SINGAPORE, MICHIGAN

NAME: Singapore

COUNTY: Allegan
CLIMATE: snow in winter, hot in summer, cool in spring/autumn

 COMMENTS: just downriver of Saugatuck on the northernmost bend of the Kalamazoo River along Lake Michigan. Buried beneath sand dunes.

REMAINS: 23 buildings and 2 mills beneath sand dunes

Founded in 1836, started out as a single saw mill. First schoolhouse in Michigan was built on Singapore Road in Singapore. First teacher was Elizabeth Peckham. Shortly after the Civil War, Singapore was involved in a bank scandal. Federal banks were required to maintain a minimum amount of currency, and neither Singapore nor Allegan was at that level. Allegan Federal Bank would receive warning from nearby towns that the bank inspector was coming through. They would arrange for all the money from Sinapore Federal Bank would be transfered to Allegan Federal Bank. After the inspection, the banker in Allegan would take the bank inspector out and get him drunk. While he slept it off, they would get a head start on him and take all the money from Allegan to Singapore Federal Bank in time to pass the inspection there. At its peak in the 1870s, had 23 buildings, 2 working saw mills, and about 200 residents. In 1871, its remaining timber was cleared for use in rebuilding after the Great Fire of 1871 in Holland, MI (which occurred at the same time as the Great Fire of 1871 in Chicago, IL). Without the trees to shelter the town from the winds coming in off Lake Michigan, it was soon covered by the sand drifts and is now buried beneath the dunes. Submitted by: Brian Tice