Allegan, MI 2003
Updated: 11/09/08
Allegan County Fairgrounds with Good Sam
Allegan is actively promoting its history to visitors with brochures and other advertising. We enjoyed the river walk and walking through town.
Of course, we had to drive over the Second Street Bridge. Erected over the Kalamazoo River in 1886. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Thanks to an effort by Allegan's citizens, the bridge was rescued from demolition and restored in 1983. It is one for the largest surviving examples of a wrought iron and steel double-intersection Pratt through truss bridge.
This was an interesting tour. (Admission by donation)
The jail is one of two museums of the Allegan County Historical Society. The other one is the Pioneer Village at the fairgrounds. It was not open for tours.
This
Queen Anne style building was used as the sheriff's residence and county jail
until 1962 when it was given to the Allegan County Historical Society to be used
as a museum. The rear three floors of the building were the jail. The sheriff and his
family lived in the front part of the building - the part without the bars.
The living accommodations for the prisoners were not very "soft".
The court room furniture was saved an set-up in the basement.
The entire building is a depository of historical items for the Allegan County Historical Society.
All rooms contained period furniture ...
the basement contained a collection of interesting items
not needed or appropriate for the upper floors room displays...
(Our guide demonstrated a hearing aid.)
and many jail cells contained displays, we will show only two ...
A dentist office ... 
A barber shop
Allegan County Fairgrounds with Michigan Good Sam
We had reliable power all weekend.
Our source of electricity was in
a horse's stall in the red building.
The fairgrounds is located in the city of Allegan on a peninsula in the Kalamazoo River. Some campers had 'river view' camp sites. We would have been jealous, but they were a long distance from the activity buildings.
A lot of the RVs at the Samboree could be seen from a bluff overlooking the fairgrounds. We had 332 rigs at the rally -a smaller turnout than usual in spring. The Michigan Good Sam staff always provides a well organized and enjoyable weekend.
