Telegram-herald., 1890-05-19
On GRAND RIVER
The Busy Crowded atsrway Of
Long Ago.
TO BE REVIVED AGAIN SOaE DAY
TIE Boats Ahst Piled The Riser ia Years
Soas of sed the Men Gh@s K2G
iL~na-Ans Commerce of Grand
Rapids IA The Forttes-

4Ae question ot securing Al sppro-
prlAllon irom Congress for tie improve
meat OF Grand river and changing I
INTO practical waterway 10 the axe,
brings up ree0aecuons 0f the early
days IN Grand River valley 70 tne old
settler Away back, early ID the tor
ties, the settlers along the valley had
no other way OF transporting the.r
produce OF supplies than by the river,
and pole boats were used 10 carry
ITelgnt and even passengers. Tins was
little tCO slow and also too much ike
work, 50 steamers were built. One of
the flrst or these was the stevens I.
Mason, named after the first Governor
Of Michigan after her admission % the
Union, and also the last GerutOrISi
Governor. In Is OF ~ the Empire
and Algomah We're built. Both were
large boats and they did a rushing BUS
mess transporting freight ami passen-
gers from this city 10 Grand Haven.
Docks We're built al along the riyer
front, the upper ones being near where
ButterWOrth q Loves machine shop
now stands, and the others were scat
IA
the lowest beng down below the mouth
or the steamboat channel. The piles
OF the latter arc still standing m the
edge OF the stream, although ltls many
years since boat uniOaded It's cargo
there.
The people began 10 realize the COM
mercial Importance of the river, and
boats began 10 multiply until they
h nf in
north of Nelson & Matters factory Dam
iel Bail owned an acre or more of
ground and TINS was converted into a
shipyard. transportation company
was formed, consisting of Mr. Ball and
Henry X. Williams, the first mayor of
Grand Rapids, and the firm name was
Daniel Ball x Co.
The partnership existed but a short
time, Mr. Ball buying out hls partner,
and MS nephew, :. :. Ball, now of Bail
q Waters, was his clerk anu assistant.
The shlpyard soon turned out the
steamers Nebraskaand Kansasand they
were soon joined by the steamer Michl-
Barnard House now stands.
Mr.. Ball was SO successful that John
y. Fox * Co. started a rival line with
and the Forest Queen. but
these steamers soon withdrew from The
lower end Of the river and went on the
river above the rapids. Tney ran be-
tween this city and Lyons, slxtv miles
up the stream, and the merchants OF
this city sent large quantities OF goods
up the river 10 the farmers of lonia
County. John COrdes, of Canal-st..
used TO do large business in this way
with the German settlers about West
phalia. All the grain raised IN the val
ley was brought down on the boats. and
there were sometimes forty teams en-
gagged IN transferring produce from the
boats above the rapids 10 those below.
This was a good deal of trouble and
the canal on the east side was dug for
the purpose of locking the steamers
through above and below the rapids.
but i was never used because of
the coming OF railroad competition.
which ruined the river Transportation
business. When the river was IN
It, paimlest days, it babe far
90 become the commercial outlet
of the valley, and Il VIII be a matter of
surprise Tor the younger generation 10
learn that a number of boats used TO
ply up and down the stream, whose
very names have been forgotten.
Above the dam the olive Branch. the
Forest Queen, Naubeck, the John r.
Porter, the Humming Bird and the
Oddfellow were the principal boats. and
below the Stevens T. Mason, the Daniel
Ball. the Empire, Nebraska, Kansas.
Algomah and the Jennisond did the bus
ness. Benjamin :. Hanchett was cap
n n of the latter vessel
Captain Ben Smith. formerly Of this
city, was captain of the Empire for a
long time, and John :. Farr was in
charge of the same boat fer one wear.
Captains barrow, Collins aud Shoe
maker ~Ill bo remembered by the older
citizens, and Captain Canoe is rcmem-
bared by ali. Michael Shields and
James Moran, afterward chief Of police
for many years, We're among the best
known pilots on the uver.
Where the TEIEGRkW-HFRALD Office
now stands was once deep channel.
and the boats used 20 unload cargoes
At dock and warehouse or the spot