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Lost or Forgotten Grand Rapids?

michaelskis

By michaelskis
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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michaelskis Hamlet

michaelskis

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There are web sites and books dedicated to Lost New York, Lost Detroit, and several other cities in the US. But does Grand Rapids have a photo book showing places or uses of what was, or might still be there just forgotten? I imagine with the industrial heritage and the historic districts within the city, there must be a few places like this were tunnels, buildings or other things have been completely forgotten by the public.

Maybe this would be a good project for some of us?

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tamias6 Town

tamias6

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Postcard History Series,

Grand Rapids

In Vintage Postcards

1890-1940

by Thomas R. Dilley

ISBN 0-7385-3950-3

and

Post History Series,

Grand Rapids

Community and History

by THomas R. Dilley

ISBN 0-7385-4054-4

These books contain a great collection of postcards illustrating GR's past.

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michaelskis Hamlet

michaelskis

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Yeah, I have an Olson book at home, (my brother took his class, I never had the pleasure).

It documents quite a bit of information of course, and has some great shots, and is a fun read. I don't think it contains any "lost" or "GR urban myth/legend" types of structures or entities though.

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Allison Slater Town

Allison Slater

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I'm actually kinda curious as to what Monroe Center looked like just before Rosa Parks circle and the new GRAM as well. What was torn down for these?

Another building that always grabs my attention which I know nothing about... at the dog pit, on the wall just under the big D on the sign on the wall, is a picture with a red building with a cylindrical portion extending above the roofline of the building, with the space above the roofline being open-air. What was that, where was it, why was it torn down, and is there any other pictures of it? What was the purpose of the uppermost portion of the cylindrical tower being open-air?

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Nitro Burg

Nitro

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When I was little I remember one of my teachers telling me that Ford (back in the teens or 20's) had decided to build a plant here in GR. I also remember being told that construction had started on the plant and the whole idea was scrapped very soon after construction had started.

I have no idea if it's true or not. It's one of those things that stuck in my head for years that I've always wondered about. That would be a good one for someone to track down.

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Nitro Burg

Nitro

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This is under the museum along the riverfront. It looks that this was the foundation of something. The stone work has a brick topping and it looks like some sort of drain under the concrete projection. What's the story? What was here, how long ago was it?
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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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Well there are always mysteries in Cities. For example take a look at this photo:

290169048_4b397529b8.jpg

This is under the museum along the riverfront. It looks that this was the foundation of something. The stone work has a brick topping and it looks like some sort of drain under the concrete projection. What's the story? What was here, how long ago was it?

I ordered a few history books on GR, and I am going to start looking into what was here that people might have forgotten about.

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PRCH Whistle-Stop

PRCH

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I'm actually kinda curious as to what Monroe Center looked like just before Rosa Parks circle and the new GRAM as well. What was torn down for these?

Another building that always grabs my attention which I know nothing about... at the dog pit, on the wall just under the big D on the sign on the wall, is a picture with a red building with a cylindrical portion extending above the roofline of the building, with the space above the roofline being open-air. What was that, where was it, why was it torn down, and is there any other pictures of it? What was the purpose of the uppermost portion of the cylindrical tower being open-air?

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PRCH Whistle-Stop

PRCH

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I'm actually kinda curious as to what Monroe Center looked like just before Rosa Parks circle and the new GRAM as well. What was torn down for these?

Usually called the Drugstore Block, that part of Monroe included Grant's, Kresges, Green's, etc. Monroe Street (Center) was realigned after the demolitions in the late 70's and included a waterfall structure and the amphitheatre that preceded the Maya Lin redesign ("Rosa Parks Circle"); the drugstore buildings had faced the buildings on the north side of Monroe in a straight line from Ottawa to Pearl.)

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Veloise City

Veloise

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Man, none of my dad's brothers or sisters ever learned Lithuanian (to my knowledge). I think I heard my Grandpa and his sisters speak it just a few times. Is it sad that I had to look up what labas meant?! We were all a part of S.S.P.P. at some point or another.

Oh, and....hi. :)

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walker Burg

walker

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When I was little I remember one of my teachers telling me that Ford (back in the teens or 20's) had decided to build a plant here in GR. I also remember being told that construction had started on the plant and the whole idea was scrapped very soon after construction had started.

I have no idea if it's true or not. It's one of those things that stuck in my head for years that I've always wondered about. That would be a good one for someone to track down.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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That is the old foundation to the Voigt Mill. They unearthed it when building the new museum. I also heard a story that much of the debris from City Hall was dumped onto the lot that is now the museum. Anyone else hear that one?

Well there are always mysteries in Cities. For example take a look at this photo:

290169048_4b397529b8.jpg

This is under the museum along the riverfront. It looks that this was the foundation of something. The stone work has a brick topping and it looks like some sort of drain under the concrete projection. What's the story? What was here, how long ago was it?

I ordered a few history books on GR, and I am going to start looking into what was here that people might have forgotten about.

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michaelskis Hamlet

michaelskis

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One example: elements of the decorative stone wall which surrounded the old City Hall were recovered from thier dumping place at the back of John Ball Park (where the new road is) . Thanks to the efforts of past Historic Preservation commission president Jim O'Connor, they can be seen today around the clock tower at the new County Court House, at Ottawa and Lyon..
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grrwymg Hamlet

grrwymg

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Could someone do a quick sketchup of what monroe and campau square would've looked like before monroe was extended through?

I've been looking for a while, and can't seem to grasp the look or idea. Or even what Campau Square would've looked like.

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