Volume 37, number 6
March 2016
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue: Cover Story: March program
Letter from our President page 2
Federal Building to W.N. Ferris Building: Renewal and Reconstruction PRESENTED BY: Thomas R. Mathison and Gene Hopkins
GGRWHC Annual Reception
Co-Sponsored by the Kendall College of Art & Design
page 3 Voting Window Poster page 4 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
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Thursday, March 10, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at Kendall College of Art & Design: Woodbridge W.N. Ferris “The Fed” Bldg Parking is available on the str eet after 5:00 p.m., and the Kendall College of Ar t and Design lot is available across Pearl Street, with the entrance from Division Ave.
At the dawn of the twentieth century, Grand Rapids was in a period of rapid growth. New commercial, manufacturing, and civic buildings helped meet the demands of an expanding community and economy. The existing Federal Courthouse and Post Office was no longer large enough to handle the increasing load. So in 1909, construction began on a new courthouse and post office building — on the same site as the old building. In 1912, the building that became known as the Old Federal Building was completed and opened for business. For over 100 years, this building has served a range of functions, adaptively modified to retrain its character while serving new audiences. In 2013, it began its service as a place for higher education in art and design for Ferris State University and Kendall College of Art and Design. Come and hear from the design architects of this transformation about the journey to make this a reality.
Grand Rapids Historical Society
Next program: After the March program, the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s next program will be on April 14, 2016 at the Donnelly Center at Aquinas College. Wayne E. Motts, CEO of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA will be presenting: Fighting the Civil War: Historical Treasures of the Conflict in the Collection of the National Civil War Museum. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members,
What do a Lincoln Day medal from 1909 and a poster from 1920 that has a hand written note in the margin that says the person voted for Harding have in common? Both items at one time belonged to members of the Apted family. The Grand Rapids Historical Society periodically receives items in the mail. Paper items are offered to the Grand Rapids Public Library. Three dimensional The Grand River Times is the items are offered to the Grand Rapids Public newsletter of the Grand Rapids Museum. Recently the Society received a box in the mail from the east Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, coast with three different medals in it. One, a Valley of Grand Rapids the Grand Rapids Historical Society Masonic medal, another a Lincoln Day medal from 1909 with a delicate is dedicated to exploring the history red, white, and blue ribbon still attached, the third a CHS (Central High of West Michigan; to discover its School) public speaking romance and tragedy, its heroes medal in a Herkner and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society Jewelry box. Since we collects and preserves our heritage, would be offering them to passing it on to new generations the Museum I wondered if through books, lectures, and education projects. there were items from any of the Apted family already in the collection. Executive Committee: There were a number of Gina Bivins, president items listed as being a gift Matthew Daley, vice-president from an Apted. There was John Gelderloos, treasurer clothing donated by Mrs. D. Bradford Apted, Board members: including a pair of shoes Alan Bennett dated 1918-20. Alfred M. Charles Bocskey donated a number of Thomas Dilley gypsum specimens and at Tim Gleisner least two miner’s lamps. Marilyn Hamill The family was long Chris Kaupa associated with gypsum mining in the Grand Rapids area. Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Systsma Jim Winslow Kurt Yost Jessica Riley, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Website: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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Continued on page 5 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. 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. The membership year runs from May to the following May. 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% 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 2
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
March is Women’s History Month Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council Annual Reception and Program 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 30, 2016 Women’s City Club (lower level auditorium) 254 E. Fulton Street Parking: free (south side of the building or in the lot across Lafayette Ave.) Free and open to the public 5:30 p.m. – brief annual meeting followed by a celebratory program Complimentary hors d’oeuvres; wine ticket bar ($5/glass) (free glass of wine to new and renewing members) Reservations appreciated: Eventbrite Online RSVP OR: info@ggrwhc.org/616-574-7307 Special guest: Mayor Rosalynn Bliss
Program: Shattering Glass Ceilings – Women’s Elective History in Grand Rapids, 1888-2015 Presenter: Deirdre Toeller-Novak Between 1888 and 2015, Harriet Cook, Eva McCall Hamilton, Grace Ames Van Hoesen, Evangeline Lamberts, and Rosalynn Bliss each shattered another of the glass ceilings impeding the full participation of women in the process of governing our schools, the city, county, and the State of Michigan. Their stories are laced with perseverance in the face of scorn, personal sacrifice, fraud, and high adventure. On March 30, these women’s stories will form the backdrop of a presentation that points to the importance of having an accurate record of women’s elective history and how it has shaped our community in 2016. They will also look at its significance to women in their personal and professional lives. Through years of effort on the part of the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council, Grand Rapids is one of a few, if not the only, American city to have a complete history of women running for and elected to office since the opportunity was first extended to them. This unique set of data proves that Grand Rapids women ran for office beginning in 1888—much earlier than had been known, in fact, decades before second-wave feminists believed that they were running for the first time. Women in the mid-to-late 19th century were among the earliest to vigorously push the national movement toward suffrage even while lobbying from outside of the established system for changes in education and government. Continued on page 7 Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Donated by Mrs. D. Bradford Apted—Voting Window Poster 1920
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOIN THE GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR GIVE A MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year. Members of the society enjoy these benefits:
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles.
The Grand River Valley History is the society’s annual magazine. Featured are illustrated articles by local history researchers and contributions from the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the City Archivist, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society.
Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ____ New ___Renewal ____Gift _____Lifetime:
$400.00 one-time fee
_____Individual/Family Membership
$30.00 per year
_____Senior Citizen or Student
$20.00 per year
Name: Address: City/State/Zip:
Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Continued from page 2 The item that excited me most was the poster that you will find on page 4 of this newsletter (GRPM accession number 166501). It was donated by Mrs. D. Bradford Apted. The actual overall size is 11” x 5 ¼”, trimmed. During this Women’s History Month let us all take a moment to consider the right to vote. The women who displayed this poster in a window of their home took this right seriously. As I think about Mrs. Apted (I believe her first name is Dora, although in the Museum records it is only the initial D) I wonder if she possibly wore the pair of shoes that are in the collection as she cast her first ballot. I also wonder about the note on the side of the poster that says she picked up the poster in Pantlind’s garage. Was it at their home? Both families lived in the neighborhood we now call Heritage Hill. So much more to research to do. Our March program is a tour of the “Old Federal Building” now part of Kendall College and renamed the Woodbridge N. Ferris Building. It held federal offices, the post office and later became the Art Museum. It has been renewed and much of the beauty has been preserved. Parking is available on the street at meters, in the ramp at the southwest corner of Pearl and Ionia and possibly at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Division at Pearl. If that lot is available, volunteers from the Society will be at the entry to let you in. At this writing the availability has not been confirmed.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HAPPENING IN HISTORY: MARCH 2016 Reading the Great Lakes Thursday, March 3, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Main Library—111 Library St. NE Come explore the Lakes with the Grand Rapids Public Library! They are reading a range of titles including mystery, history, fiction, and nonfiction all taking place in the Great Lakes region—from Chicago to Cleveland. This book club will be lead by librarians and will take place the first Thursday of every month. Additional copies of the book are available to be checked out on Level 4 of the Main Library. For a complete list of books, visit www.grpl.org/rtgl. March’s selection is The Long-shining Waters by Danielle Sosin.
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, March 14, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Faith United Methodist Church 2600 7th St. NW Wally Jung will be giving a presentation entitled: Relics from the Past—Historic Covered Bridges and Grist Mills from Michigan. This presentation features dozens of color and real photo postcards from Wally’s collection. It explores the economic and historic impact that covered bridges and grist mills had on the development of many Michigan communities.
Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, March 5, 2016, 1:30 p.m. Main Library- Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE
Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 7:30 p.m. DeWitt Student Center, Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE If you think you may have some Native American blood in your family tree, come learn from Mr. Levi Rickert how to research American Indian lineage.
Richard Miller will be speaking about Civil War Music and Stories. Richard will not only be playing various pieces on the piano, but will also give a history on each piece.
Ask the Women’s History Expert Thursday, March 10, 2016, 6:00 p.m. Tune in to WGVU television channel 35 where host/producer Shelley Irwin will welcome a variety of women’s history experts including the GGRWHC. Plan your individual questions about local and national women and the interrelationship between Grand Rapids women and the national story. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Continued from page 3 In her summary of the first 50 years of the League of Women Voters of Grand Rapids, Dorothy Leonard Judd wrote that in its beginning the League had “one immediate and overriding purpose: to awaken the nation’s women to their new responsibilities as voting citizens and to their new opportunities to work for legislation on social problems proverbially neglected by men” (The First Fifty Years, League of Women Voters of Grand Rapids). Through the stories of women who were first to be elected to their respective offices, they will examine the remarkable strategies and accomplishments of trailblazers whose work is far from complete. Their methodologies provide valuable tools in today’s political arena which continues to be dominated by a struggle for justice between groups of disparate economic, social, and cultural backgrounds. Please attend on March 30.
Deirdre Toeller-Novak is pr oofing a compilation of Gr and Rapids women’s elective history, in whose pages she can be found. Her election to the boards of the Grand Rapids Public Schools and Grand Rapids Community College in the 1980s places her in the line of women elected to local school boards begun in 1888. She will share data from the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council’s unique electoral history and illustrate its importance in 2016. Deirdre’s historical and political efforts overlap in work promoting involvement of women in the elective process and consequent systemic change. Her professional career was directed by her early training in criminal justice and legal systems, including the leadership of municipal and non-profit organizations such as district court probation departments, the Grand Rapids Bar Association, and the Children’s Assessment Center. In retirement she stretched her experience to include a master’s degree in English Literature.
GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY PHOTO SLEUTH
It's March, and Spring is just around the corner! With Spring comes more outdoor activities, including Spring Training. In honor of both sport and Women's History Month, our Photo Sleuth selection for this month comes from our Robinson Studio Collection, and showcases this undated image of the A&P women's softball team. Can you identify any of the individuals in this image? If so, please email the Grand Rapids Public Library's Local History department at localhis@grpl.org. Grand River Times
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc. c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Federal Building to W.N. Ferris Building: Renewal and Reconstruction
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: March program Letter from our President
PRESENTED BY: Thomas R. Mathison and Gene Hopkins
page 2 GGRWHC Annual Reception Page 3
Thursday, March 10, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at the Kendall College of Art & Design: Woodbridge W.N. Ferris “The Fed” Building
Voting Window Poster page 4 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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