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GRAND LEDGE AREA COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE
GRAND LEDGE: A HISTORY Grand Ledge is known for its natural beauty, including the 60 foot high sandstone ledges that line the banks of the Grand River. In Grand Ledge’s early years, the area’s rich natural resources allowed clay and furniture industries to develop, with the addition of bridges and the railroad making infrastructure for these industries to thrive. In addition, Grand Ledge’s natural beauty was an early source of tourism for Michigan residents. The first officially recognized inhabitants of the Grand Ledge area were the Native Americans from the Potawatomi, Chippewa and Ottawa tribes, including the famous Chief Okemos. The Native American name for this area translates into English as ‘Big Rocks’. In this area’s wilderness, they hunted boar, deer, fox, turkey, and bear, plus fished for black bass and dug for clams in the river. They also tapped the sugar maple trees to make maple syrup. Because of the proximity of the river, there were plenty of clay and shale deposits in the area, so pottery was practiced here before it was turned into an industry by the European settlers. Early settlers noted that the Native Americans used clay kilns to make clay products. In the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, the United States government negotiated with prominent Native American chiefs, resulting in the U.S. government taking possession of most of the land in lower Michigan. In the 1830s and 1840s, early pioneers began to purchase the land that would eventually become Grand Ledge and the surrounding areas. One of the earliest pioneers in the area was Henry Trench, who settled the land that would become the heart of downtown Grand Ledge. Edmund Lamson was also an early settler and owned a large portion of land in the area. Trench, Lamson, and other early settlers decided that since natural beauty was such a large aspect of the area, they would let nature name the town. Because the settlement was located on a ledge above the Grand River, they called the village Grand Ledge. In 1850, they officially named the Post Office Grand Ledge. An early timeline, up to the late 1900s, traces some of the major developments of Grand Ledge that forged the thriving city it has become today.
1830s Land speculators first purchased land in the area. In 1836, early settlers reached Oneida Township.
1840s In 1848-49, early settlers John Russell and Abram Smith built a dam on the river, and David Taylor joined them in building a saw mill. Once the saw mill was constructed, more buildings went up, including homes made of lumber rather than logs, stores, churches, and a school. With the power of the sawmill and the natural resources from the ledges, clay products and furniture were initial sources of industry and income for Grand Ledge.
1850s In 1853, the first wooden bridge was built across the Grand River. In about 1859 (exact date is not known), George Loveless started making pottery. It is believed to be Michigan’s first pottery, producing jugs, crocks, and other household goods.
1860s In 1869, the railroad came to the north side of the village. Also in 1869, the Grand Ledge Independent was founded.
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