Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2024 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== History of Kent County, Michigan Chicago: Chas. C. Chapman & Co., 1881 [p. 777-779] GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP Most of the township is rolling, and a considerable portion very hilly, and generally oak openings or heavy timber. A half a dozen or more small lakes dot its surface. The only one, however, of much consequence is known as Reed's lake, which is much the largest, being about three-fourths of a mile wide by about two miles in length. It is finely stocked with fish, and has been long a summer resort for pleasure seekers; a hotel and grounds, with boating facilities in season, are among the attractions, and a small steamer glides over its placid bosom. The lake is in the southeast direction, about three miles from the center of the city, and splen- did drive may be enjoyed to its shores. A street railway is in operation from the city to this miniature inland sea, and during the summer season the cars make regular trips. Grand river runs within half a mile, or less than half, of the east side of the town in its great bend to the northward, and after flowing across the town of Plainfield, barely cuts the northwest corner of the town, and then keeps within half a mile, or less, of the west line of the town for five miles. There are no streams of any considerable size in the township. The soil of this township is not so good as some others, though some of it is first-class. A portion of it is heavy clay, but much of it a sandy loam, very valuable for either cereals or fruit-raising. The history of this township is so intimately connected with that of the county and the city, there is no existing necessity to do more than make a mere reference to its settlement here and give a full record of the officers. The township of Kent, the original or Territorial town, embraced all of the county south of the river, and appears to have been or- ganized at the house of JOEL GUILD, April 4, 1834. This appears to have been the legitimate forerunner of Grand Rapids township, which retained the records, but merely changed the name. Grand Rapids township is south and west of the geographical center of the county, and lies north and east of the city limits, to which some three and a half square miles of the town have been surren- dered; the remainder of the corporation domain, about seven square miles, being originally a portion of Walker townsip. EARLY SETTLEMENT The first settler in what is now the town of Grand Rapids, was EZEKIEL DAVIS, who settled near Reed's lake in 1834, followed almost immediately by LEWIS, EZRA and PORTER REED, DAVID S. LEAVITT and ROBERT McBARR; GEORGE YOUNG, SIMEON STEWART and JAMES McCRATH, appear to have arrived in 1836; I. W. FISK, MATTHEW TAYLOR and ROBERT THOMPSON, settled in the town in 1837. MR. FISK erected a hotel near Reed's lake, known as the "Lake House." There were doubtless several other families whose names we have not obtained. Among the first land-buyers were: SAMUEL DEXTER, section 19, Oct. 13, 1832; TOUSSAINT CAMPAU, section 30, Dec. 1, 1832; HORACE GRAY, section 28, Dec. 15, 1834; DANIEL W. COIT, section 18, Oct. 25, 1833; HENRY S. WALBRIDGE, section 15, Sept. 12, 1835; AMASA WOOD, section 15, Jan. 26, 1836; JOEL GUILD, JR., section 8, July 19, 1834; JOHN M. GORDON, section 3, Jan. 18, 1837; JOHN BALL, section 4, Feb. 15, 1837; WILLIAM A. RICHMOND, section 5, Jan. 14, 1837; JOHN ALMY, section 11, Dec. 26, 1835; ROBERT BARR, section 15, Dec. 25, 1835; RICHARD P. HART, section 17, June 13, 1835; CONSIDER GUILD, section 17, June 18, 1835; NICHOLAS S. VEDDER, section 17, Aug. 8, 1835; JOHN WARD, section 17, Aug. 3, 1835; EDWARD DALTON, section 17, Nov. 2, 1835; JAMES DALTON, section 17, Nov. 2, 1835; JOSEPH D. BENT, section 18, Aug. 26, 1835; SAMUEL SHERWOOD, section 18, Aug. 26, 1835; BENJAMIN H. SILSBEE, section 19, July 8, 1835; ALANSON HAINS, section 19, July 21, 1835; VINCENT L. BRADFORD, section 19, July 31, 1835; WINTHROP W. GILMAN, section 19, Aug. 10, 1835; ISAAC BRONSON, section 20, Aug. 3, 1835; SAMUEL HUBBARD, section 20, Sept. 12, 1835; ISAAC PARKER, section 20, Sept. 12, 1835; JOHN RUNNELL, section 21, Nov. 21, 1835; GEORGE W. DICKINSON, secton 21, Dec. 14, 1835; LYMAN GRAY, section 21, Jan. 25, 1836; JOHN B. KEMP, section 22, Jan. 27, 1836; JAMES S. WADSWORTH, section 23, April 25, 1836; JONATHAN WISNER, section 24, Nov. 7, 1836; WILLIAM OWENS, section 27, Sept. 9, 1835; JERE BENNETT, section 27, Dec. 14, 1835; JASON WINSLOW, section 28, May 30, 1835; BELCHER ATHEAM, section 28, Aug. 22, 1835; WARNER DEXTER, section 28, Aug. 25, 1835; LEVI. D. SMITH, section 29, Jan. 22, 1835; WALTER SPRAGUE, section 30, Nov. 2, 1833; IRA JONES, section 31, July 22, 1833; STEPHEN WOOLEY, section 31, Dec. 24, 1834; JOHN SHUERT, section 32, July 6, 1835, and TOWNSEND HARRIS, section 32, Sept. 1, 1835. ================================================================================