USA > Michigan > Kent County > Grand Rapids > Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan: History and Account of Their Progress from First. Vol. I > Part 72
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On Oct. 1, 1887, several Holland families in Grand Rapids cele- brated, at the residence of Jacob Quintus, the thirtieth anniversary of their landing in America, with the Van Realte colony, and this
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called to mind the fact that one of the great events of the year 1847, in the Grand River Valley, was the coming of the Dutch settlers. These sturdy immigrants, with their descendants, now form a con- siderable portion of the population of Grand Rapids and Kent county, as well as of Ottawa county, and it may be well to consider briefly the coming of an element which has added so much to the moral integrity and intellectual progress of the community. According to a well written article by Martin L. D'Ooge, published in Volume 38 of the Pioneer Collections, the cause of this immigration was religious persecution. The effort to impose a State religion upon the Holland- ers, who had become accustomed to think and act for themselves in religious matters, was very irksome and annoying, and the zeal with which the government sought to enforce conformity was worthy of a better cause. The persecution which these people suffered for free- dom of conscience and religious belief are comparable in some respects to the terrors of the Inquisition and the days of the Salem witchcraft persecutions. Among those who so suffered and were cast into prison was one Dr. Albertus C. Van Raalte, and under his leadership a little band of the Christian Reformed church, or as it was later known, the Seceded Reformed church, decided to leave the fatherland and to undergo the hardships of the pioneer, with freedom, rather than to enjoy the comforts of the old home, with spiritual slavery or persecu- tion. Their choice quite naturally first fell upon the Dutch colony in Java and they decided to go there, providing the government would guarantee freedom of conscience in the new home. A narrow spirit of bigotry then prevailed with the government and the request was denied. The remaining haven was the United States, known to all the world as the home of the free. It is related that in this predica- ment, Van Raalte and his coadjutor, Brummelkamp, addressed a letter at Arnheim, on May 25, 1846, to "the faithful in the United States of North America." This general address was given, as they knew of no one person to whom to write, and the letter was entrusted to an emigrant and fell into the hands of Dr. I. N. Wyckoff, of Albany, N. Y. He proved a true friend and caused a translation of the letter to be printed in the Christian Intelligencer. The letter caused wide- spread interest and resulted in the formation of a society at Albany to aid in the immigration of these persecuted people. Van Raalte, after some correspondence, set sail from Rotterdam, Oct. 2, 1846, arrived in New York after a journey of forty-five days, and proceeded to Albany. It was the first intention to settle in Wisconsin, but while in New York, according to an article written by Mrs. Etta Smith Wilson and published in Volume 30 of the Pioneer Collections, Mr. Van Raalte met a countryman who had traveled extensively in the Western States, and who asked him why he wished to go into the absolute wilderness of Wisconsin. He advised him to go to Michigan, which already had railroads, was developing rapidly and was near to market. After lingering in Albany a short time Van Raalte set out on a journey of exploration to Michigan, traveling overland from Detroit to Allegan, where he was given a cordial welcome by Mr. and Mrs. John R. Kellogg. From this point he prospected, reaching the present site of Holland City, in January, 1847. Here he found the Presbyterian mission, conducted by Rev. O, N. Smith, and a number
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of Indians. Used to the canals of Holland, this location on Black Lake particularly appealed to Van Raalte and he decided upon this as the seat of the colony and returned to Detroit. Members of the party who had been awaiting his decision, at Albany, joined him and a number of men and one woman arrived at the present site of Hol- land in February, 1847. They were, later, joined by others, and in 1848 Zeeland was settled by a colony from Goes, Holland, under the leadership of Rev. C. Vander Meulen. J. Steketee was the leader of a second party which joined this colony and J. Vander Vanden Luyster of a third. They came not as individual immigrants, but as members of colonies and largely under the direction of their pastors, who later assumed a guidance in civil affairs which was resented as the new citizens became more imbued with the American spirit. The descend- ants of these colonists and later immigrants now number more than a quarter of a million and form, perhaps, the largest single element in Western Michigan civilization. With the provincialism, which seems inherent in all mankind, the Dutch, with their peculiar ways and old-world customs, met with ridicule and derision, as well as with kindness, and their earlier years were none too pleasant; but by their thrift and honesty they earned their high place in the community. As early as January, 1847, the Grand Rapids Enquirer spoke of the possi- bility of Dutch immigration to the Grand River Valley and urged them to come, saying they were a "body of men induced to leave their native land by consideration of conscience, love of free schools and free speech." And, in February, it was announced that lands had been purchased in Ottawa county, on the north bank of Black river, and that several hundred immigrants were in the East and would come with the opening of navigation. Strange as it may seem, however, no other reference to the coming of the Hollanders is made in the Grand Rapids Enquirer of that year.
But it was from those colonies and their descendants that Grand Rapids drew the large Dutch element of its present population; and a glance through the city directory will disclose the fact that many other nationalities here find a haven of refuge from old-world perse- cutions. Grand Rapids is a veritable "melting pot" of foreign na- tionalities, but despite this fact the records show that 52 per cent of its population own their own homes, a condition that is not surpassed by more than one city of equal population in the United States.
RAILROADS-STEAM AND ELECTRIC
Agitation of projects for securing a railroad into Grand Rapids began in 1845, when the growing hamlet was only twelve years old. On June 25 of that year the citizens held a meeting and resolved to petition the legislature for a charter for a railroad from Battle Creek to Grand Rapids. On Dec. 1, following, at another meeting, it was resolved that application be made for a railroad from Port Huron, or some point on the St. Clair river, to Grand Haven. In 1846, the legis- lature granted charters, severally, from Jackson, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo, to Grand Rapids, but there was little practical result for several years. However, the general demand for a railroad from somewhere grew more and more imperative until, in the Spring of
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1853, active work began on what was then called the Oakland & Ottawa railroad. In 1855, by consolidation, this became known as the Detroit & Milwaukee railroad, and the arrival of cars over this route, in July, 1858, was an occasion of much interest and of very consider- able rejoicing among the pioneers of that day. The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern was the next railroad to reach the city, and it came in 1869, the construction having been pushed from Kalamazoo by way of Allegan, with great energy and celerity, by Ransom Gardner, from which circumstance it was familiarly known in those days as "The Gardner Road." Early in the winter of 1856 the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Company-which had been organized to construct a railroad from Hartford City, Ind., to the Michigan state line, and had later decided to continue the road to Grand Rapids and beyond- petitioned Congress to grant land aid, to make possible the construc- tion of the road from Grand Rapids to the Straits of Mackinaw. Instead of a land grant direct to the railroad companies the grant was made to the State of Michigan and the bill was approved by President Pierce, July 3, 1856. By act of the legislature, in 1857, this land grant was transferred to the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad Company. After many discouraging delays, the tracks from the south were com- pleted to Grand Rapids, Sept. 13, 1870, and the entire line, from Fort Wayne, Ind., to Petoskey, Mich., was finished on Nov. 24, 1873. In 1886 the company projected an "air-line" branch to Muskegon, and on Dec. 1, of the same year, it was open for business, thus bringing that important port on the west side of Lake Michigan within about an hour's ride of Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad was one of the chief factors in the development of Northern Michi- gan, and it is interesting to note in this connection that the land included in the Congressional grant was sold to actual settlers at an average price of almost precisely $12 per acre, the highest average price ever paid for railroad grant lands in America.
The Michigan Central railroad was built from Jackson to Grand Rapids in 1869, and was then known as the Grand River Valley rail- road. The first train from Jackson over this line arrived, Jan. 1, 1870.
The Grand Rapids, Newaygo & Lake Shore Railroad Company was organized, Sept. 11, 1869, and completed a line from Grand Rapids to White Cloud, Sept. 24, 1875. A road from Holland to this city was opened, Jan. 6, 1872, and these lines with their connections became known as the Chicago & West Michigan railway. The Grand Rapids, Lansing & Detroit division of the Detroit, Lansing & Northern rail- road was opened between Grand Rapids and Lansing, in July, 1888, and in December, 1896, the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railroad Company was formed and operated the line until it was merged into the Pere Marquette system, Jan. 1, 1900, together with the Chicago & West Michigan, the Detroit, Grand Haven & Western, and the Lowell & Hastings railroads.
The Grand Rapids, Grand Haven & Muskegon Electric Railroad Company was organized, March 6, 1899, and on Feb. 1, 1902, it ran its first cars between Grand Rapids and Muskegon. On June 18, 1903, it first ran cars into Grand Haven, where it connects with a line of lake steamers. This road does a large business and is a great aid to the traveling public.
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The Grand Rapids, Holland & Chicago Railroad Company was organized in 1901, and it operates an electric line from Grand Rapids through Holland to Macatawa Park and Saugatuck. The first car ran over the line from Holland to Grand Rapids, in September, 1901, and in 1902 it inaugurated a fast express between Grand Rapids and Chicago, connecting with the Graham & Morton boat line. The road runs through the "fruit belt" and in season does a large business in transporting fruit to market. A line to Kalamazoo completes the list of electric roads which makes the Grand Rapids the center in this respect of a considerable sized territory.
The original movement for the establishing of a street railway in Grand Rapids was made by William A. Richmond, John W. Peirce, Henry Grinnell, William H. Withey and others, who, on May 19, 1864, secured the passing of an ordinance by the Common Council which gave them the right to construct a street railway from the De- troit & Milwaukee railway station down old Canal and up Monroe and Fulton street as far as Jefferson avenue. This charter was repealed, Oct. 11, 1864, and a new one passed, granting similar privileges to George Jerome, of Detroit; Daniel Owen, of New York, and Thomas S. Sprague, of Saginaw. The cars were started, May 10, 1865, and the Monroe avenue line was the only railway until the summer of 1873, when the Division avenue line to the old fair grounds on Hall street at Jefferson avenue, was constructed, and cars began running there early in September of that year. In 1875 a line to Reed's Lake was put into operation. From the lake it came down Sherman and East streets, Wealthy avenue, Lagrave, Monroe, Division and Lyon and through Bond street. Within the ensuing ten years lines were built in Scribner, Stocking and West Bridge streets, crossing both the Bridge and Pearl street bridges in their connection. They were all consolidated into a single corporation in August, 1885, and the new arrangement brough all the lines constructed prior to 1886 under one control.
On February 16, 1885, an ordinance was passed granting a fran- chise for the construction of a cable railway in Lyon, Union and Michigan streets. The first one completed was in Lyon street, from the foot to Grand avenue, and horse car lines in connection were con- structed from the foot of Lyon to Market and down Grandville ave- nue to the south city line; also across Fulton street bridge to the west city lines, and one north from Lyon on Barclay avenue. The horse car branches were running in October, 1887, and the cable in Lyon street was drawn to place, April 13, 1888; grip cars ran on the 16th and soon began regular trips. Some seven miles of roadway were completed, and on April 24, 1891, an ordinance was passed by the Common Council permitting the two street railway companies to consolidate and discontinue certain parallel lines. In July, 1891, the consolidation was completed and the street railway system of Grand Rapids became known as the Consolidated Street Railway Company of Grand Rapids. Electricity was substituted as a motive power and the cable and horse soon disappeared. A steam railway extending north of the city, past the Soldiers' Home to the bank of Grand River was later made an electric line and added to the system, being after- ward extended to Comstock Park.
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HORTICULTURE AND POMOLOGY
On the high grounds of Kent county the cultivation of peaches is quite as successful as in any part of the State, and the cultivation of apples and other fruits in this vicinity is also profitable. The fruits of this region have been awarded a considerable number of premiums by the orchard committee of the State Pomological Society, and at the exhibit of the Society at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876, the Grand River Horticultural Society contributed a general collection of fruit, which elicited much commendation. The Hon. Henry Fralick, of Grand Rapids, was one of the Board of Managers who represented Michigan at the Centennial exhibition and to his ef- forts were due largely the prominence which the Michigan fruit ex- hibit there attained, and from that year may be dated the general knowledge of the superiority of the Michigan fruit belt. Its product was easily the prime favorite at that exhibition.
Among the enthusiasts in the matter of fruit culture in past years may be mentioned the Hon. Robert D. Graham, who served as secre- tary of the Grand River Horticultural Society, in 1883-85, and Jona- than P. Thompson, a newspaper writer, connected at one time with the Enquirer and later with the Eagle. Later in life he devoted his time chiefly to the promotion of the interests of horticulture and pom- ology in the state, originated the idea of a State Pomological Society, and upon his death that society adopted resolutions of tribute to his memory and directed the procuring of his portrait to be placed among the archives. The Hon. Charles W. Garfield early turned his attention to horticulture, and as a young man was four years in charge of the farm department of the Detroit Free Press. From 1875 to 1889 he was secretary of the State Horticultural Society, and then became a member of the Executive Board. In 1885 he was elected secretary of the American Pomological Society. His reports of the transac- tions of the State Horticultural Society comprise several volumes of much merit and value. In his "Brief of Horticulture" he says there is no one branch of horticulture that takes precedence in Kent county, although the peach and small fruit interests are very large. The Baldwin and Northern Spy are the leading market apples. The peach crop is not as certain as upon the lake shore, but many thousands of bushels are marketed from the orchards about Grand Rapids.
At the Columbian Exposition, held at Chicago in 1893, the prod- ucts of Kent county farms and factories were again on display, and upon the Board of Managers again there was a Grand Rapids citizen in the person of E. B. Fisher. As the result of the pomological display at this exposition Kent county and Western Michigan became more widely as well as favorably known for the excellent quality and enor- mous quantity of fruits there produced.
SALT, GYPSUM, ETC.
Somewhat in detail in preceding pages has been told the story of the efforts of the Hon. Lucius Lyon to develop the salt industry of Grand Rapids. Although unsuccessful, he doubtless attracted atten- tion to the State and this contributed largely to the development of the salt industry of Michigan, which now annually produces some 60 per
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cent of the entire product of the United States. And the efforts to produce salt here unquestionably led to the exploration and develop- ment of the Grand Rapids plaster beds and the discovery of the gypsum strata which underlie this region. The first gypsum quarry was opened about 1849, and the manufacture of stucco or calcined plaster from gypsum was thereby early commenced. And this trade has been a very important factor in the business of Grand Rapids and its vicinity. In the early years of the industry, and in fact up to about 1880, or later, two-thirds of the output from Kent county was in land plaster, and the minor portion in calcined plaster or stucco. But in the later years the proportions have been about reversed. The Alabastine Company was organized in New York, in 1879, by Melvin B. Church, who was its manager for a number of years. It has offices in this city and mills outside, its plant being the largest of its kind in the world. Alabastine is an article of which calcined gypsum is the base, made to take the place of calcimine in wall coatings and finsh.
THE TELEPHONE
A good many Grand Rapids people visited the Centennial ex- position at Philadelphia, in its last month, and saw or heard of the wonderful new invention, the telephone. So, when "Deacon" Con- verse connected the Grand Rapids Plaster Company's city office with the plaster quarry just southwest of the city with 'phones, there was at once very great curiosity about and interest in them, and crowds who had heard of the telephone at the Centennial greeted with much enthusiasm what are said to have been the first pair of 'phones brought into Michigan. They are yet among the treasures of the Plaster Company. Later, when a telephone and telegraph construc- tion company was established in Grand Rapids, in October, 1879, as a branch of the Michigan Telephone Company of Detroit-later the Michigan State Bell Telephone Company-it was warmly welcomed and generously patronized; indeed it was said in those days, when the plant was fully developed with but few less than 1,500 'phones, that it was the largest service, per capita, in the United States-which was the largest in the world. At this time, about Jan. 1, 1895, Michigan had the largest telephone development of any state in the United States, save one, Iowa, with a very few more than 13,000 'phones in use.
In the Fall of 1894, several prominent Grand Rapids citizens, among them the late Hon. William J. Stuart, the late S. B. Jenks, the late Hon. Cyrus E. Perkins, and the Hon. Charles R. Sligh, began an agitation for a new, local telephone company, and applied to the Common Council for a franchise, to be granted to "S. B. Jenks and others hereafter to be associated with him." The franchise was granted, and later, about June 1, 1895, the Citizens' Telephone Com- pany was formally launched with an authorized capital of $100,000, with E. B. Fisher as president, C. F. Rood as vice-president, Amos S. Musselman as secretary, W. J. Stuart as treasurer, and J. B. Ware as manager. There were twelve in the full board of directors. Thus and then was launched the first formidable effort at co-operation in this field of endeavor in the United States. The project was favored,
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a large number of townspeople took stock, and it grew on their hands. The first pole was set, Oct. 2, 1895, and practical service was given in May, 1896. There were contracts for about 1,600 'phones, of which nearly 1,000 were in use, July 1, 1896, when regular service formally began. The reputation of the new venture spread abroad, and other communities, with trade and other connections with the city, desired similar experiences, which later were afforded. The Citizens' Com- pany at this time is said to have been the largest system of its class and kind in the country, and was an exemplar visited by many people from all over the country-later, when still further development occurred, from all over the world. It had a fame beyond the United States, as well as in them.
About July 1, 1896, after the expiry of the basic patents, there were reported to be a little less than 340,000 'phones in the United States, which then, as now, had largely more than half of all in use in the world. The Citizens' Company now has more than 16,000 'phones in its Grand Rapids plant, somewhat more than 40,000 in its system, in other towns and counties in Western Michigan, and a gross investment of some $5,000,000. Michigan has more 'phones in all than there were in the United States in 1896, and the whole country now has about 12,000,000 'phones in service! And in all of this wonderful and most advantageous change, Grand Rapids has had an honorable and somewhat conspicuous part.
On Jan. 9, 1904, the Grand Rapids city exchange of the Citizens' Company was changed from a manual to an automatic plant and for some time thereafter was the largest and most noted exchange of that type in the country. The company is distinctly a Grand Rapids enter- prise, in its inception and development. About one-half of its 3,200 stockholders are Grand Rapids people, and their influence and exam- ple-the story of their achievements and the resulting advantages- have spread not only throughout this country, but in many foreign lands, and has attracted special visitors from them.
WATER POWER
Among the early steps in the important improvements here in the early days of Grand Rapids was that taken by Lyon & Sargeant and their associates-the initial movement in the development of the water power at the rapids of Grand river. And in this is another evidence of the wonderful foresight of Lucius Lyon. When he and his associates undertook the construction of that mill race on the east side of the rapids they anticipated a profitable income, but they really builded wiser than they knew, in the foundation which they laid for the great industrial interests of Grand Rapids. This work was started, in 1835, and in its progress marred more fortunes than it made in the succeeding fifteen years, and until its full development. Yet a considerable number of energetic and hard working men began there the struggle which ultimately led to success and prominence. A companion piece to this is the west-side canal, and water power improvement made thirty years later. In connection with these is the dam across Grand river, first built in 1849, some distance above where the present dam stands and rebuilt where it now is, in 1866. The large water power, utilized by use of the canals, which has been estimated
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as high as 2,400 horsepower, turns a great many industrial wheels, gives employment to thousands of men and support to thousands of families, and contributes doubtless more largely than any other single factor to the development and value of the city's manufacturing interests.
A NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT
In the early city days old Canal street, between Pearl and Michi- gan, was very much lower than it is now, and in wet weather became almost impassable. It was finally decided to raise the grade about six feet and for this purpose a contract was let amounting to $54,000. With the street thus elevated, the buildings, particularly on the west side of the roadway, from Pearl to Lyon streets, were much below the grade line and it was necessary to raise them. The one which stood at the Old National Bank corner, then known as Sweet's Hotel, was the largest of these buildings. To accomplish the feat of raising it, some 5,500 jackscrews were placed under it, and with a man sta- tioned at each jackscrew the word of command was given and the building was thus soon raised to the required height.
"DEACON" CONVERSE
In the preceding pages occasional reference is made to James W. Converse, and, though he never claimed residence in Grand Rapids, his activities were of such nature and so extensive as to make a more extended mention of him appropriate. Mr. Converse was born in Thompson, Conn., Jan. 11, 1808, and when but thirteen years old left home and went to Boston, where he entered upon a successful and honorable career. He later became a member of a firm engaged in the hide and leather trade in Boston, and he remained so interested until 1870. He first visited Grand Rapids, June 3, 1850, to save to the American Baptist Missionary Union its rights in the property that had been the Baptist Indian Mission reserve on the west side of the river, south of Bridge street. In that he succeeded, and afterward purchased the property, which, in 1856, he caused to be platted and it became known as the Converse Addition. He also purchased an interest in the gypsum quarries and mills southwest of the city, and in 1856 a company was organized and later incorporated as the Grand Rapids Plaster Company, of which Mr. Converse was chosen presi- dent. In the Fall of 1857 he was one of the organizers of the Pearl Street Bridge Company and furnished most of the funds for the construction of the bridge, in 1858. He was also largely interested, financially and otherwise, in the construction of the first railroad from Kalamazoo, by way of Allegan, into Grand Rapids. He also fur- nished the funds for the construction of the railroad to Newaygo, taking and negotiating the bonds which matured July 1, 1891. He was president and principal owner of the Converse Manufacturing Company, having factory, stores and mills at Newaygo, and his work and investment hereabout contributed much to the growth and prog- ress of Grand Rapids. He it was who brought the first pair of tele- phones for practical service to Grand Rapids, in 1877. Before their introduction a telegraph line had connected the city office of the gypsum company with its mills just southwest of the city limits, and
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