Its proximity to Lake Michigan means that a trip to Grand Rapids provides you not only with a city experience, but also the opportunity to explore all that the lakeshore has to offer. Beyond beach…
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The lumber and furniture industries fueled great fortunes in Grand Rapids during the 19th and early 20th centuries - and many of our historic homes reflect the excess of those lavish times. Heritage…
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One of the beautiful aspects about the rise of craft beer in the United States is the tendency for breweries to settle into amazing buildings. Fortunately for Grand Rapids, many of the breweries have…
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President Gerald R. Ford wasn’t actually born in Grand Rapids, but since his mother moved here when he was just two weeks old, the city has always claimed him as a native son. Ford never quibbled with…
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Facts about the 38th President of the United States Gerald R. Ford arrived in Grand Rapids in 1913, two weeks after his birth in Omaha, Nebraska. He was originally named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. but…
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It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Former First Lady Betty Ford. On Friday, July 8, 2011 Former First Lady Betty Ford passed away at the age of 93. She died peacefully at Eisenhower…
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Large numbers of Dutch farmers began immigrating to America in the early 19th century, driven by high taxes and low wages. Many settled in the Midwest, especially West Michigan. A wave of Calvinist…
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There are a lot of great ways to explore Grand Rapids history. You can browse the exhibits at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives, stroll the Heritage…
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Downtown Grand Rapids has exploded in the last decade with the grand openings of breweries, restaurants, apartments, and entertainment venues. In light of everything new in the city, Grand Rapids’…
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Indigenous peoples lived in what is now Grand Rapids for thousands of years before the first European settlers arrived in the early 1800s. Detroit-born Louis Campau, known as the father of Grand…
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