Glance at the Past

The early roads into the village of Grand Rapids were along Indian trails, and the influence of these trails on the city can still be seen today.

The only institution of its kind in the world, the Michigan Fish Commission's hatchery was located within three miles of Grand Rapids.

The Irish seemed to have followed the direction of the westward movement on the Erie Canal and later the railroads.

The first trade established in the village of Grand Rapids was that of blacksmith, and the carpenters were not far behind.  

Two fine elm trees stood on Bostwick St. At least three feet in diameter, and sixty feet high, their wide tops shaded both sides of the street. The city was ready to cut them down.

More than one town has claimed itself the GOP's birthplace. One of those towns was Grand Rapids, back in 1854.

Several enterprising youngsters, bent on the possession of an automobile, but not having the price of one, contrived a ride in a horseless carriage.

For 19th century women, making a living was fraught with hurdles. Nora Husted found way to support herself and her five children by making face cream in her kitchen from an old family recipe. It grew into a Grand Rapids business that lasted over 50 years.

A small group of nine women were responsible for the construction, in 1893, of the St. Cecilia building, dedicated to the purpose of music.

Jess Elster was a symbol of semi-pro baseball. He came to Grand Rapids in 1904 and played his first season as a catcher the next year. When he died in December of 1950, he had been "Mr. Baseball" of the city for almost 50  years.

The privately owned Grand Rapids Hydraulic Company provided drinking water from creeks and springs to residents from 1848 until the end of the 19th century.

Viva Flaherty attended Central High School, Vassar College, and the University of Michigan before taking a position at the Bissell Settlement House in Grand Rapids in 1903. Several years later she left for New York City to work with newly arriving immigrants. She was always an outspoken champion of the underdog.

Wurzburg's Department store ran large ads in the Grand Rapids Herald and Press announcing the visit of Norwegian Hero of the Arctic and his Siberian sled dogs to Wurzburg's Toyland.

Grand Rapids Romance, produced by Gilligham & Smith Enterprises, owners of the Orpheum Theater, featured local citizens in a suspenseful, romantic story. The newspaper reviews were mixed.

The Hoffman apartments on Ransom NE had many modern conveniences to attract upscale tenants. The seven room suites made for comfortable living close to downtown.

Grand Rapids seems to have had difficulty relinquishing its attachment to the great lakes steamboats, but at the same time it happily accepted the advantages of the railroads. 

A simple attempt to adjust his mother's oil lamp led to a small shoestring business which grew into a company with international agents.

A Grand Rapids businessman, Melvin Church, while visiting Chicago, suggested an innovative solution to an engineer during the construction of the World's Fair that allowed the fair to open on schedule.

The children's map, Land of Make Believe, created by Jaro Hess in the 1930s, captured the imagination of children and their parents as soon as it appeared. While it was just one of his many creations, it is his most well-known work and is still available today.

Alexander Flyn, an accomplished Grand Rapids portrait artist, came to this city in 1918 and stayed until his death in 1963. During that time he was active in the local art community.