Compiled and Edited by
William J. Etten

Copyright © 1926 by A. P. Johnson Company.

Table of Contents Preface Photos In Primeval Days, 1  What Louis Campau Saw, 2  First Comers Were French, 6  Under Three Flags, 7 Louis Campau Founds City, 9  His Two Marriages, 10  Arrival at Grand Rapids, 13  Buys the Heart of Grand Rapids for $90, 14  Uncle Louis Amasses Wealth, 15  Beginning of His Evil Days, 16  His Mansion on the Hill, 17  Some Episodes in His Life, 20  His Last Will and Testament, 22  Estimates of His Character, 24  Sophie de Marsac Campau, 27 First Easterners Arrive, 31  Coming Through the Wilderness, 32  Beginning of the Boom, 33  Beginnings of the Farms, 36  First Merchants and Pioneer Mechanics, 37  Early Map, 38 - See Photos  The Village of 1837, 40  Days of Fever and Ague, 41  First Weddings and Births, 42 Ten Years of Depression, 43  Some Other Early Workers, 44  Grand Rapids in 1844-1845  Grand Rapids in 1846, 47  City Resumes Its Growth, 49 Grand Rapids or Kent?, 50 Early Map, 52 - See Photos County, Township, Village, City, 53 Walker Township Organized Grand Rapids Township Organized The City of Grand Rapids, 59 Early Bridges - See Photos Village of Grand Rapids City Charter of 1857, 62 From Indian Trails To Paved Streets, 64  Some Early Physicians, 66 Pay Day for the Indians, 67  Some Early Hotels, 68  Old Time Amusements and Theaters, 71 Early Churches, 73  Baptist, 73  Park Congregational, 74  Roman Catholic, 75  Early Churches - See Photos  Episcopal, 78  Methodist, 79  Presbyterian, 81  Dutch Reformed, 81  Second Reformed, 82  Hebrew, 82  Swedenborgian, 82  Universalist, 83  Lutheran, 83 River Transportation, 85  Bridges and Canals, 84 - See Photos  Canals and Dams, 86  Gypsum Quarries and Plaster Mills, 87  Houses of the Pioneers, 88 Court House, Jail and City Hall, 89  What's Beneath Grand Rapids, 91 Courts of Record, 92  Kent County Circuit Court, 92  Probate Court, 93  Superior Court, 93  United States District Court, 94 Newspapers, 95  Grand Rapids Times and Its Successors, 95  Early downtown Grand Rapids - See Photos  Grand Rapids Eagle, 97  Grand Rapids Daily Times, 97  The Evening Leader, 97  Grand Rapids Herald and Its Predecessors, 97  Grand Rapids Press, 98 Early Fire Fighters, 99 1873 Fire, 100 - See Photos  Managers of the Fire Department, 103  Fire Marshals, 103 Police Department, 104 Bridges Across the Grand River, 105  Bridge Street Bridge, 105  Leonard Street Bridge, 107  Pearl Street Bridge, 107  Early Downtown Views, 106 - See Photos Our Meandering Post Office, 108 Schools, 111  Early School buildings, 110 - See Photos  Old Stone School House, 112  Coldbrook School District, 113  Early West Side Schools, 113  High School buildings, 114 - See Photos  Three School Districts Consolidated, 115  Some Old Time Private Schools, 116  Present Public School System, 117  Elementary School buildings, 118 - See Photos  Health Activities in Schools, 119  The High Schools, 119  Junior College, 120  Superintendents and Present Management, 120  Salaries of Teachers, 120  Calvin College, 121  Denominational Schools, 121 Water Supply, 122  City Water System, 123  Water System of Today, 125  Filtration Plant Constructed, 126  Filtration Plant building, 127 - See Photos In The Logging Days, 129  Log Running and "Hogging", 129  Log Jam of 1883, 130 Floods That Wrought Havoc, 132 Early Members of the Bar, 133 Public Buildings, 134 - See Photos Coming of the Railroads, 135 Artesian Wells, 137 Banks, Old and New, 138   Bank and Hotel buildings, 140 - See Photos  Old National Bank and Its Predecessors, 138  Other Early Banks, 139  Grand Rapids National Bank, 141  Grand Rapids Savings Bank, 142  Kent State Bank, 142  Industrial Bank, 142  Home State Bank for Savings, 142  Michigan Trust Company, 143  Grand Rapids Trust Company, 143  Clearing House Association, 143  A Perfect Record, 143 Patriots in Civil War Times, 144 Civil War Monument, 146 - See Photos Spanish American War, 147 Grand Rapids in the World War, 149 War Memorial, 150 Street Cars----Horse, Cable, and Electric, 153 Street Cars and Stage Coaches, 154 - See Photos  Interurban Electric Line, 156 Gas Company's Growth Since 1857. 157 Electric Power and Light, 158 City's Sewer System, 161 Hospitals, 163  Hospitals, YMCA, YWCA, Children's Home, 162 - See Photos  Butterworth, 163  Blodgett Memorial, 164  St. Mary's, 166  D. A. Blodgett Home for Children, 166 Public Library, 167  Public Library Trust Funds, 169  Other Trust Funds, 170 The Furniture Capital of America, 171  Furniture Factories, 172 and 176 - See Photos  Furniture of Quality, 175  Grand Rapids Market Association, 177 Development of Telephone Service, 178  Citizens Telephone Company, 179  Two Systems Combined, 180 Parks, Playgrounds and Boulevards, 181 Grand Rapids Welfare Union, 183 Grand Rapids Foundation, 185 Kent Scientific Museum, 186 Association of Commerce, 189 Business buildings, 188 - See Photos Young Men's Christian Association, 189 Young Women's Christian Association, 190 Symphony Orchestra, 190 A Cosmopolitan City, 192 Served In High Office, 194 Liberty Loan Subscriptions, 194 Kent County subscribed for $38,460,400 Liberty bonds during the World War drives for funds; First, $4,063,650; Second, $8,481,000; Third, $6,502,200; Fourth, $11,420,350; Victory, $7,993,200. It went over the top in every call. Subscriptions in the city proper were about $30,000,000. Present City Management, 195  City Officials, 197  Kent County Officers, 197  State Legislative Representatives, 197 Mayors, 198 Grand Rapids in 1926, 199  Industrial Statistics for 1923, 203  Business and the Professions, 203  Clubs, 204 Of the more than fifty clubs in Grand Rapids there are these: Advertising, Alibi Gun, Altrusa, Army-Navy, Big Brothers, Business Girls', Business and Professional Woman's, Century, Engineering, Exchange, Building Owners, Business Woman's, Buyers, Credit Men's. Federation of Woman's, Hotel Men's, Rotary, Motor, Radio Listeners, Transportation, Universal, Woman's City, Kiwanis, Lions, Metropolitan, Michigan Traffic, Midday, Optimist, Round Table, Triangle, University, Zonta, Women's University, Ladies' Literary, St. Cecilia, Boat and Canoe, Peninsular, Elks, Moose, Camera, Schubert, West Side Woman's, Igdrasil. Present Day Churches, 205 What of the Future?, 206 Population of Grand Rapids   1826 About 20 (White population.) 1835 75 to 100 1837 500 (Vicinity.) 1838 700 (Vicinity.) 1840 880 1850 2686 1860 8085 1870 16,507 1880 32,016 1890 60,278 1900 87,565 1910 112,571 1920 137,634 1921 141,197 1922 145,947 1923 153,877 1924 159,910 1925 163,500 1926 169,000 * 1840 to 1920, inclusive, government census. ** 1921 to 1926, inclusive, estimated.