Lost or Forgotten Grand Rapids?

[6th Gen local]

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.

[grrwymg]

The Grand Rapids Then and now thread on the main page has some pictures of that area. In post #75 of that thread is sort of a plot map of that area.

Here are a few images I scanned for that thread.

[LA Dave]

Regarding the picric acid plant in Wyoming. When I was kid, the ruins of that plant (which was planned to be massive but whose construction stopped with the Armistace in 1918) still existed in and near Palmer Park. In particular, there were two or three huge old smokestacks that soared over the area. These were dynamited, I believe, in the 1970s, and there are no further remains to be seen.

[Veloise]

...

[civitas]

Regarding the picric acid plant in Wyoming. When I was kid, the ruins of that plant (which was planned to be massive but whose construction stopped with the Armistace in 1918) still existed in and near Palmer Park. In particular, there were two or three huge old smokestacks that soared over the area. These were dynamited, I believe, in the 1970s, and there are no further remains to be seen.

[Nitro]

Regarding the picric acid plant in Wyoming. When I was kid, the ruins of that plant (which was planned to be massive but whose construction stopped with the Armistace in 1918) still existed in and near Palmer Park. In particular, there were two or three huge old smokestacks that soared over the area. These were dynamited, I believe, in the 1970s, and there are no further remains to be seen.

[walker]

Having no idea what in the world picric acid was, I googled it. Wiki says its some nasty explosive stuff that was used for artillery shells.

What interest did Ford have in the stuff? I can't imagine he was doing war contracting at the time, the company was still in its infancy. Were there other uses for this material?

[walker]

Here is a link that tells more than you'd ever want to know about the wyoming picric acid plant. It includes blurry pictures of the smoke stacks:

p is for picric plant

[LA Dave]

Thanks for that link, Walker. That was my source for info as well.

Picric acid was very dicey -- the plant was built where it was because there wasn't much around it at the time, except an active rail line (The Grand Rapids & Indiana), which was essential for both shipments in and out of the plant and bringing workers from Grand Rapids.

[Weallneedhistory]

Here is a link that tells more than you'd ever want to know about the wyoming picric acid plant. It includes blurry pictures of the smoke stacks:

p is for picric plant

[LA Dave]

Speaking of airports and 44th St:

At the old Kent County Airport (which used to be located where the Roger B. Chaffee Boulevard and associated industrial park now is), the main north south runway was extended in the 1950s past 44th St. In those days, 44th St. was a two-lane. When planes took off, they actually had to close the street, like at a railway crossing, for safety. I think that there are photos available of this, maybe in the GRPL collection. Another reason why it was necessary to build a new GRR "out in the country."

Another trivia question: Who was Roger B. Chaffee?

[Budgie Frisket]

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

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.

[michaelskis]

That is the famous "Road to Nowhere." A portal presents itself at unknown times, and if you happen to be walking there when a portal pops up, you will walk to the other side. I hear it's pretty cool over there. No one works, and everyone is rich.

[Rizzo]

Speaking of airports and 44th St:

At the old Kent County Airport (which used to be located where the Roger B. Chaffee Boulevard and associated industrial park now is), the main north south runway was extended in the 1950s past 44th St. In those days, 44th St. was a two-lane. When planes took off, they actually had to close the street, like at a railway crossing, for safety. I think that there are photos available of this, maybe in the GRPL collection. Another reason why it was necessary to build a new GRR "out in the country."

Another trivia question: Who was Roger B. Chaffee?

[Weallneedhistory]

Another trivia question: Who was Roger B. Chaffee?

[concretepoem]

Another trivia question: Who was Roger B. Chaffee?

[civitas]

Speaking of airports and 44th St:

At the old Kent County Airport (which used to be located where the Roger B. Chaffee Boulevard and associated industrial park now is), the main north south runway was extended in the 1950s past 44th St. In those days, 44th St. was a two-lane. When planes took off, they actually had to close the street, like at a railway crossing, for safety. I think that there are photos available of this, maybe in the GRPL collection. Another reason why it was necessary to build a new GRR "out in the country."

Another trivia question: Who was Roger B. Chaffee?

[LA Dave]

Kudos to all who correctly identified the late Roger B. Chaffee.

Regarding the airport -- His father lobbied hard to get the airport named after Astronaut Chaffee, but apparently the County Board balked at the pressure.

[Allison Slater]

There isn't much named after him, just the road and the planetarium, right?

I remember being at NASA in Florida. They had a solar panel collection thingy with late astronauts engraved into a layer of glass above the panels. The thing would constantly rotate to always face the sun. I remember pinpointing Chaffee's name on it.

[Nitro]

The city of Long Beach, California has three islands in its harbor, named Chaffee, White and Grissom Islands as a memorial to their sacrifice.

[6th Gen local]

There was time time just after the airport moved when certain high school guys with their dad's cars would drag race down the old runway...at least that's what I heard.

[GRDadof3]

'Vintage Grand Rapids' shows life in simpler times

The book that the GR Press was putting together from donated photos is now out.

[GRCPM]

There isn't much named after him, just the road and the planetarium, right?

I remember being at NASA in Florida. They had a solar panel collection thingy with late astronauts engraved into a layer of glass above the panels. The thing would constantly rotate to always face the sun. I remember pinpointing Chaffee's name on it.

[Weallneedhistory]

'Vintage Grand Rapids' shows life in simpler times

The book that the GR Press was putting together from donated photos is now out.

[fotoman311]

Dug this thread out.

Union High School. Anyone know where this would have been? Is this the same building that's out on the westside now? I don't know what that building looks like well enough to know.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3502632927/

Monroe Center ~1910. You can clearly see the building that McKay Tower replaced that was mentioned recently in another thread. Love the hats!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3502585829/

Grand Trunk Depot, 1909. This depot was on the site of the USPS Main Office on Michigan St.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3502637445/

But, this one may be my favorite. According to the back ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3503402424/ ), this beautiful "breathing ground" was located right near a thriving business district. Now that's how retail should be done.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/3502584745/

More on my Flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoman311/se...57617751492082/