THE HOLE OF THE ECO NOMIC-GEOGHAPHI0 FACTORS IN THE ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By PERRY I& BAILEY, B. A., A. M. **** The Ohio State University 1955 Approved hy: Adviser Department of Geography ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Data for this study was obtained from various publications, and from interviews with many persons. A number of these contributions are acknowledged in the footnotes throughout the text. I wish, how­ ever, to make special acknowledgment to the following persons at Grand Bapids, Michigan for valuable help while this study was in progress! Mrs. Ruth Abrams, Librarian, Grand Rapids Public Library; Scott Bagby, Director of the Grand Rapids Planning Commission; John R. Cassleman, Industrial Commissioner of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce; Charles Campbell, Secretary, Grand Rapids Furniture Manufacturers Association; William Pierson, Grand Rapids Store Equipment; Miss Tholis VanHboven, Assistant Director of the Grand Rapids Convention Bureau; and E. G. Weir, Manager-Secretary of the Grand Rapids Furni­ ture Makers Guild. Many other persons contributed aid in lesser amount. I am indebted to Andrew Perejda and William R. Pierson of East Lansing, Michigan for their assistance on some of the maps. Acknowledgment is given to Eugene VanCleef, Professor of Geog^* raphy, The Ohio State University, who contributed generously of his time in directing and guiding this study; to Guy^Harold Smith, Pro­ fessor of Geography and Chairman of the Department, The Ohio State University, for constructive criticisms; and to Alfred J. Wright, Pro­ fessor of Geography, The Ohio State University, for many suggestions leading to the completion of this study. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (Continued) To my wife, Doris Bliss Bailey, I am especially indebted for lier help in editing and typing this dissertation, and for her patience in accepting the restrictions made necessary in our way of life during the period required for the completion of this study* iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF TABLES CHAPTER I. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT Site and Situation The Early Indian Treaties The Beginning of the Pioneer Settlement The Coming of Louie Campau The Plotting of the Town The Early Settlers The Canal Boat Building and River Navigation The Water Supply The Effects of Soils and Climate on Early Settlement Early Trade and Commerce Conclusion II. THE FIRST MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES WHICH HAVE DISAPPEARED Introduction Agriculture Flour Milling The Salt Industry TABLE OP CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page Saw Mills and Lumbering 28 Cooperage and Other Wood Products S3 The Wagon and Carriage Industry 33 Transportation and Power 34 Elver Transportation and Power Development 35 City Transportation and the Electric Hallway 36 III. THE GROWTH AND DECLINE OP THE HAILED ADS 41 Introduction 41 The Period of Sailroad Dominance 44 Development of Competition 44 Decrease in Hailroad Business 44 IV. THE RISE AND DECLINE OP THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY 46 Introduction 46 Early Growth as Related to Power and Raw Materials 46 The Early Period in Purniture Manufacturing 47 The Period of Dominance 1880-1930 49 The Grand Rapids Purniture Market 52 The Guild 52 The Purniture Manufacturers Association 55 The Wood Carvers and The Kendall Memorial School 55 Furniture Production Continued to Climb 56 The Drop in Production in the Early 30*s 56 v TABLE OF COMMENTS (Continued) Chapter Page The Period of Adjustment and Attempted Stabilization 58 The Furniture Makers Guild 58 The Furniture Museum 59 The Furniture Village 59 V. MANUFACTURING ACTIVITIES IN THE ASCENDANCY 62 Introduction 62 Office, School and Store Equipment 62 Mechanical Refrigeration and Carpet Sweeper Manufacturing 64 Refrigeration 64 Carpet Sweeper 65 The Metal Industries 68 VI. MISCELLANEOUS MANUFACTURING ANN MINING 73 Other Metal Products 73 The Mining Industry 75 Gypsum 75 Boat Building 79 Leather and Rubber Products 79 Leather Manufacturing 79 Rubber Products 80 Paper Box Board and Excelsior 81 Box Board 81 Excelsior Production 82 vi TABLE OP COM!ENTS (Continued) Chapter Page Machine and Instrument Designing and Manufacturing 82 Office Machinery 82 Instrument Designing and Manufacturing 83 VII, MODERN TRANSPORTATION-AUTOMOTIVE AND AIR TBAPPIC 85 Introduction 85 Trucking 85 Motor Coach Service 89 Air Traffic 93 VIII. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADE ACTIVITIES 95 Wholesaling 95 Retailing 97 IX. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN POWER AND UTILITIES 102 Electric Power 102 Gas Service 104 Water and Its Sources of Supply 104 X. MISCELLANEOUS ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES 109 Introduction 109 The Graphic Arts 109 The Early History 109 The Dutch Influence on Printing 110 Printing for the Furniture Industry 111 The Influence of the Wagon and Carriage Industry 111 vii TABLE OP CONTENTS (Continued) Chapter Page A Special Type of Printing 113 A Convention City 114 Introduction 114 The Convention Activities in Grand Rapids 115 XI. CONCLUSIONS 116 BIBLIOGRAPHY 121 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 125 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page X* Drainage Map of Michigan 2 2. Surface Foimations of Grand Rapids 3 3. Contour Map of Grand Rapids 4 4* Grand Rapids1 Position in the Manufacturing Belt 5 5. Mission Reserve— Survey in 1838 6 6. The First City Map in 1831 11 7. A Map Showing the Central Business District of Grand Rapids 13 8. A Picture of the Voigt Milling Company 26 9. A Picture of the West Side Canal 26 10. Original Forests of Michigan 30 11. Lumber Production Graph 32 12. A Map of the Old and Present River Banks 37 13. The Horse Drawn Street Car 38 14. Railroads of Michigan 42 15. The Berkey & Gay Furniture Company 48 16. The Waters Furniture Exhibition Building 53 17. The Furniture Exhibition Building 54 18. The Grand Rapids Furniture Museum 60 19. The Grand Rapids Store Equipment Company 63 20. The American Seating Company 63 21. The Bissell and Sons Crockery Store 66 22. The Bissell Carpet Sweeper Manufacturing Plant 67 ix LISO? OP FIGURES (Continued.) Figure Page 23. The Hayes Manufacturers Corporation 71 24. A Picture of the Rapid. Standard Company 74 25. Entrance to a Gypsum Mine 78 26. Trunkline Connections 86 27. Distribution of Principal Land Uses 87 28. The Outer Belt Around Grand Rapids 90 29. The Proposed Truck Routes 91 30. The Arterial Street Pattern 92 31. Looking west on upper Monroe Avenue 99 32. Looking east on upper Monroe Avenue 100 33. An Aerial View of the Central Business District 101 34. Rate of Population Growth 105 35. City Water Works 107 36. Filtration Plant 107 37. Annexation Map of Grand Rapids 108 38. Location of Business and Industry 112 39. Widdicomb Furniture Company 112 x LISO? OF TABLES Table Page I Elour Mill Industry 1890-1950 25 II Growth of Furniture in Grand Eapids 1850-1880 50 III Furniture Production for Leading Cities 51 IV Furniture Production in Grand Eapids 1890-1930 5? V Furniture Production in Grand Eapids 1930-1950 5? VI Comparison of the Leading Industries 1890 69 VII Make up of the Population in Kent County 69 VIII Make up of the Population in Kent County 69 IX Comparison of the Leading Industries in Grand Eapids in 1930 70 X A Comparison of the Three Major Groups of Employment 1930-1940 73 XI A Comparison of the Three Major Groups of Employment 1940-1950 75 XII A Comparison of the Three Major Groups of Employment 1955 75 XIII Baked Goods Produced in Grand Eapids 1890-1930 96 XIV Wholesale Trade for Five Michigan Cities 1948 97 XV Betail Trade for Five Michigan Cities 1948 98 XVI Printing and Publishing in Grand Eapids 1948 113 XVII Printing and Publishing for Five Cities 1946 114 xi CHAPTER I ORIGIN AND DEVffiLOFMEET Site and Situation Grand Rapids lies in the lower part of the Grand River valley in the Great Lake Section of the Central Lowlands of the United States.^ The city of Grand Rapids is located about 30 miles from Lake Michigan into which the Grand River empties (Fig* l). The Grand River rises in a group of lakes near the Jackson-Hills- 2 dale county boundary. The Grand flows through. Grand Rapids in a rather straight channel which is about 600 feet wide. The valley through which the river flows is located between the Valparaiso Mo­ raine on the west and the Charlotte Moraine on the east. This wide valley was cut by an ancient river that flowed across Michigan in the Pleistocene era. The level valley is about one mile wide on the west side of the Grand, whereas on the east side the valley is from a few rods wide on the north to half a mile wide toward the south (Pig. 2), Almost two miles east of the southern part of the city are Reeds and Fisk lakes. The lakes and the moraines provided sources of water for the first settlers (Pig. 3). 1 Nevin M. Fenneman, Physiography of Pastern United States, New York, 1938, p. 491. 2 Helen M. Martin, The River Systems of Michigan, The Michigan Geological Survey, Lansing, Michigan, 1933, p. 15. 3 J. Harlen Bretz, Glacial Grand River, Michigan, The Michigan Ac&d- emy of Science, Arts, and Letters, Vol. XXXIII, Ann Arbor, Michi­ gan, 1953, p. 359. 1 2 o MICHIGAN DRAINAGE -j rFL (N T HOLLAN LANSING DETROIT. .JACKSON KAL (•nifilW t Orsvi by Asdr** 0. Pmjda Pig. 1 ♦lOO o cn UJ z < <K O z & (O o m w M M i m M UJ m 1111 I I I I I Ilill!1, jlj!1 ¥UJ I I I I I I <i i i i i! i! i i !!!|!;!!!i!i i ■ 1 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 ■ i 11111 zwsyliTi i! i! i! i! i! i! i! i! i i1 ■' > 11,111 o ~ 11 <ni i i l l i i ■■■ '''I1 1 1 i i i i i i i i Q 11.