Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-03-29
OLD PROSPECT HILL
Pioneer Cook Tells OF ths Marvel
Qua Changes or Forty Years.
TIE SEW l.SIORI HlRTaAS BLOCK
Ths Last Vsstisss az the Ola Bian DisaP-
Ps.riag-Ths ola shepard kssidsacs
Wal ,o0a be as mors-A Massive
aad M.snIncsat Baliafas.


undergone IN the past forty years, " sad
AZ Old settler 70 a IELEsKAA-HEEALD
reporter the other day, pointing toward
the old shepard resldence GA OTTAWA
81, back of the Peninsular Club The
speaker was ". y. Cook, the well known
president II the Old Residents Assoela-
ton. II remember well when that old
building vas commenced" )" said he.
''The locality vas then known as Pros
pect Hill, and the nearest building 70
the shepard house MAS On Monroe-st-
Grand Rapids village and the surround
lng townships then included only about
fifteen hundred Inhabitants. A few
wooden business blocks stood on Mon
roe-st., and the only store was one built
where the Union ticket office now
stands, the same tune that the Shepard
residence was erected. Ottawa-st. then
extended rght up over the top OF the
hill past the residence, and stopped at
Pearl-st., which was then d very steep
and almost impossible tnOrOughfare.
A YOU can easily see, Ott4Wa-st. has
been graded down many feet, and ex-
tended through % Lyon-st. Ottawa-st.,
at one time, WAS As high up as the top
OF the Court block.
DR.. Shepard commenced the con-
structlOn OF the residence, which is now
beng pulled down, IN the summer OF
1913, and he moved hls family into II IN
lS44. The only stone cutter II town
then was Uncle James SnOWden, who
died out IN Alpine township few days
ago. He cut all the stone IN the build
ing, and am quite positive that An
tAOny BOWden was one of the carpen-
ters at work on the building. He IS
now wealthy farmer living IN the town
OF Paris. and Is the father-ln-law OF Or.
John Brady. The bricks were made by
OrsOn 4. Wlthcy, who IS now living out
OF South Divis.On-st.
.D-. Shepard came here, | think, IN
1898, and alter moving into the house,
lived there until about three years ago,
when he purchased the house at II
JefersOn-aye., where he has resided
since that time. The old building looks
lust the same as Il did when IL was first
built, except that the front porch has
since been added and also some addi-
uOns IN the rear. The building must
have cost about $1,000; material was
very cheap then and money nigh. lt
was looked upon almost IS a palace IN
those days. and 1t was IN its spacious
rooms that many OF the then swell re-
ceptiOns and parties We're held. II
those old walls could speak. they
might tell many curious tales OF spot
'em Out," f" Love N the Dark, Drop
the Handkerchief and other games.
After Or. shepard reno ,ed from the
house, another family vowed in, but
remained there only sort time.
Siacc they moved out o., bgAding has
been occupied by the Nell Conservatory
OF Music.
.'Yes, the old Prospect Hill is almost
gone. Almost the last vestge left to
mark ts site was taken away when the
old Morton residence WAS torn down,
about q wear ago. and the old hlll on
the Waters r-Operty leveled OF. After
tAe bank upon which the Shepard
house Is located IS eXcavated, nothing
Will be left 70 tell of the existence OF
the once proud and lofty b.utt, known
a. Prospect Hill. Besides the Waters
hIi, an enormous amount Ot DIRT has
been taken away from the tes OF the
Hou-emau aud Ledyard blocks and
used for levelug tine lower portions of
the city" Mr. Cook said many other
interesting things about Prospect Hill.
Dr. Shepard stood u the old building
the other day gazing medItatvely at
tie uup0euc laOOrers rs they were bat
terug the aged walls iu pieces. Ilc APP
pcared as man contemplating the
scene of the lights and shadows OF
nearly Efty years OF p prosperous life,
feeling. mo- doubt, rs though he were
losing forever am old and faithful
f. end. the sight 0t whose every famu-
iar feature brought vlvdly 10 hls mind
the rem. m1rauCe of happy incidents.
The venerable physician was just re-
covering from severe Illdcss, and had
left bis room IN give parting look at
h.s 0.d home before 10 was destroyed.
A workman tore q large 0aken door
from is hinges the old doctor started
and remarked tbat he hated % zee the
olt doors taken away. for he bad made
tuem wta his own hands.
rBG Vrw uruDTyG.
Upon toe ste 0f tbe old homestead
VII soon be seen a lofty and MASSIVE
hgii of BRICK. stone and iron. As
tile predecessor was considered almost
n palace % ts day. tue new block VIII
he splendid structure. embodyiug the
most advanced IDEAS ia modern archie
lecture Where stood the once stately
ed flee of Greek desgu VIII w.thlntur
months bo seem q costly building, tow
erng many feet above tne pavement
Carroll Hartman. wn0 has che work r.
charge. SAID 90 % rrr FgRtW- HERALp re-
porter the other d8v the work upon
the new block would be pushed "a fast
as possible.
stand SIX stories hIgh above a high
basement. making lt really a seven
story structure. The front VII be-
built almost entirely of glass, iron and
c0rner. 80 that every floor VII De
srferdfdlv ghtod. As e the case With
modern buildings n the East, every
foor ~ a D. rcnlrlete n ITSELF and as
VIDE as the block wi. b.. To Wi not
b. divided uto stores accord .nr 20 the
sfvfa common M th,s clty, bat each
fat v-Ii be- store complete l1 tsct
Tf,r ornaments w.il hc mostly ~ copper
a~f carved stone. snd Che brick uset
W. n ne ~ the pressed variety. As Mr
fr.~frss- sfafe3 the structure. cons o.
rr-d asa hnre work of arr. WH not he
t-erhed hv any other building ,n tals
CITY
a ron truss Roof. i ga shUve che floor
Tha Hst w. Pc hu 3 evrress for nee
ga Rail- ~9crs ard so rrsfs or 81 ars
~ - +, tne wav o obsfruct dancing
calrer4es xr.l ~ hult sround the sates.
s,a NJ Hartman svrafs hv the CREST
horn sDoon shat a. magnificent hall
~-er, t via eclipse srvtnrg n fhe