Volume 42, number 6
March 2021
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now Inside this issue:
Thursday, March 11, 2021, 7:00 p.m. Cover Story: Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now Letter from our President page 2 A Short History of Pets and Animals in Grand Rapids—Part 1 page 3 Women’s History Month page 6
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_1Ms9Urh-Qk2uhPWj1i95zg Where you live has always undeniably determined the opportunities you have access to, including education, employment, health care, transportation, green space, and much more. Where you live also directly impacts how you live – and even your life expectancy. As we come to better understand more about these connections, it seems that the stakes for equal housing opportunity have never been higher. Join Liz Keegan (Fair Housing Center of West Michigan) as she shares a history of the journey for fair housing in greater Grand Rapids. She will also share information on how housing segregation and discriminatory housing policies such as redlining continue to impact us all today.
Photo Sleuth page 7
President Johnson signing the Fair Housing Act in 1968
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members,
Thank you for your continued support of our mission to further our knowledge of local history. Please find some biographical information below about our March speaker, Liz Keegan.
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects. Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Matthew Daley, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Nan Schichtel, secretary Board members: Charles Bocskey Angela Cluley Thomas Dilley Matthew Ellis Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Sytsma Julie Tabberer Jim Winslow Jessica Riley, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Website: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com Grand River Times
Continued from front page: Liz Keegan has been the Director of Education and Outreach for the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan (FHCWM) since January of 2006. She is responsible for developing and implementing education and outreach activities for the general public, social service organizations, the housing industry, and beyond. She has provided extensive technical fair housing training to more than 7,875 housing industry members in more than 350 sessions covering lending, rental property management, property maintenance, advertising, real estate sales, and advanced topics upon request. Keegan has developed a menu of more than 50 fair housing training opportunities for landlords, property managers, maintenance personnel, real estate agents, lenders, senior housing providers and zoning officials. Prior to joining the staff full-time, she worked for the FHCWM as an independent contractor for five years, coordinating the Center’s annual Fair Housing Luncheon & Workshop Series. In addition to the Series, Keegan is responsible for coordinating the Center’s annual Lakeshore breakfast, the curricula for elementary, middle, and high school students as well as adult ESL (English as a Second Language) students. Keegan has served on the Executive Committee of the Ottawa Area Housing Coalition (now Lakeshore Housing Alliance) since 2009. Before she joined the FHCWM, she worked for the Community Leadership Institute at Aquinas College conducting research, facilitating forums and educational events as well as community organizing. Keegan received her bachelor’s degree from Aquinas College in 1998.
About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours. Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. The membership year runs from May to the following May. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year. Members also receive a 20% discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 2
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A Short History of Pets and Animals in Grand Rapids—Part 1 By: Matthew Ellis—Board Trustee In 1962, the Grand Rapids Press wrote an article about a dog named Jerry that, when moving to Florida with their owner, escaped his crate on the train in Chicago and traveled the 170 miles back home to Grand Rapids. In Grand Rapids, people love their pets, and apparently, their pets love Grand Rapids. In regular times, dog parks are packed. Pedestrians can see cats lounging in the windows of homes and shops. We even have a café in town that doubles as a cat adoption center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for many individuals, pets have provided much-needed companionship while we have been homebound. The history of pets, and animals in general, within Grand Rapids can be traced back to before the City's founding. Albert Baxter notes in History of the City of Grand Rapids that the Native American's in West Michigan had domesticated dogs. Some sources describe these as closer to wolves and coyotes than the dogs we know today. These canine companions functioned as pets but also as partners in hunting and in guarding settlements. When Grand Rapids incorporated as a village, dogs arrived with the settlers. Baxter notes that when the settlers arrived in their wagons, "dogs walked beside them." Dogs also served a more utilitarian purpose to those villagers. In 1837, the first paper established in the village, the Grand River Times, was created with supplies brought to the City by dog sleds on the Grand River, trekking from Grand Haven. Baxter also notes that in 1858 a dog had helped three hunters take down three bears in one of the city wards. In 1866, dogs were also mentioned by Baxter when he noted that when a bear wandered near Crescent Park, it created "quite an excitement among the men, boys, and dogs." From these examples, we can see that bears were present and a problem. Wild animals such as bears, wolves, and wildcats posed trouble to the residents in several ways. Baxter notes that wolves and bears would wander into the City. The village board of trustees authorized a bounty on wolves, offering $5 for every wolf, approximately $140 today. Many City residents raised pigs, and the wild animals would wreak havoc on the small pens residents kept in their yards. These wild animals were particularly a problem to the many horses that lived in the City. Sources on how many individuals kept horses are sparse. Baxter discusses horses mainly concerning their specific owners, noting if a horse was shot or how many horses it took to complete a task. He does mention livery barns, stables where horses were kept for board or hire. The first liveries were built in the 1840s; some even rented out carriages for hire. In 1894, the Grand Rapids Herald notes that J. P. Moran had the most extensive livery stable in City, built just two years prior on North Division where the Keeler building now sits. The Herald provided more details on the building's layout than Baxter did on any of the liveries he discussed. The first floor housed Carriages and other vehicles, and also the tack, saddles, and the main office. Horses boarded on the second floor with fifty individual stalls complete with lofts overhead for feed. The building even had a basement in which additional vehicles were kept. Hotels and other buildings had small liveries as well, for patrons and visitors. Individuals had stables as well. Neighborhoods depicted in the 1878 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps did show a few residential stables, but the 1894 plat show that by the 1890s, far more residents had them and likely had horses. Looking at one block, Ottawa Ave NW, North of Newberry, and South of Mason, we can see the growth of stables. In 1878 there was one stable in a row of 11 houses. In 1888 there were two stables for the same block, and by 1895 there were five for the same number of residents. These added stables were likely due to the city growing and with it the need to travel farther. Continued on page 4 Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Continued from page 3 Businesses also used horses, and residents also used them for recreation. Logging relied heavily on horses, and horse racing became a popular pastime in the City. In 1862, the common council passed a resolution that authorized the marshal to punish horse racers and riders and carriage drivers that drove "immoderately." In 1869 the Grand Rapids Horse Association was formed and was famed for training horses and for putting on races and contests at the local fairs. The first official horse race put on by the association was in 1870. In the early 1860s, the Common Council authorized the pound master to round up loose horses. Multiple departments filed claims to the Common Council to reimburse for injuries caused by and caused to horses. The Common Council was also keen on making sure that horses did not cause damage to trees either because, in the 1860s, they levied a fine of $5 on owners whose horses damaged a tree within the City. One source notes that the horse hooves on the cobblestone streets made the City exceptionally noisy. Horses were also used sometimes as payment. One example found in the Common Council proceedings was when, in 1865, a Mr. Berkley entered into a contract with the City and was paid with two horses for the whole of his work. City Departments also relied heavily on horses. Fire trucks and police wagons were all pulled by horses. The Grand Rapids Historical Commission noted that in 1897, the Fire Department had 53 horses employed. Public works used many horses for its many jobs. For example, in the fall, leaves were pilled into a horse-drawn wagon—the same with snow in the winter. Garbage wagons were pulled by horses as well. Eventually, however, the horse was overtaken by the automobile. In 1923, a time in which automobiles seem to have mostly replaced the horse among central city residents, the public works department kept 17 horses for their work, but they added three cars to their fleet. In 1924 the number of horses dropped to nine, to three in 1925, and by 1926 horses had been phased out entirely. The use of horses has decreased in the City, but today there are still ways to interact with these equine animals. Residents can book horse carriage rides downtown, and they can view The American Horse, the 24-foot-tall bronze equine sculpture, at the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. While early residents relied on horses, canines, on the other hand, despite being integral to the Native American settlements, received some animosity when the City was incorporated. One of the early taxes on residents was for dogs. In 1850, the City created a dog ordinance, likely originating from a petition that 92 citizens had submitted to the Common Council. This petition asked for the "suppression" of dogs in the City. The language of the ordinance betrayed some of the attitudes early residents had toward canines. The ordinance began "every person residing in this city owning or having in his possession, or suffering to be kept on his or her premises, any dog." That the common council used the wording "suffering to be kept" to describe dog ownership seems like a harsh indictment. The ordinance updated the license fees for dogs as well. For the first dog, an owner would pay $0.50 per year. For every additional dog, the owner would pay an extra $2 per year. The ordinance also stipulated that only male dogs, or neutered female dogs, could be kept. This rule was most likely to try and keep the stray dog population down. Continued on page 5 Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Continued from page 4 Stray dogs were aplenty, and there were no services yet that cared for strays. It was not illegal for a resident to shoot a dog thought to be a stray. The marshal was required to keep an eye out for any dogs they believed were strays. They even required owners to pay a ten-dollar fee if their dog seemed to have a "ferocious character or disposition." As mentioned earlier, the Pounds directive was to round up the stray dogs and other animals that seemed to be ownerless. The Common Council selected the Pound's sight in 1839, and the first poundmaster was a man named John W. Pierce. Pierce came to Grand Rapids in 1836 and seemed to be a prominent member of society. He first started a bookstore, then operated several other business ventures. While he only served as pound master for a few years, he also served simultaneously as the Village Clerk, the Township Clerk, and the Secretary of the Grand Rapids Lyceum, the precursor to the Grand Rapids Public Museum. A man named Philander Tracy assumed the role of pound master when Pierce stepped down. The pound master took control of more than just stray dogs. Pigs were often residents of the Pound. Homes would raise pigs in pens on their property for food, and cities would employ pigs to break down garbage. However, like horses and dogs, the swine would break free and roam wild. In the 1850s, the City created a swine ordinance that stipulated the number of pigs residents could raise and laid out boundaries for where the pigs could and could not roam free. If the marshal or pound master came across a pig, they brought them to the Pound. Swine were a source of food and sometimes a livelihood, so the Pound treated the pigs differently than dogs. Owners could go down to the Pound to retrieve their lost hogs and pay $0.50 for every swine per 24 hours of custody. After three days, the pound master could sell the pigs at auction after placing a 48-hour notice of the time and place of the auction. Dogs held for too long suffered a far more terrible fate. The City used the garbage incinerator to rid itself of unneeded animals. Attitudes started to change, however, at the turn of the century. Animals were kept and loved as pets. It was the City Assessor's job to give out dog license tags. One such dog license tag survives in the Grand Rapids Public Museum. It is from 1897, made from copper, and engraved with "GD Rapids Dog Tax/1897/Female/67." In 1883 the Humane Society of Kent County was formed, originally called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The Humane Society employed agents, who were made a deputy sheriff and had the jurisdiction and power to arrest in cases of "cruelty by willful injury, or neglect, or sport." The Grand Rapids Herald noted the activities of the agents relating to horses in a January 1894 article. The agent ordered that Eight horses needed to be covered in a blanket from the cold; three reprimands were given for injuring or neglecting horses. In March of that year, Humane agents worked with union teamsters to reduce the wagon sides' height so that the horses would not need to pull as heavy a load. Horses seemed to be the most documented in the paper as having received aid. This documentation might be because horses were more visible to Humane Agents. The Humane Society also assisted neglected or abused children as well. TO BE CONTINUED……. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council Women’s History Month, March 2021 Programming all free, open to the public, and virtual Complete Information at www.ggrwhc.org Solidarities: White Women & Women of Color's Activism to Secure the Vote Monday, March 1, at 10:00 a.m. GVSU’s Kutsche Office of Local History invites you to join nationally recognized scholars Liette Gidlow & Allison Lange and the GGRWHC’s Sophia Brewer & Jo Ellyn Clarey to trace connections from the earliest efforts toward women's suffrage in the United States throughout 20th-century reform movements. Register for the Zoom webinar: gvsu.edu/s/1CD Grand Rapids Women & Their Work During the Great War Wednesday, March 24, 10:00 a.m.—11:00 a.m. The GGRWHC’s Katelyn Bosch VerMerris will provide a singular look at the paid and volunteer contributions of Grand Rapids women during WWI. Women used the upheaval of wartime to balance organization of a home defense at the same time they used the emergency to advance their personal goals. Register for the Kutsche Roundtable Zoom webinar: gvsu.edu/s/1CD A Decade of Upheaval: Grand Rapids Women and Public Office in the 1910s Friday, March 26, 10:30 a.m.—11:30 a.m. In the Grand Rapids Time Traveler Series of GVSU’s Kutsche Office, the GGRWHC’s Jo Ellyn Clarey will take us back to the 1910s, a heady decade when Grand Rapids women stepped onto the public stage in increasing numbers. Suddenly, they could sophisticate their political games, claim party affiliations, and carry their visions and concerns into more public offices. For this free, virtual program, register here! https:// www.gvsu.edu/brooks/module-events-view.htm?siteModuleId=75DD7655-A450-DCC537EC4FF9F955F3DD&eventId=7D221E66-E31B-42A9-85A4530A10F25BD8 Women Who Ran! Seeking Public Office Before the Nineteenth Amendment Wednesday, March 31, 7:00 p.m. Celebrate our new web page with us--Women Who Ran! (https://www.ggrwhc.org/women-who-ran/) and get a good look at the early runs for public office by trailblazing Grand Rapids women! Fully enfranchised suddenly in 1918, over the next two years they ran for the Michigan State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives—as well as for City Comptroller and State Superintendent of Public Instruction! No need to register for this free, virtual program sponsored by East Grand Rapids Branch/Kent District Library. Just show up at 7:00 pm on KDL Live! https://kdl.org/livestream/? _ga=2.209872022.2023314695.161402051699878386.1614020516] Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOIN THE GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR GIVE A MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year. Members of the society enjoy these benefits:
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles.
20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society.
Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ____ New ___Renewal ____Gift
_____Lifetime:
$400.00 one-time fee
_____Individual/Family Membership
$30.00 per year
_____Senior Citizen or Student
$20.00 per year
Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Email: Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTO SLEUTH Our March Photo Sleuth selection comes from the Robinson Photo Studio Collection. Four women and one man from True Light Church are carrying baskets of food for the poor. This picture is dated December 23, 1942. If anyone in this picture looks familiar please email the Grand Rapids Historical Society at grhs.local@gmail.com
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc. c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now Thursday, March 11, 2021, 7:00 p.m. Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_1Ms9Urh-Qk2uhPWj1i95zg
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Inside this issue: Cover Story: Fair Housing in Grand Rapids: Then and Now Letter from our President page 2 A Short History of Pets and Animals in Grand Rapids—Part 1 page 3 Women’s History Month page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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