Grand Rapids Historical Society

Pulling a photo from the GRPM archives...This is a photograph of the city pound that was located where the amphitheater is being built. See the complete record for 178045.4278 at www.grpmcollections.org.

JOIN US *TOMORROW* Saturday, June 1st for a presentation given by 🇮🇹IACWM🇺🇸Board Member - JASON MANCUSO - for his presentation ‘The Rise and Fall of Little Italy in Grand Rapids’. Jason will give answers to why Italians emigrated to Grand Rapids, from where in Italy did they come from, why the decline of “Little Italy” neighborhoods in Grand Rapids and other places throughout the US, and many more questions and information about notable people in the IA community.
This presentation is through the West Michigan Geneological Society and is FREE, as well as parking is, to the public. Tap photo (twice) to see more information.
We hope to see you there!

GRHS Banquet and Annual Business Meeting 2024 Grand Rapids Historical Society Banquet and Annual Business Meeting 2024.

Follow the Link to Get Your BANQUET TICKETS ONLINE. Deadline this Thursday, May 2, 2024.

GRHS Banquet and Annual Business Meeting 2024 Grand Rapids Historical Society Banquet and Annual Business Meeting 2024.

Great program last night. Lots of laughs. Thank you Chris Byron and Thomas R. Wilson for a trip back in time looking at advertising. And a big thank you to the Grand Rapids Public Library for hosting us and all the support they give the many history minded groups that meet and present in their facilities. And a… See more

What’s left of the West Side Water Power Canal (1866–1959) levee dock line wall circa 1901.

I have researched the river for decades ... There are plenty of boulders still in the river ... it wasn't scalped as much as you think ... use what's already there. You must also remember the rapids are perched on a limestone shelf nearly 1 mile long.

https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2024/03/push-to-restore-grand-rivers-rapids-isnt-dead-despite-setback.html?fbclid=IwAR0-QcKt2EOGuEhiDH6pgaDJgJGDJHBpNvAmnLl22VaPVxuYo5PIeuz8hdM

Push to restore Grand River’s rapids isn’t dead, despite setback Grand Rapids Whitewater hopes to submit for a permit by this summer, after the project was scaled back following state and federal opposition to creating whitewater rapids in the river.

The program that was given on January 8 2024 by Adam Gross "Sunken Stories of the Grand River and Its Historic Bridges" is now on YouTube. It is on the channel Ferrous Fishing and is title Grand Rapids Historical Society Presentation. A big thank you to Adam for putting it up.

Our February Photo Sleuth selection comes from the Robinson Photo Studio Collection from the Grand Rapids Public Library and is dated February 7, 1970. It is a group portrait of students at an Aquinas College Homecoming Dance.

If anyone in this picture looks familiar please email the Grand Rapids Historical Society at [email protected].

Thursday February 8 at 7pm Library auditorium Sunken Stories of the Grand River and Its Historic Bridges. PLEASE NOTE - there is construction going on in the area of Division and Library which may add time to your travel downtown.

Where is this????? 1922 Grand Rapids area.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections : Artifact : Photograph, Excavation Site [0008811.jpg]

Kent Flying Club - click on the photo to read the description in the record.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

A great photo of a promotion for the passenger service from Grand Rapids to Detroit. https://grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/169799

A great photo of a promotion for the passenger service from Grand Rapids to Detroit.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

https://grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/201703
Check this picture out! Nan Schichtel did a great job researching it.
This is a seldom seen vantage point taken south of Fulton looking north. It is of the construction of the A & P Warehouse which was torn down for the GVSU Seidman School of Business.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

Here is another great airport photo from the GRPM collection. This one taken in 1931. We are in the midst of the Great Depression and during Prohibition just to give some historic perspective. This photo is from The Camera Shop.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

Spirit of South High - dedication ceremony April 6, 1943.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

Sticking to the airport/air travel theme this week, here is a photo of Miss Grand Rapids christening a plane.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

Here is another airport photograph. This one is from 1928. We know that because of the Camera Shop code on the back of the photo.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

Last evening, November 10, Roy Hawkins gave an insiders history of aviation in Kent County. Thank you Roy. Over the next week we are going to share some photos from grpmcollections.org with airplanes/airports/aviation. To fully appreciate this photo you will need to click on it and read the whole description that is in the record. https://grpmcollections.org/Detail/objects/182659

Grand Rapids Public Museum Collections

For those of you planning to come to the Historical Society Program Thursday Nov. 9 at the Public Library be aware that Fulton Street is closed from west of the River to somewhere east of Division. Detour signs are out and lanes are narrowed at Division and Fulton.

Put this on your calendar ! Thursday November 9, 2023 at 7pm at the Ryerson Auditorium of the Grand Rapids Public Library on Library Street....
Gerald R. Ford International Airport - Airport Planning, History, Development, and Environmental Issues
Presented by Roy Hawkins
This presentation will consider those who had the vision to bring aviation to the Grand Rapids / West Michigan area. The speaker will review the history of the many names the airport has had over the years, the major historic milestones, air service, and planning efforts necessary for airfield development. He will also talk about the different types of aircraft and the impact that had on design. He will also talk about the airports previous location and what prompted the "new" location in Cascade Township.

I was looking through some old Grand River Times, the newsletter of the GR Historical Society. and came across an article that resonated with me. It is titled What's In A Name? written about street name changes being proposed in 1929. It refers to an article in the GR Press - Sentimental and historical reasons for not changing the name of Ellsworth av. from Fulton to Bartlett St. to Grandville Ave. were presented to the city commission by officials of the Historical Society of Grand Rapids, who asked the altering of the name be avoided if possible. Miss Carrie Jewell, vice-president of the organization and Samuel H. Ranck, secretary, explained Ellsworth Ave. was named after Henry Leavitt Ellsworth, a nationally known personage who was a resident commissioner among Indian tribes of Arkansas from 1832 to 1836 and the first United States commissioner of patents.
Ellsworth may be recalled by many who remember when his will was contested in 1858 because he predicted land cultivation in the west soon would be accomplished by steam plows and machinery, this being used to allege unsoundness of thought. Henry was thrice married and streets adjacent to Ellsworth av. are named after his wives. His first wife was Nancy Allen Goodrich, the second was Marietta Bartlett and the third Catherine Smith. Williams St. also in the vicinity, was named after a son Henry William, whose brilliance may be judged from the fact that he was counsel for Morse in his patenting of the telegraph and subsequent suits. Henry Sr. bought 72 acres of land in the territory of which Ellsworth Ave. now is a part and a portion of this land now is the site of the Division Ave. school.
Mr. Ranck deems it fitting the city should cherish the memories of this great man for whom the street is named.
NOTE: Ellsworth Ave. still exists. It branches off Granville Ave. / Cesar E. Chavez Way at Bartlett St. and Williams St. is one block north of Bartlett. Goodrich, west of the 131 Expressway, is shown on google maps as running along the south side of the Rapid terminal. It is one south of Bartlett on the east side of 131 and crosses Division on the south side of Catholic Central.
Now You Know.

It is that time of the year when the Society Board members start considering topics for the September 2024-May 2025. We want to know if you have topics you would like covered. And just so you know, we are aware that cemetery tours are always a desired topic. Anything else?

History of the Gerald R. Ford
International Airport
“Preparing the Ground”
Thursday, November 9, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.,
Grand Rapids Public Library, Main Branch
Presented by: Roy Hawkins

Obituary for Mrs. Mary H. Stocking who died in February of 1908...If you have been reading the ledger entries from Billius Stocking you will perhaps find this of interest. And, as a reminder, the Stocking home sat where Stocking School is today at the convergence of Stocking, Seventh and Walker.

Thank you for the great program and incredible hospitality Peg Finklestein and Temple Emanuel. A most informative documentary "Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray". The display of information about the local Jewish community who served in the Civil War is wonderful.

Join us this Thursday, Oct. 12 for our program titled "Jewish Soldiers in Blue and Gray." Peg Finkelstein and Megan Yost have dug through the archives at Temple Emanuel to learn more about their Congregants who had served in the Civil War. Their research led to new discoveries of unknown veterans. Join us for this OFFSITE program at Temple Emanuel!

Program begins at 7pm at Temple Emanuel
1715 Fulton St. (across from Aquinas College).

Another installment of what is in the Billius Stocking Ledger - now a part of the collection at the Grand Rapids Public Library...
Page 6 Froot trees at the west end to count
Stake No 1 Green Rhode Island (Rhode Island Greening)
Stake No 2 Seatunoforther (Seek No Further)
Stake No 3 frifin found
Stake No 4 Black jillifloures
Stake No 5 Punee yellow harvist
Stake No 6 Sweet Brow 2 Stakes
Stake No 7 Harvist 2 stakes
Rows Running N & S commencing at S end
No 1 Raffleges Russet
No 2 Green Seedling
No 3 Spitenbergs (Spitzenburg)

The names in parenthesis are what I believe the apple to be based on the book about Antique Apples photographed by Dianne Carroll Burdick. The orchard was west of where Stocking School is today - at the curve of Stocking Ave. where is becomes Walker Ave. (posted by Gina Bivins)

The Historical Society received a very early ledger (1840s - 1850s) belonging to Billius Stocking. It has been donated to the Grand Rapids Public Library and is now part of their collection. It is #263 in the Small Manuscript Collection. The first 16 pages have been transcribed by a member of the Society's Board and more will be done over time. Contact the Grand Rapids History Center at the Grand Rapids Public Library for information about accessing the ledger. A very interesting transcription follows:
Page 5 Wolf Certificate Given By B Stocking (more information about wolf certificates in Albert Baxter's History of Grand Rapids page 86)
Benjamin Smith October 1842 No 1
Wm W Anderson August 24 1843 No 2
Singuash September 5 1843 No3
Lemuel Smith September 28 1843 No 4
Lemuel Smith October 6 1843 No 5
Lemuel Smith October 7 1843 No 6
Lemuel Smith February 16 1844 No 7
Almon Millerd March 21 1844 No 8
Almon Millerd April 8 1844 No 9 & 10
Lemuel Smith April 13 1844 No 11
Miler Crington April 19 1944 No 12