East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Encyclopedia
East Grand Rapids is a city in Kent County
Kent County, Michigan
-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...

 in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. The city is a suburb of Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

 and is located on the shore of Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake is a fresh-water lake in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.A good way to enjoy Reeds Lake is from one of the many benches located along the shoreline at John Collins Park. Named for John A...

. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,694.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the city has a total area of 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²), of which, 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (13.82%) is water. Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake is a fresh-water lake in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.A good way to enjoy Reeds Lake is from one of the many benches located along the shoreline at John Collins Park. Named for John A...

 and Fisk Lake
Fisk Lake
Fisk Lake is a freshwater lake in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was named for John Fisk. Now primarily valued for scenic purposes, it was originally used as a source of ice for Grand Rapids, Michigan and the Chicago meatpaking industries. It receives water from Reeds Lake, and drains to the...

 comprise most of the water area.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 10,764 people, 3,835 households, and 3,021 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 3,678.0 per square mile (1,418.4/km²). There were 3,940 housing units at an average density of 1,346.3 per square mile (519.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.99% White, 0.98% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.

There were 3,835 households out of which 46.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city the population was spread out with 32.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $84,772, and the median income for a family was $98,967. Males had a median income of $66,528 versus $42,383 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the city was $41,388. About 1.5% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

East Grand Rapids was first settled in the early 1830s by the Reed Family from New York, New York. It is one of the oldest suburbs in Kent County. Originally part of Paris Township, residents voted to establish the Village of East Grand Rapids in 1891. The Village was incorporated into a Home Rule City in 1926 when the population was approximately 1,300.

By the 1870s, the Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake is a fresh-water lake in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.A good way to enjoy Reeds Lake is from one of the many benches located along the shoreline at John Collins Park. Named for John A...

 area was a popular summertime day trip destination for the people of Grand Rapids and surrounding areas. Picnicking, boating, swimming and spending a leisurely day at the lake and park were enjoyable pastimes. The first lakeside pavilion was seen as early as 1879 on the west shore of Reeds Lake. Here viewers could take in a play or listen to a popular orchestra of the day. Originally, those who wished to reach Reeds Lake would do so by foot, stagecoach or by horse and buggy. In the middle 1870s, horse drawn cars became available. Passengers would board in downtown Grand Rapids, transfer onto the Grand Rapids & Reeds Lake Railway
Grand Rapids & Reeds Lake Railway
The Grand Rapids and Reeds Lake Railway Company was organized in 1872 as a horsecar tramway company. Initially, the streetcar was to run down Sherman Street south of Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Property owners along Wealthy Street raised $17,000 in subscriptions as an inducement and...

 on Sherman Street SE and proceed to the lake down Wealthy Street. By 1877 a steam locomotive replaced the horse cars. Electric streetcars came into use in the early 1890s. Buses replaced them as a mode of transportation in 1935. Interurban also brought residents from nearby cities to Reeds Lake.

Ramona Park
Ramona Park
Ramona Park was an amusement park located in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan between 1897 and 1955.The amusement park, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, was a destination spot for thousands of families...

 is the most-remembered feature of the bygone days of East Grand Rapids. The amusement park, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, was a destination spot for thousands of families between 1897 and 1955. It was quite common in those days for a public transportation company to own such parks. They were known as trolley parks, and were placed at the end of the line to attract or encourage use of the public transportation system.

The Ramona Theatre Pavilion sat majestically on the West Side of the Park on Lakeside Drive, up from the boat landing and overlooking Reeds Lake. The current Lakewood Hills apartments now occupy that space. It was an extremely popular summertime venue that could seat 1,700 people. Built in 1897, it was torn down in 1949. Popular plays, musicals, Vaudevillian and burlesque acts, silent films, talkies and favorite local and national entertainers, such as Will Rogers, appeared at the theatre during its heyday.

Reeds Lake itself was home to two bathing beaches. Manhattan Beach was located on the north shore of the lake at the end of Pioneer Club Road and was in service from the mid 1880s to 1927. In 1884 Charles Seidel, boat builder and harbormaster on Reeds Lake, thought the property would be a fine spot for a bathing beach. He leased the land for just this purpose. The property was then purchased and developed into a more substantial beach resort by Thomas Reed in 1905. His family continued to operate the facility after he died. His daughter and her husband, Katherine and Charles Morgan, ran the facility until it closed and the property was sold in 1927.

Rose's Bathing Beach and Swimming School located on the west shore of Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake
Reeds Lake is a fresh-water lake in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.A good way to enjoy Reeds Lake is from one of the many benches located along the shoreline at John Collins Park. Named for John A...

 on the north side of the boat launch, was established in 1901 by James Rose. German born Rose had his own unique style of teaching people to swim. Hundreds learned under his tutelage. In addition to the bathing school, a fine bathhouse, bathing beach and toboggan slide were enjoyed by those lucky enough to visit this spot. After the bathing beach closed in the late 1960s, most of the facility was demolished. One small building was left standing. James’ son John "Bub" Rose kept it open as a marina and a restaurant noted for its hamburgers and popcorn. "Bub" eventually retired to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to pursue his passion for ice boating, selling the restaurant to the Gilmore Collection, owner of several area restaurants.

Recently the downtown area known as Gaslight Village has been the focus of major reconstruction. A local developer (Jade Pig) has completed a new retail center as part of their $50 million project, which also is to include offices and multi-floor condominium buildings spread over a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) tract.

In 2006 the City of East Grand Rapids performed a $3 million refurbishing of Wealthy Street with new paving, lighting and decorative features. A new community center and library were also completed, with a price tag of $9.4 million.

The high school has over 110 state championships in almost all sports and activities.

Notable current and former residents

  • Toni Jo Abbenante Farmer
    Toni Jo Abbenante Farmer
    Toni Jo Abbenante Farmer from East Grand Rapids, Michigan, holds the title of Miss Michigan for 1967. While not winning the Miss America Pageant that year, Toni Jo was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.References:...

    , Miss Michigan
    Miss Michigan
    The Miss Michigan competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Michigan in the Miss America pageant. Michigan has won the Miss America crown on five occasions.- Winners :- External links :*...

     1967
  • Gerald Ford
    Gerald Ford
    Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

    , 38th President of the United States
    President of the United States
    The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

  • Steven Ford
    Steven Ford
    Steven Meigs Ford is an American actor and son of former United States President Gerald Ford and Former First Lady Betty Bloomer Ford.-Early life:...

    , actor and son of Gerald Ford
  • Adam Herz
    Adam Herz
    Adam Herz is an American screenwriter and producer. He founded the production company Terra Firma Films in 2003 with a first-look deal at Universal Studios....

    , writer for the film American Pie
    American Pie (film)
    American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film written by Adam Herz. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul and Chris Weitz, and the first film in the American Pie film series...

     (the movie was based on his high school days there)
  • John Hockenberry
    John Hockenberry
    John Charles Hockenberry is an American journalist and author. A four-time Emmy Award winner and three-time Peabody Award winner, Hockenberry has worked in media since 1980....

    , Emmy and Peabody Award winning journalist
  • Tom Lehman
    Tom Lehman
    Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took...

    , professional golfer
  • Kevin Matthews, WLAV-FM
    WLAV-FM
    WLAV-FM is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock music format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is the dominant classic rock-formatted radio station in the market and is generally a top ten performer in the Grand Rapids ratings. WLAV-AM went on the air in 1940. In 1949, WLAV-TV 7 signed on,...

     radio host
  • Kevin Max
    Kevin Max
    Kevin Max Smith is an American singer, songwriter, and poet. He is best known for being a member of the Christian pop group dc Talk...

    , member of the Christian pop group dc Talk
    Dc Talk
    DC Talk , is a Grammy-winning Christian rock music trio. The group was formed in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They have released five major studio albums together: DC Talk , Nu Thang , Free at Last , Jesus Freak , and Supernatural...

  • Peter F. Secchia
    Peter F. Secchia
    Peter F. Secchia, is an Italian-American diplomat and businessman. Secchia served as the United States Ambassador to Italy from 1989 to 1993.-Career:...

    , former U.S. Ambassador to Italy
  • Chris Van Allsburg
    Chris Van Allsburg
    Chris Van Allsburg is an American author and illustrator of children's books. He twice won the Caldecott Medal, for Jumanji and The Polar Express , both of which he wrote and illustrated, and both of which were later adapted into successful motion pictures...

    , author of the children's book The Polar Express
    The Polar Express
    The Polar Express is a 1985 children's book written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg, a former professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. It was adapted as an Oscar-nominated motion-capture film in 2004....

  • Brian Vander Ark
    Brian Vander Ark
    Brian Vander Ark is an American Singer-songwriter best known as lead singer for the band The Verve Pipe. Born in Holland, Michigan, Vander Ark began playing guitar at age 8. At age 18, he was married to then girlfriend Michelle Marthens and had a son named Joshua Vander Ark. Soon after he joined...

    , singer/songwriter, former lead singer of the Verve Pipe

See also

  • East Grand Rapids High School
    East Grand Rapids High School
    East Grand Rapids High SchoolLocation2211 Lake Drive SEEast Grand Rapids, MI 49506InformationPrincipalJenny FeeAssistant PrincipalCraig WiegelGuidance DirectorLori S...

  • East Grand Rapids Public Schools
    East Grand Rapids Public Schools
    East Grand Rapids Public Schools is a school district located within East Grand Rapids, Michigan. Founded in 1841, the district limits mirror the city limits except for a small grouping of homes north of the city...

  • Grand Rapids Yacht Club
    Grand Rapids Yacht Club
    The Grand Rapids Yacht Club is a yacht club located on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was established in 1931 by R. Wallace Hook on his lakeshore property on the south shore of the lake.-History:...

  • Ramona Park
    Ramona Park
    Ramona Park was an amusement park located in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan between 1897 and 1955.The amusement park, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, was a destination spot for thousands of families...

  • Reeds Lake
    Reeds Lake
    Reeds Lake is a fresh-water lake in the city of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States.A good way to enjoy Reeds Lake is from one of the many benches located along the shoreline at John Collins Park. Named for John A...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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