Telegram-herald., 1888-05-13
RE NJ | MISC { n c ES
or GRAND RAPIDS FORTY YEARS AGO
A Pen Picture OF the Town at That Time
and Csntrast With the Present
--Sameshirg Ia Interest
Old sattlera

Old-tims items are alwAvs read with in
tsrest by old-time residents. and . TKLE-
sEAx-HERALD reporter caught q few from .
conversation between DIR. Berry and Dsa-
con Kingsbury, the only survivors OF .
party who arrived here in wagons on the
9TH OF April. lS44.
They were talking of how things looked
when they struck the town at Coldbrook,
and followed the Indian trail down the river
and sut up at the Mansion House, then the
principal tavern" in the town. afterwards
the Rsthbun. There were few other tav-
erns even then--the National. where the
Morton now stands the Grand River Ex-
change. where the Bridge Street House now
Is. aud the Eagie-sll wooden buildings.
There ware only five houses on the west
side OF the river, three frame and two OF
/. logs, opposite the present si,e of the Star
Mills. Thsrc were no bridges. bat the ma
| terial for foot bridge was piled up near
where Bridge-st bridge now is. ready TO be
| put across when the high water went down.
| There was ferry boat running across be-
| low the islands, upon one of which the
| TxLrGKAa-HERALpO office now stands, and
| teams forded the river at this point when
| the water was not too high. The ferry
| landing was up the stream few rods,
| where the foundry now Is. at the foot of
Huron-st- There was q wing dam and a
race. which discharged its waters back into
the East channel at this point The east
| banks and breakwaters were all made of
| logs and stones. There was q grist mill
at Coldbrook, and tanpsry, and q
| few log and frame houses. Where
| Frey's brewery now stands there was brick
| yard, and where Nelson, Matter Il Co.'s fac
| tory now Is there Was a lumber yard aud
l these gave employment TO workingnen as
| fsst as they arrived. There were no build
| ings on the bluff except q school house
| which stood juss about where the fourth
story of the Ledysrd block now is. The
| Baptist people worshiped there. The Epis-
| copalisns occupied frame church on Cres-
| centave. where Julius Berkey now lives,
| and the Catholic church was where the
| Portr block now stands. There was a
1 couff house and jail on the Fuiton-st.
| square, which was burned down In June OF
l the same year. And, by the way, Kent
i County has never had Court House since.
| There was q cemetery CD on the point OF
| the hill, surrounded by picket fence and
all were buried there, but the spot is now
| in as deep oblivion as the occupants of that
| city OF the dead II vas on what was then
4
| ness houses and stores were all frame build
ings and situated on WafeSlOo-st. and a
! portion Of what is now MOnroe-st., then
| nothing bat an Indian trail. II. r. Viii
| lisms was the principal merchant and bust
ness man. he had = general store on Mon
| roe-st-. near the National hotel ownei
the first and cnly steamboat on the river.
owned large property at Grsndvilie
which was then equal in im-
| portsncr, population aad business
| with ColdbroOk ssd Grand Rapids.
| There were four houses on what is nov
1 Canal-st-, snd DR.. Berry built the fifth, or
| Comstock's lumber yard. about where po
| lice hesdquarters are now located RE also
| built the first lime-kiln-up the river above
/ where Bridgs-st. is now-snd they due
| stones from the bank 10 burn, as the vatel
wzs too high to quarry the bed rock lime
/ stons.
When the aspect, as viewed at that time
forty years sgo-is compsred with ths
busy, busting scenes Of today, the towerins
| blocks. magnificent edifces, the lines O
| steam and horse and cable railways, ths
| luxurious private residences. aud the hun
| ming buxzing manufactures employing
| Thousands Of men. and supplying the wants
| OF lie 20 scores OF thousands o. inhabitants
what's contrast To say that the growth
hss been remarkable is a word OF fam
| r,raiss