Rapids Historical Society
Volume 33, number 8
May 2012
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: May program: Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats
Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats At the 2012 Banquet of the Grand Rapids Historical Society May 10, 2012 Reception: 6:00 p.m. Dinner: 6:45 p.m.
Letter from our President, page 2 May 2012 GRHS Banquet, Lost and Find, page 4 2012 Albert Baxter Award Winner page 5 Grand Lady Riverboat; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
Our May program, Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats, presented by local historian Gail Snow, is part of the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s annual banquet, taking place at the Women’s City Club again this year. Details about the banquet are inside this newsletter. By Gail Snow
Reeds Lake. Today it is a place where people live, people visit and people drive past noticing that the town of East Grand Rapids is situated on a lake. The shores of the lake are fairly crowded with homes, mostly mansions with the occasional cottage
that belonged to someone’s grandparents. There is still a little wilderness, but only where the topography prevents more building. There is some commercial activity, municipal buildings, a restaurant, a marina or two. And there are boats. Mostly power boats, some sailboats, and an occasional kayak or canoe can be seen out on the water. The scene is now like most other lakes in the state. Nothing is left of the raffish, rollicking days of Reeds Lake except for a portion of the restaurant, a mansion that used to be a resort, and a small house with a sign referring to boat building. Resorts that Continued on page 3
Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
Next Program: Cemetery Tour with Tom Dilley. Save the date: Saturday, September 8, 2012, 10 a.m.
This is a picture of the Lakeside Boat Club that shows the Major Watson and Hazel A. steamers along with a collection of rental boats. It would have been taken in 1895 or 1896. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dear GRHS Members, What an unusual Spring we’ve had this year. In many ways good, and I hope it leads to a good summer as well.
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects. Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Open, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Matthew Daley Thomas Dilley W.D. Frankforter, emeritus Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Sharon Hanks Chris Kaupa Les Morant Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger Jeff Sytsma Jennifer Morrison, secretary John Morrison, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Web site: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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But before we head into summer, it’s time for the annual Grand Rapids Historical Society banquet. Join us for a delightful evening at the Women’s City Club on May 10 where we will celebrate a year of great programming, honor a person keeping history alive with the Albert Baxter Award, and listen to an enlightening talk titled Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats. Everyone had a great time at the Women’s City Club last year, and it’s sure to be another great banquet in 2012. Gina Bivins GRHS President
Programs for next year are in the final stages of planning. They include:
•September: a cemetery tour with Tom Dilley •October: the early Chinese in Grand Rapids with Diana Barrett •November: a history of Marywood •January: 100 Years of Road Construction •February: Auburn Hills with past GRHS President Jennifer Metz, •March: the 25th Anniversary of Women’s History Month with Marcella Beck •April: a Civil War program And in May: I will present a program on Mug Books for the next banquet. We hope to see you at this year’s banquet where we will share the latest news and events of your Grand Rapids Historical Society. After May, our next program is in September, and more details of the next season of historical society programs is coming soon. From all of us at the Grand Rapids Historical Society, have a great summer.
About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours. Programs are co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year and a subscription to our annual magazine, Grand River Valley History. Members also receive a 20 percent discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Continued from cover
burned down or were bulldozed and buried, no longer even exist in the memories of people, those days were so long ago. In the days of yore, days gone by, good old days, not only did a multitude of resorts offer amusement to visitors, there were amazing boats. In fact, the resort business began with boats, just simple boats. And gradually, as the crowds grew, the boats grew – in size and in number. Visitors could rent a boat and power it themselves, or take a tour of the lake as passengers on a steam launch, or witness a rowing contest in a regatta. During the 1890s, there were three large steamboats which, if placed end to end on a football field, would knock down the goal posts! With these three boats out on the lake and dozens upon dozens of rowboats all moving about at once, the Reeds Lake scene was anything but serene and peaceful. There were accidents and near-accidents; there were drownings and rescues. And, there were incidents where two of the passenger steamers tried to occupy the same space at the same time causing damage to the boats and sending the pilots to court. This is a picture of the Ramona, the last of the great steamers on Reeds Lake. Charlie Poisson is on the left, handling the rope. His son Bill is the other Newspaper reporters enjoyed writing about the gentleman. goings-on at Reeds Lake, in those wonderfully lively, historic times. Those days will never return except in pictures and stories, the preservation of them. Add to that the boat clubs and the boat builders, and which is due to the efforts of historical societies, libraries the reader or hearer of the stories becomes a captive to and archives. times gone by. The major part of the history of the old Reeds Lake is told in the lore of its boats and the people associated with About Gail Snow Gail Snow is in the process of writing two books. The first one to be finished is about Ramona Park, the second about Reeds Lake. She has been doing research on these topics since the fall of 2008. Besides the work of gathering information and photos and organizing them for the books, she has had several speaking engagements around town. She is also a volunteer in the archives at the main branch of the Grand Rapids Library.
This is a very early photo of the Major A. B. Watson building up a head of steam. It was launched in June, 1892.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Grand Rapids Historical Society Annual Banquet Women’s City Club May 10, 2011 Cocktails at 6:00 p.m. Dinner at 6:45 p.m. Join the Grand Rapids Historical Society at the Women’s City Club on Thursday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. for the society’s annual banquet, the May program - Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats - and tours of the Women’s City Club. It promises to be a fun evening you won’t want to miss. $27 for members and their guests $32 for non-members Write your check in the appropriate amount to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail to: Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library Street NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Please include names of those who will be attending in your group, and advise of vegetarian needs.
Lost and Find It’s fun to see the Lost and Find section of the Grand River Times working so well. In last month’s Lost and Find we shared a search for photos by member Gary Swets. Readers responded with a lot of great leads. Thanks! This month, Michael Slezak is on the hunt for photos of houses along Michigan Northeast. Here is his request: “In 1927 my Dad was living in a house on the north side of Michigan Street at 1205 Michigan NE, near the corner of Michigan and Fuller. In 1927 on the corner of Michigan
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and Fuller was the Ringelberg Filling Station, then going east on Michigan was Ludwig Gallant, soft drinks and then my Grandfather’s house at 1205. Do you know where I might find a picture of the house at 1205 Michigan or any of the houses in that stretch of Michigan? No family member has been able to produce a photo. It might be in the background of any photos of these two businesses.” If you can help Michael these photos, please let the Grand Rapids Historical Society know at grhs.local@gmail.com.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
2012 Albert Baxter Award: Kevin Finney The Albert Baxter Award was created by the Grand Rapids Historical Society in 1980 to honor persons who have made significant contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Grand River Valley history. The 2012 recipient of the Albert Baxter Award is Kevin Finney, the Executive Director of Great Lakes Lifeways Institute. Kevin founded this West Michigan non-profit organization in 2009. The Institute is actively dedicated to the preservation of / and education about regional traditional arts, cultural heritage and the value of local history. The list of what Kevin has been involved in is much too long for the space available. This is a highlight of those activities which he is currently active with. ✦
Since 2006 he has served as a co-instructor of a weekly Potawatomi language class for the Gun Lake Band of Potawatomi Indians.
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He has, since 2000, developed a range of curriculum resources for West Michigan teachers which is focused on early history, historical and contemporary Native American culture and local natural history.
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He is currently working on a grant-funded project called “Think Grand” collaborating with Grand Rapids Public and Forest Hills Middle Schools student. They are developing an interactive, multimedia website to teach about local history and environment with a focus on our cultural relationship over time with the Grand River.
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In 2010 Kevin reconstructed the first authentic birch bark voyageur canoe to ply the Grand River since the 1830s. The canoe now serves as a floating classroom and time machine for the imagination. Twice each year students are taken on a trip on the Grand to study local history and Grand River ecology.
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Since 1998 Kevin has reconstructed dozens of detailed, historically accurate Native American structures at interpretive sites and schools across the Great Lakes region. Many were built with students and/or the Native American community.
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Albert Baxter ✦
Two months out of the year Kevin serves as artist-inresidence at the Goodwillie Environmental School in the Forest Hills Public School District, teaching local history through hands-on activities and doing active historical research with students. Project focuses include historical mapping, fur trade history, snowshoe making, and since 2005, annually building a historical for of canoe with fifth graders.
Add to that list community based workshops, teach with OLLI at Aquinas, presenting at a GVSU Local History Roundtable, and coordinating and hosting the “Great Lakes Traditional Arts Gathering” in August of 2012, a four day event on Drummond Island. You may begin to understand why Kevin Finney was the unanimous choice of the Grand Rapids Historical Society board to receive the Baxter Award.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Grand Lady Riverboat Finds New Home The Grand Lady Riverboat, formerly seen daily by motorists near Grandville along highway 196W, had been at that location for 18 years until last fall. Bill Boynton built the boat in his huge shop on the Boynton family farm property along the river in Jenison 20 years ago. That property had been in Bill's family since the mid 1800s. Because he lived there growing up, his love for the river, and many "Huck Finn" experiences on it, evolved into his interest in steamboat history. After a couple of trips to the national Steamboat Festival in Marietta, OH, along the Ohio River (annually in September), he decided to build one! So 20 years ago, he started welding huge sections of metal sheets together, held together by intricate interior framework (which he built up from stock metal), and built the barge which floats the vessel. He continued building the metal sides and railings, up and up, until the structure was getting too big for his massive shop, and had to be rolled outdoors on huge pipes. Two years later, and countless hours, the two-story riverboat, complete with pilot house, 3 stairways, 2
bathrooms, 2 bars, a beautiful hand-made wooden wheel, and a giant red wooden paddlewheel (which actually propels the 102 foot, 70 ton vessel) was moved (by a heavy moving company) into the Grand River and christened with a bottle of champagne. There is a videotape of the entire project, sound included - yells and screams - at the launching. Last fall, due to yearly, persistent flooding at the former Grandville site, the Grand Lady Riverboat was moved back down the river to her original location, the place she was built and launched, at Boynton's Landing, now called Steamboat Park, just past the runway of the Riverview Airport in Jenison, 775 Taylor Street. So it's a "grand new start" for the Grand Lady Riverboat! The season opens the first of May, and there will be a Welcome Home Open House, dockside, on May 6th, 1 - 3, with light refreshments and lots of information. The first open cruise of the year will feature a Mothers' Day Brunch from 11 - 1 with live music.
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth This image comes from the Thomas E. Walsh Collection (#75). Walsh is best known for his role in promoting aviation and developing the airport in Kent County, however he was heavily involved in charitable organizations as well. This photo is dated August 22, 1951 and one could assume that it is a groundbreaking. If you can identify anyone in this photo, please email your information to kgillman@grpl.org, or call 616 988-5402, extension 5497. Each month the local history department of the Grand Rapids Public Library posts a different photo on a web page called Photo Sleuth to enlist the public’s help in identifying individuals in the photos. To find the photo on GRPL’s website, go to www.grpl.org and type “photo sleuth” in the search bar.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Happening in History: April 2012 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com. History à la Carte at Fountain Street Church Bill Hill - History of Libraries History Forum & Lunch Sunday, May 6, 12:20 - 1:30 p.m. Room 109 - Fountain Street Church The program is free and open to the public. Pay only for the lunch you order from takeout menu. Questions? Call: Paul Arnold 791-4534 or e-mail: paul@paularnolddesign.com. Jacobson’s I Miss It So! – The Story of a Michigan Fashion Institution Wednesday, May 9, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Join department store historian Bruce Allen Kopytek in this return to the elegance of Jacobson’s, a beloved Michigan institution for well over 100 years. Re-enter the marvelous stores and meet the personalities who transformed Jacobson’s from its humble Reed City origins to a staple of sophistication throughout the region and in Florida. The brainchild of a retail genius, this deluxe specialty store gave its customers a peerless social, shopping and dinning destination. Experience anew the refined beauty of its local stores, from its first branch in the Pantlind Hotel to the charm and allure of its East Grand Rapids location, revealing along the way, secrets that made Jake’s the dazzling store it was and why it remains so profoundly missed by anyone who entered through its solid wooden doors. A book signing will follow the presentation. Free and open to the public. West Michigan Post Card Collectors Monday, May 14,2012, 7:00 p.m. Highlands Middle School, 4645 Chandy Drive NE (Northview School District) Progam presenter: Charles Schoenknecht. Topic Jim Crowe Museum (part 2) in Big Rapids at Ferris State University. Open to the public. Refreshments available. In Stitches: From West Michigan to MSU to Hollywood – A Doctor's Journey Wednesday, May 16, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE 2012 Michigan Notable Book winner Dr. Anthony Youn will discuss his book “In Stitches,” a memoir about growing up in West Michigan and becoming a board-certified plastic Grand River Times
surgeon. As the only Asian family in Greenville, MI, Youn will discuss being raised by traditional “Tiger” parents, reveal the truth behind medical training, including secrets your doctor doesn't want you to know about, and discuss his time as a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. A book signing will follow the presentation. The Michigan Notable Book program and tour are made possible thanks to generous support of the Library of Michigan, the Library of Michigan Foundation, the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Humanities Council, Cooley Law School, Meijer, Auto-Owners Insurance, and the Michigan Center for the Book. The program is free and open to the public. Adult Computer Class: Upload/Download to Ancestry and Rootsweb Thursday, May 17, 2012, 6:45 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE These popular online genealogical databases provide the means to collect your family tree data online and to download the data to your laptop or desktop. The downloaded data can then be loaded into other genealogical software or shared with other people. Free and open to the public. 150 Years of Central High School Saturday May 19, 2012, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Central High School 421 Fountain NE The Central High School Committee asks you to save the date to attend a gathering to commemorate the 150-year history of Central High School. If you were a Central High student, parent, teacher, employee, administrator, or friend of Central High, come celebrate with us. www.grcentralhighcelebration.com Heritage Hill Weekend Tour of Homes May 19 and 20, 2012 Grand Rapids, Michigan The Heritage Hill Association presents its 43rd annual Heritage Hill Weekend Tour of Homes. Seven private homes, 4 historic buildings, and an array of architecture, colors, decorating styles, and great urban gardens await you. The Heritage Hill neighborhood dates from 1843 and its 1,300 homes represents Michigan's finest collection of 19th and 20th century American architecture. Advance tickets for tour are $15.00 and are available at the Heritage Hill Association office. Write to the Heritage Hill Association, 126 College SE; Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or go to www.heritagehillweb.org for online sales. Tickets on the weekend of tour are $18.00. Call 616.459.8950 with any questions or for more information.
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Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
May: GRHS Annual Banquet Program: Messing About with Boats on Reeds Lake May 10, 6 p.m., at the Women’s City Club Details inside!
Inside this issue: Cover Story: May program: Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats Letter from our President, page 2 May 2012 GRHS Banquet, Lost and Find, page 4 2012 Albert Baxter Award Winner page 5 Grand Lady Riverboat; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
