy to start them in buying a home. He says, “Real Estate is sure.”

His is a friendly, genial personality and his perfect memory makes him a good narrator of "The Good Old Days," as his whole life has been lived in Saugatuck.

He is a life member of Saugatuck Lodge, F. & A. M. and has held many offices of trust both in village and township, as supervisor, treasurer and member of Village council.

He was married to Miss May Francis in 1895 and they are the happy parents of one son Francis Heath and one daughter, Mrs. Gladys Barron.