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

STEPHEN A. MORRISON

Among the venerable and respected pioneers of Saugatuck the name of Morrison is conspicuous. S. A. Morrison came in 1835. He was the oldest son of Stephen Morrison and was born in Barre, Vermont, in 1815, and he lived to the age of ninety and resided continuously seventy years in Saugatuck. When he came there was a small settlement of whites, living in cleared spaces in the wilderness, with one room log or hewn — timbered cabins. He was a tanner by trade and the great amount of hemlock bark was what brought him hither. He at once bought out the Johonnet and Crosby tanning interests, built a frame house near the tannery and in the woods for it was thickly wooded all through the county in the thirties. After five years he obtained large tracts of land bordering on the river, and built new tannery building on the river bank between Butler and Griffith streets. The machinery was run by means of the Dutch windmills and he conducted an extensive and successful business for sixty years. He owned much property in the town as Morrison's Addition and Morrison & Densmore's Addition indicate on the village map today.

He was married to Mary E. Peckham in 1840 and of their five children only two lived to grow to womanhood, the other three dying in infancy. Mrs. Julia Francis and Mrs. Jessie Leland (both deceased). In 1857 he built the home on the corner of Culver and Butler streets, now Leland Lodge, where for many years they dispensed the widest hospitality.

Both he and Mrs. Morrison worked hard and lived economical lives, but were always generous to those less fortunate than they and they truly did much to improve the town and were so disappointed when the iron railroad which seemed so certain to make Saugatuck its terminus and at the last was influenced to go through the pine lands and through New Richmond.

Mr. Morrison often said he was glad to see at least the Interurban come, and it may be said that his was an active life full of good works and his name will be revered and remembered.

Mrs. Morrison was in ill health several years and passed away in 1881 and Mr. Morrison greatly missed her companionship in the years which followed.