History of the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan
With an Appendix--History of Lowell, MichiganBy Albert Baxter
New York and Grand Rapids:
Munsell & Company, Publishers,
1891.Transcribed for use online by:
Ronnie Aungst, Jennifer Godwin, Ed Howe, Tom McCormick, Barbara Jones, Jessica Trotter, Evelyn Sawyer, Amy Brown Cyndi Kuhlman, Julie Powers and Donna Rogers
There is a website where you can link to and download - the University of Michigan has completed almost all of the Michigan County Histories including some of our local histories: 1881 Chapman, 1891 Baxter, 1906 Goss, 1878 Everett, 1918 Fisher, and White's Old Grand Rapids, 1925 and volume III of White's by Fuller mainly of biographical sketches of Grand Rapids residents, 1926 -
http://www.hti.umich.edu/m/micounty/Table of Contents:
Chapter I: Location and Surroundings; pp. 1-21
Chapter II: Indian Occupation of Western Michigan; pp.22-44
Chapter III: The Advent of the White Man; pp. 45-53
Chapter IV: The Settlement--The Pioneer Colony; pp. 54-62
Chapter V: Incidents and Reminiscences; pp. 63-68
Chapter VI: Early Descriptive Sketches; pp. 69-80
Chapter VII: Outline Sketch--Colonial, Territorial, State and Local; pp. 81-84
Chapter VIII: Beginnings in the Two Townships; pp. 85-88
Chapter IX: The Village of Grand Rapids; pp. 89-97
Chapter X: Enterprising Pioneers--Who Some of Them Were and What They Did; pp. 98-120
Chapter XI: The Civil Chronicle--Events of Forty Years; pp. 121-142
Chapter XII: The Old Residents Association of the Grand River Valley; pp. 143-148
Chapter XIII: The City Charter; pp. 149-153
Chapter XIV: Municipal Annals; pp. 154-166
Chapter XV: Fourth of July Celebrations; pp. 167-170
Chapter XVI: Climate-Temperature-Storms-Floods-Rainfall; pp. 171-173
Chapter XVII: Fifty-six Winter Seasons; pp. 174-178
Chapter XVIII: The Police Department; pp. 179-180
Chapter XIX: The Fire Department; pp. 181-187
Chapter XX: Records of Important Fires; pp. 188-190
Chapter XXI: Immigrations and Nativities; pp. 191-193
Chapter XXII: Political Parties and Elections; pp. 194-198
Chapter XXIII: Temperance and Liquor; pp. 199-205
Chapter XXIV: The Water Supply; pp. 206-213
Chapter XXV: Lights and Electricity; pp. 214-218
Chapter XXVI: The Public Schools; pp. 219-238
Chapter XXVII: Academic, Private and Parochial Schools; pp. 239-245
Chapter XXIX: Art--Photograph, Painting and Music; pp. 254-259
Chapter XXX: The Press of Grand Rapids; pp. 260-277
Chapter XXXI: Churches and Religious Societies; pp. 279-351
Chapter XXXII: Benevolent Institutions and Organizations; pp. 352-361
Chapter XXXIII: Public Buildings; pp. 362-383
Deaths of Inmates of the Old Soldiers' HomeChapter XXXIV: Kent County Government; pp. 384-392
Chapter XXXV: The City Administration; pp. 393-404
Chapter XXXVI: Parks and Cemeteries; pp. 495-413
Cemeteries (Exerpted)Chapter XXXVII: Salt Wells and Works; pp. 414-416
Chapter XXXVIII: Gypsum and Plaster of Paris; pp. 417-423
Chapter XXXIX: Flouring Mills, Saw Mills and Lumber; pp. 424-437
Chapter XL: Foundries and Machine Shops--Iron, Brass and Other Metal; pp. 438-450
Chapter XLI: Wagons, Carriages and Other Vehicles; pp. 451-460
Chapter XLII: Manufacture of Furniture and Cabinets; pp. 461-482
Chapter XLIII: Industrial Enterprises Not Elsewhere Classified; pp. 483-504
Chapter XLIV: Farm, Garden and Stock; pp. 505-514
Chapter XLV: Navigation; pp. 515-522
Chapter XLVI: Early Highways, Stages and Plank Roads; pp. 523-529
Chapter XLVII: Railways; pp. 527-539
Chapter XLVIII: Street Railways and Gravel Roads; pp. 540-543
Chapter XLIX: Bridges Across Grand River, pp. 544-547
Chapter L: Village Roads and City Streets; pp. 548-558
Chapter LI: Entertainment; pp. 559-570
Chapter LII: Military--State and Local Militia; pp. 560-574
Chapter LIII: Grand Rapids and Kent County in the War for the Union; pp. 575-599
Chapter LIV: Volunteers and Commissions; pp. 600-613
Chapter LV: Fatalities in the Active Service; pp. 614-621
Chapter LVI: Early Marriages, Golden Weddings and Deaths of Village Residents; pp. 622-628
Chapter LVII: Orders, Societies and Clubs; pp. 629-640
Chapter LVIII: Improvements and Progress; pp. 641-644
Chapter LIX: Trade, Commerce, Business Agencies and Contractors; pp. 645-664
Chapter LX: Meats and Marketing; pp. 665-666
Chapter LXI: Banks and Banking; pp. 667-690
Chapter LXII: Medicine and Surgery; pp. 691-726
Chapter LXIII: Dentistry--Drugs--Independent Doctors; pp. 727-729
Chapter LXIV: The Bench and the Bar; pp. 730-760
Chapter LXV: Buildings and Homes; pp. 761-788
Chapter LXVI: Statistics; pp. 789-793
APPENDIX; pp. 797-812
History of Lowell, Kent County, Michigan--Townships and Villages
General Index to the History of Lowell
Personal Name Index to the History of Lowell
Extended Biographies Index (WMGS)
Index to Special Personal Paragraphs
Index to Business Firms Mentioned
Pictures, Portraits & Maps
- 1836 Map of Grand Rapids (66K) "The original plat."
- "Skeleton" Map of Grand Rapids (740K)
Also available in normal size (125K).- 1891 Map Showing Railroads Centering at Grand Rapids (87K)
Transcriber:
Created:
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/baxter1891/index.htm
Contact County Coordinator: evlynsaw@comcast.net
