Miscellaneous then and now locations around Godwin and the surrounding area, in the form of photographs
showing what a location looked like at various points in time. The topics are random, and simply reflect
what photographs are available at this time. Comments and dates will be added where anything is known.
When there is a sequence of buildings at a location, those will be included as well.
The Grand Rapids Museum has generously agreed to allow their photos to be displayed in somewhat
smaller versions, in hopes of engaging young and old in the history of Grand Rapids. For those
interested, the museum sells high resolution copies suitable for framing. Downtown businesses often
use the photos as wall art, particularly in cases where they occupy a historic building. This helps
pay the museum's expenses, including the environmentally controlled facilities housing its vast
archives. Those interested in helping to scan old material, possibly in exchange for use of the
material, should contact me.
Amasa B. Watson House
Carrier St. & College Ave.
Clarence Bigelow
Dime store row
Division & Burton - SW corner
Frank Rackett house
Franklin & Division - 1948 and 2011
GR Herald and Press buildings
GR Medical College Building
Jefferson and Fulton - southwest corner
Jefferson, south of Fulton - east side
Kellogsville Hotel - on old toll road
Livingston Hotel - later Davenport
Loyal order of Moose - Division & Cherry
Market & Monroe - Kresge
Neland & Franklin
North Lafayette
Perry Building - 215 Lagrave
Porter Block - later Herpolsheimer's
Sinclair - 665 Wealthy
Shipman coal - 1209 Plainfield - Choo Choo grill in 2015
Stocking Theater
Sweets & Pantlind Hotels
Wealthy & Lake Drive
Amasa B. Watson house.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1920
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c1920
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Address is wrong, or the
street numbers have changed.
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1888
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Back of house - 1927
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1927 - front
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1927 - rear
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1929
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June, 2011
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Above is the Amasa B. Watson house, on the southeast corner of Sheldon and Fulton.
Perhaps built in the early 1880's. Owner Amasa B. Watson died in 1888, apparently of a heart attack.
For reference, one can see the Metz Building just to the east of the Watson house, on Fulton.
The structure built on the property after after the Watson house was razed was possibly owned by the Watson
family. Typical of many buildings of the time, it was a general purpose building that housed just about anything
as long as the owner paid rent for the space. The building still exists as of year 2015, but there have been
many cosmetic changes to the outside, and likely many changes to the inside. The GR Press building, built in
1906, is, in year 2015, a parking lot. The Metz building is gone as well.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
A bit about Amasa B. Watson. Characteristic of the well connected of the Grand Rapids of the 1870's and
1880's, he had many irons in various business fires. He served on various boards of directors. He was
in the Civil War.
Sweets & Pantlind Hotels
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1870
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1920
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The Sweets Hotel, left, above, replaced by the Pantlind Hotel, about 1915. The Grand Rapids -
Kalamazoo interurban stopped on the Pearl Street side of the Pantlind.
Livingston Hotel - later Davenport
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Before Hearald Building.
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Undated
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1924
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1948
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1948
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The southeast corner of Fulton and Divsion. The Livingston hotel, after a fire in 1924. Building the
Davenport building. The new Davenport building.
Note that the Livingston photo at the left, top row, shows six stories. There is some suspicion that there was a
second fire at a time before 1924, and that the top two floor were removed. Also note that the GR Herald
building, which would be built on the left side of the Livingston Hotel, is still the site of a house.
Kellogsville Hotel - on the old toll road
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1924 - hotel on the toll road.
On Division.
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2014 - at 147 52nd.
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One of the few surviving toll road buildings that existed along Division avenue when it was a toll
road, "paved" with planks. In 1870 the GR & I reached Grand Rapids, and the toll road was instantly
obsolete.
GPS coordinates: 42.869752 -85.660363
Porter Block - later Herpolsheimer's
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1937
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1949
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Herpolsheimer's replaced the Porter Block in 1949. The Porter Block, shown at the left in the left hand
photo above, was a mix of street level shops and upper story professional offices, and was probably
built in the 1870s. In year 2013 the Herp's building is the city police building.
Grand Rapids Herald building
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Perhaps 1900
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August 11, 1939
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2013 aerial view
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The image at the left, above, is a partial view of the house that occupied the land the GR Herald
would later occupy.
The Herald building in 1939, center. Note the shadow of the Grand Rapids Press building on the east side
wall of the Herald building. The Livingston hotel was on the right side. In 1948 that would be
replaced by the Davenport College building.
In year 2013 the location of the Herald building is a parking lot, as show above. On the
southeast corner of Fulton and Division the Davenport building still remains.
Perry Building - 215 Lagrave
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Roughly 215 Lagrave Avenue SE. The house on the right, in the left hand photo, was quite old. The
apartment building was perhaps 1920's in vintage.
Frank Rackett's house.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1950
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2013
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Frank Rackett's house in about 1950, and the same location in year 2013. 3579 South Divsion Avenue.
Dime Store row.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Undated.
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July 16, 1952
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2013
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2013
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2013
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Left, top row, above, is row of stores that would become dime store row,
with Kresge's at the left end of the block, plus the three
dime stores shown. The stores were located on Monroe, between Market and Pearl. In year 2013
the entire block is gone, to accommodate a park named for a person that never lived in Grand Rapids, and
might not have even ever set foot in the city. Campau Square, a tribute to the town's founder, and
at about the center of the city when it was incorporated in 1850, is now gone.
The largely straight line in the image at the right shows the extent of dime store row in the
1950s. The right end would have been Kresge's. At the left end would
have been Woolworth's, which in year 2013 is law offices and other businesses. The wavy line
shows where Market Street would have gone. The dashed line, now part of Monroe, did not exist.
The entire construction is probably more political than based on any business decision. The parking
lot surround the old McKay Tower is almost certainly a political move, generating a lot of income.
In year 2013 it cost $12 to park for two hours, about the length of a business meeting, and
$16 for the entire day, which few would do. Parking has been a political issue since at least 1930,
when the Ellis dynasty, starting with a mayor Ellis, cornered much of the downtown parking business, and
does to year 2014. The excessive cost is one reason many avoid the downtown area.
North Lafayette
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
October 2, 1946
770 Lafayette NE
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June, 2013
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June, 2013
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A Sinclair station on 770 Lafayette NE. The building still exists in year 2013, but is boarded up.
For what purpose is unclear.
Neland & Franklin
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
October 13, 1937
Neland & Franklin
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2013
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The building to the right of the station, in the northeast corner of Neland and Franklin, stands
in year 2013. One can match the stone roof line. The house to the left also stands, but another
house has been added. One can see the matching chimney in the older house.
Sinclair - 665 Wealthy
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1957
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2013
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In year 2013 the building, at 665 Wealthy Street SE, is the Donkey Mexican restaurant.
Division & Burton - SW corner.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1928
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2013
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Southwest corner of Division and Burton. The building has clearly undergone significant modification
over the years, and only some ornamental stone work on the second floor strongly suggests that the
building seen in year 2013 is the same basic building.
Wealthy & Lake Drive
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1925
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2013
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Grand Rapids Savings Bank, c1925, and the building in year 2013. Wealthy and Lake Drive.
Carrier Street & College Avenue.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1917
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2013
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Above, left, Carrier Street & College Avenue, c1917. On the right, above, the same location in year
2013. Note along the bottom edge of the store are signs saying "We Give S&H Green Stamps."
Loyal order of Moose - Division & Cherry - NE corner.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1928
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2013
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Loyal order of Moose - NE corner - Division & Cherry
Market & Monroe - Kresge
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1870
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Widdicomb Building.
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c1940
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The northwest corner of Market and Division. Market was formerly Waterloo. In year 2014 the street is gone,
Kresge's is gone, both as a building and a company, and the entire block between what was Market and Pearl is
gone. In its place is Rosa Parks Square. Whose idea this was is not known at present.
Clarence Bigelow
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1925 - 835 Cherry
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835 Cherry - 2013
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Above, left, Clarence Bigelow, owner and developer of Bigelow Field, standing in from of his house at 835 Cherry
Street, about a block east of Eastern, in 1925. Above, right, the building at 835 Cherry Street in year 2013.
Stocking Theater
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1930
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2014
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Bank building and Stocking Theater, 1930. In year 2014 the bank building is the Copper Top restaurant.
Jefferson & Fulton - SW corner.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
Undated
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June, 2011
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Southwest corner, Jefferson and Fulton. The current structure is perhaps from the 1920's, but that's just a guess.
Robinson Studios was located in the building at 7 Jefferson.
Jefferson, just south of Fulton. The Peck house.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
About 1930
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2015
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Franklin & Division - 1948 & 2011
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
c1948
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August, 2011
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Franklin Street and Division Avenue, looking north.
GR Medical College Building.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
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2013
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The old GR Medical College building, 220 S. Eastern Avenue. The building still exists in year 2013, although
the exterior has been significantly modified.
Shipman Coal Co, 1209 Plainfield. As of June, 2015, it is the Choo Choo Grill.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1928
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July, 2015
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448 Burton SE. The four gas meters at the lower left of the building in 2020 suggest
that the building is all rentals.
Left click on the images below for larger versions.
1952
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2020
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