Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 197,800. It is the county seat of Kent County, Michigan ⁶. It is the second largest city in the state (following Detroit) and is the principal city in the region of West Michigan.

History

Over 2,000 years ago, the Hopewell Indians occupied the Grand River Valley. Around 1700 A.D., the Ottawa Indians moved into the area and founded several villages along the Grand River.

The Grand Rapids area was first settled by Europeans near the start of the 19th century by missionaries and fur traders, who generally lived in reasonable peace alongside the Ottawa tribespeople, trading their European metal and textile goods for the fur pelts. Joseph and Madeline La Framboise established the first Indian/European trading post in West Michigan, on the banks of the Grand River near what is now Ada. After the death of her husband in 1806, Medaline La Franboise carried on, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north. La Framboise, a mix of French and Indian descent, later merged her successful operations with the American Fur Company and retired, at age 41, to Mackinac Island. The first permanent white settler in the Grand Rapids area was a Baptist minister named Isaac McCoy who arrived in 1825.

In 1826 Detroit-born Louis Campau, the official founder of Grand Rapids, built his cabin, trading post, and blackmith shop on the east bank of the Grand River near the rapids. Campau returned to Detroit and came back a year later with his wife and $5,000 of trade goods to trade with the native tribes. In 1831 the federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River and set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent. Campau became perhaps the most important settler when, in 1831, he bought 72 acres (291,000 m²) of what is now the entire downtown business district of Grand Rapids from the federal government for $90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Rival Lucius Lyon, who purchased the rest of the prime land, called his the Village of Kent. Yankee immigrants and others began immigrating from New York and New England in the 1830s.

In 1836 John Ball, representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations."

By 1838 the settlement had incorporated as a village encompassing an area of approximately three-quarters of a mile (1 km) . The first formal census occurred in 1845 which announced a population of 1,510 and recorded an area of four square miles. The city of Grand Rapids was officially created on May 1, 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857, the city of Grand Rapids' boundary totaled 10.5 square miles (27 km²).

During the second half of the 19th century the city became a major lumbering center and the premier furniture manufacturing city of the United States. For this reason it was nicknamed "Furniture City". After an international exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Grand Rapids became recognized worldwide as a leader in the production of fine furniture. Today, Grand Rapids is considered a world leader in the production of office furniture. The city also became a center of Dutch immigration in the 19th century.

The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad began passenger and freight service to Cedar Springs, Michigan on December 25, 1867. This railroad expanded service from Grand Rapids to Muskegon, northern Michigan and into Indiana and Ohio over the next few decades.

In 1881, the country's first hydro-electric plant was put to use on the city's west side. With the new century, the people of Grand Rapids numbered 82,565. In 1916 the citizens of Grand Rapids voted to adopt a home rule charter that abolished the old aldermanic systems and replaced it with a commission-manager form of government, one of the first in the country. That 1916 Charter, although amended several times, is still in effect.

Grand Rapids was a home to the first regularly scheduled passenger airline in the United States when Stout Air Services began flights from Grand Rapids to "Detroit" (actually Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan) on July 31, 1926.

In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water.

Geography

Grand Rapids sits on the banks of the Grand River, where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet above sea level. It is approximately 30 miles (50 km) east of Lake Michigan. The state capital of Lansing lies about 60 miles (100 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo is about 50 miles (80 km) to the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 117.4 km² (45.3 mi²). 115.6 km² (44.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.8 km² (0.7 mi², 1.50%) of it is water (primarily the Grand River).

Demographics

Grand Rapids has several large ethnic communities. It is home to the headquarters of the Christian Reformed Church and is a center of the Reformed Church in America, both because of the presence of a large group of Dutch Americans. Grand Rapids is also home to large Polish American and African American communities and a growing Hispanic community.

As of the census of 2000, there were 197,800 people, 73,217 households, and 44,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,710.8/km² (4,431.2/mi²). There were 77,960 housing units at an average density of 674.3/km² (1,746.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.30% White American, 20.41% African American, 0.74% Native American, 1.62% Asian American, 0.12% Pacific Islander American, 6.63% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. 13.05% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 73,217 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.3% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,224, and the median income for a family was $44,224. Males had a median income of $33,050 versus $26,382 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,661. 15.7% of the population and 11.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.4% are under the age of 18 and 10.4% are 65 or older.

Government and politics

Like the surrounding counties, Grand Rapids has traditionally been a stronghold for the Republican Party, giving clear majorities to its candidates for most county, state, and federal legislative seats. The city is the center of the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Republican Vern Ehlers. Former President Gerald Ford represented the district from 1949 to 1974.

Grand Rapids (including the suburbs of Ada and East Grand Rapids) also serves as the home business base of one of the largest past political funders of the National Republican Party, Richard and Helen Devos, and former Ambassador to Italy, Peter Secchia.

However, despite Grand Rapids' stereotype as a bastion of rock-ribbed conservatism, the city tends to elect moderate Republicans (at least by national standards). The city of Grand Rapids itself - excluding its suburbs - supported Democrats Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004.

The Commission-Manager plan

Under Michigan law, Grand Rapids is a home rule city and adopted a city charter in 1916 providing for the Commission-Manager form of municipal government. Under this system, the political reponsibilities are divided between an elected City Commission and a hired full-time City Manager. Two part-time Commissioners are elected to four-year terms from each of three wards, with half of these seats up for election every two years. The part-time Mayor is elected every four years by the city at large, and serves as chair of the Commission, with a vote equal to that of a Commissioner. The races - held in odd-numbered years - are formally non-partisan, although the party and other political affiliations of candidates do sometimes come up during the campaign period. The Commission sets policy for the city, and is responsible for hiring the City Manager and other appointed officials ^*.

George Heartwell, current mayor

George Heartwell was elected mayor of Grand Rapids after long-serving mayor John H. Logie declined to run for re-election in 2003. Logie felt the position should be made full-time, but to avoid the question becoming a referendum on whether he should hold the job full-time, he announced that he would not run for re-election. The voters decided to keep the position part-time, and Heartwell was elected.

Heartwell assumed office on January 1, 2004. Prior to being mayor, Heartwell was a City Commissioner for the third ward, 1992-1999. He is Director of the Community Leadership Institute at Aquinas College, where he is also a professor in the Community Leadership undergraduate study program. Mayor Heartwell is an ordained minister, for the United Church of Christ, and served for 14 years at Heartside Ministry, a program for the homeless in Grand Rapids. He was previously the president of Heartwell Mortgage Corporation ^*. As a note of trivia, the mayor owns one of Shaquille O'Neal's shoes, which he keeps in his office and displays to visitors.

Economy

Grand Rapids has long been a center for furniture and automobile manufacturing; however, the presence of both industries has declined in the region along with manufacturing in general. Both American Seating and Steelcase, major manufacturers of office furniture, are based in Grand Rapids.

Grand Rapids is also the home to retailers Meijer and Spartan Stores.

More recently the city has had some success in developing and attracting businesses focusing on the health sciences, with facilities such as the Van Andel Research Institute (primarily focused on cancer research), Grand Valley State University's new Cook-DeVos Medical Training Facility, and Michigan State University's planned medical school (supplementing its facility in East Lansing).

The convention business has seen an increase following the construction of the DeVos Place Convention Center.

Education

Grand Rapids is home to several colleges and universities. Aquinas College, Calvin College, Kuyper College (formerly the Reformed Bible College), and Cornerstone University are private, religious schools, each with a campus on the east side of the city. Grand Rapids Community College maintains a campus downtown and facilities in other parts of the city and surrounding region. Grand Valley State University continues to develop its presence in the city with an expanding downtown campus, begun in the late 1990s on the west bank of the Grand River. Ferris State University has a growing campus downtown, including the Applied Technology Center (operated with GRCC) and the prestigious Kendall College of Art and Design. Thomas M. Cooley Law School, a private institution, has a campus in Grand Rapids. Davenport University, a state-wide educational institution, has its main campus in Grand Rapids. Western Michigan University has a long-standing graduate program in the city, with facilities downtown and in the southeast.

As of 2006, there is an active movement among community leaders to have Michigan State University open a new medical school in Grand Rapids.^*

Culture

Beginning with the installation of La Grande Vitesse, the city has been host to an annual festival of the arts downtown, known to locals simply as Festival. During the first weekend in June, several blocks of downtown surrounding the Calder stabile next to City Hall are closed to traffic. Festival features several stages with free live performances, food booths selling a variety of ethnic cuisine, art demonstrations and sales, and other arts-related activities. Organizers bill it as the largest all-volunteer arts festival in the United States. Also in Vandenberg Plaza are various country-specific ethnic festivals that occur throughout the summer season.

In Grand Rapids in 1973, Main Street America celebrated mainstream art, as the city hosted Sculpture off the Pedestal, an exemplar of public sculpture exhibitions, which assembled 13 world-renowned artists, including Mark di Suvero, John Henry, Kenneth Snelson, Robert Morris, John Mason and Stephen Antonakos, in a single, citywide celebration. Sculpture off the Pedestal was a public/private partnership, which included financial support by the National Endowment for the Arts, educational support from the Michigan Council for the Arts and in-kind contributions from individuals, business and industry. Fund-raising events, volunteers and locals housing artists contributed to the public [character of the event.

In mid-2004, Grand Rapids began construction on a new, larger building for its art museum collection. The new building site is several blocks from the present museum, facing downtown's Ecliptic by Maya Lin at Rosa Parks Circle.

Media

The Grand Rapids Press is the daily newspaper, while the "Advance" group of weekly papers provides more community-based news.

Rapid Growth is a weekly online magazine with news about growth and investment in Grand Rapids including neighborhoods guides.

A complete directory of media outlets and their contract information is maintained by the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy.

Television

The Grand Rapids area is home to several television stations, and is the second largest television market in Michigan. Stations serving the area include WWMT (CBS), WOOD (NBC), WZZM (ABC), and WXMI (Fox). Other stations include WOTV, an ABC affiliate licensed to Battle Creek, WZPX (Pax/WB), and WTLJ (TBN). WXSP, a UPN affiliate, is a low-powered station while WGVU is the area's PBS member station. Grand Rapids Internet Television produces local, independent programming available on-line only.

The city has two public access televisions, GRTV and LiveWire that offer independent programming and news for the city. Two Educational Access Channels and a Governmental Access Channel, the Grand Rapids Information Network (GRIN) are also available on cable. Similarly, the website Media Mouse ^* provides internet-based progressive independent media.

Radio

The Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area has a diverse variety of radio stations.

88.1 WYCE Wyoming - Folk/Jazz/Rock/World Beat
88.5 WGVU Allendale - Public/NPR/Jazz "West Michigan Public Radio"
88.9/90.3 WBLU/WBLV Grand Rapids/Muskegon - Classical "Blue Lake Public Radio"
89.1 WIDR Kalamazoo - College "Your Station for Radio Evolution"
89.3 WGNB Zeeland - Religious "Moody Broadcasting Network"
89.9/88.3 WAYG/WAYK Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo - Contemporary Christian "Way FM"
90.7 W214AY Walker - Religious "Calvary Satellite Network"
91.3 WCSG Grand Rapids - Religious "Family Friendly, Commercial Free"
92.3 WZUU Allegan - Classic Rock "92.3 the Zoo"
92.5 WLAW Newaygo - Country
92.7 WYVN Saugatuck - Classic Hits "92.7 the Van"
93.7 WBCT Grand Rapids - Country "B-93" WBCT: America's most powerful radio station (320,000 watts)
94.5 WTNR Holland - Country "Thunder 94-5"
95.3 WBXX Battle Creek - Adult Contemporary "Soft Rock 95.3"
95.7 WLHT Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary "W-Lite"
96.1 WMAX Holland - Classic Hits/Hot Adult Contemporary "96.1 Max FM"
96.5 WFAT Portage - Classic Hits "96.5 WFAT"
96.9 WLAV Grand Rapids - Classic Rock "97 LAV"
97.9 WGRD Grand Rapids - Alternative "Grand Rapids' Rock Alternative"
98.5/95.5 WNWN/W238AL Coldwater/Portage - Country "Win 98.5"
98.7/98.3 WFGR/WLCS Grand Rapids/North Muskegon - Oldies "Oldies 98"
99.3 WJQK Zeeland - Contemporary Christian "JQ99 FM"
100.1 WBCH Hastings - Country "World's Best Country Hits"
100.5 WTRV Walker - Adult Contemporary "The River"
100.9 WQXC Otsego - Oldies "Cool 101"
101.3 WBFX Grand Rapids - Classic Rock "101 The Fox"
101.7 WMRR Muskegon - Classic Rock "Total Rock 101.7"
102.1 WMUK Kalamazoo - Public/Variety "Kalamazoo Public Radio"
102.9 WFUR Grand Rapids - Religious "Christian Radio"
104.1 WVGR Grand Rapids - Public/News-Talk "Michigan Radio" WVGR: Broadcasts with 108,000 watts and in mono
104.5 WSNX Muskegon - Contemporary Hits "Continuous Hit Music"
104.9 WWKN Marshall - Classic Rock "SuperRock 104.9"
105.3 WHTS Coopersville/Grand Rapids - Hot AC/Adult CHR "Hot 105.3" WHTS
105.7 WOOD Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary "Star 105.7" WOOD: broadcasts with 265,000 watts
106.3 WSCG Lakeview - Classic Country "Classic Hit Country 106.3"
106.5 WQLR Kalamazoo - Adult Contemporary "Q-106.5 FM"
106.9 WMUS Muskegon - Country "107 MUS"
107.3 WKLQ Greenville - Active Rock "West Michigan's Pure Rock"
107.7 WRKR Portage - Rock "The Rocker"
107.9 WSHZ Muskegon - Adult Contemporary "Star 108"

^* an1140 Grand apis/Kentwood - black radio (pulse of the city).

Sites of interest

Grand Rapids is the home of John Ball Park, Belknap Hill, and the Gerald R. Ford Museum. The Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park is a major botanical garden and outdoor sculpture park. The DeVos Place Convention Center and Van Andel Arena are also located in the city. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is located in the center of the city, and houses art exhibits, a movie theater, and the urban clay studio. Simulated ancient burial mounds used by the Hopewell tribe are a short distance down-river from downtown.

Grand Rapids is also home to the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. Founded in 1854 it is among the oldest history museums in the United States and is still regarded as one of the best local history museums. The museum's sites currently include the main site at the Van Andel Museum Center which is also home to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium (constructed in 1994), as well as the Veen Observatory in Lowell, Michigan, Voight House Victorian Museum and the City Archives and Records Center--which is the pre-1994 site of the museum and Chaffee plantarium (the original planetarium wing has been demolished). The Van Andel Museum Center is located at a scenic location downtown on the banks of the Grand River, just south of the Ford Museum, Norton Indian Mounds and Fish Ladder and across the river from the Amway Grand Hotel and DeVos Place Convention Center. The museum has, in the past few years, played host to a handful of notable exhibitions, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Treasures of Ancient Egypt. Like the Detroit Zoological Society, the museum is currently in the process of transferring ownership from a public, city-owned institution to a non-profit institution owned and managed by the Public Museum of Grand Rapids Foundation.

High school of the Grand Rapids Public Schools participate in the Grand Rapids City League

Sports

Grand Rapids has a long history of involvement in professional and nonprofessional sports. Grand Rapids is the home of several professional sports teams.

Logo	Club	Sport	League	Venue	Championships
West Michigan Whitecaps	Baseball	Minor League Baseball	Fifth Third Ballpark	Midwest League Championship: 1996, 1998, 2004
Grand Rapids Rampage	Arena Football	Arena Football League	Van Andel Arena	Arena Bowl: 2001
Grand Rapids Griffins	Hockey	American Hockey League	Van Andel Arena
Grand Rapids Flight	Basketball	International Basketball League	Ford Fieldhouse
West Michigan Force	Football	Mid Continental Football League	Jenison High School
	Grand Rapids Thunder	Football	Minor League Football Association	East Grand Rapids HS Memorial Field	Great Lakes Champions: 2005
	West Michigan Edge	Soccer	USL Premier Development League	Forest Hills Central HS

The Fifth Third River Bank Run is run every year in June. It features a 25k race, 5k race, 5k community walk, 25k wheelchair race, 25k hand cycle race. It was founded in 1977, and is a USA Track & Field Certified Road Race.

Transportation

Public bus transportation is provided by the Interurban Transit Partnership, which brands itself as The Rapid. Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR). Amtrak provides direct train service to Chicago.

Transportation is also provided by the DASH buses. These buses are the Downtown Area SHuttle. These provide transportation to and from the parking lots in the city of Grand Rapids to various designated loading and unloading spots around the city. The parking lots in mention also have their own Security. These officers known as PSO's (Protective Services Officers). These men and women patrol the lots to not only ensure the safety and security of the citizens of Grand Rapids, but also to provide roadside assistance. This includes jumping cars, changing tires, unlocking car doors, etc. The officers are all students from local area colleges and universities pursuing a career in a public service field. The majority are trying to become police officers but, there are paramedics and other service fields represented. This is one if not the only program of its kind known to exist in the United States.

Several major highways serve the city, including:

Sister cities

Grand Rapids has city partnerships with the following cities:

Greater Grand Rapids covers all of West Michigan, including the western-most parts of Lansing, Michigan - the capital of the Great Lakes state.

Notable current/former residents

Adam Herz, "American Pie" Screenwriter
Mathias Alten, painter
Gillian Anderson, lead actress of The X-Files
Paul Assenmacher, former Major League Baseball player
Steve Belkin, Owner, Atlanta Spirit, L.L.C. (Atlanta Hawks of NBA)
Johnny Benson, NASCAR driver
Ray Bentley, Buffalo Bills linebacker and commentator
Ralston Bowles, singer/songwriter
Dr. John H. Butler, Phd., Educator, lightweight boxer, Golden Glove Champion 1952
Roger B. Chaffee, Apollo 1 astronaut
Rex Cherryman, stage and film actor
Paul Collins, painter
the DeBarge family, recording artists
Richard Devos Founder, Amway & Owner, Orlando Magic of NBA
Christina Fong, violinist and violist
Gerald R. Ford, U.S. president, of East Grand Rapids
Betty Ford, former first lady
Al Green, singer
Paul Henry, U.S. representative
Stephen Herdsman, former MLS player with the Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids
Adina Howard, recording artist
H. Wayne Huizenga Owner, Miami Dolphins
Luke & Murphy Jensen 1993 Doubles Winner, French Open
Jack Lousma, Skylab/Shuttle astronaut
Chris Kaman, basketball player
Stanley Ketchel, middleweight boxer
Anthony Kiedis, lead singer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Michael Markwick, painter
Buster Mathis Sr., former heavyweight boxer
Buster Mathis Jr., former heavyweight boxer
Kevin Max, member of Christian rock band dc Talk and solo artist.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. former boxer/distinguished boxing trainer
Roger Mayweather., former lightweight boxer
Floyd Mayweather Jr., lightweight boxer,
Greg Meyer, Boston Marathon winner
Mustard Plug, recording artists
Andy Richter, television entertainer
Marvin Sapp, Gospel Recording Artist
Paul Schrader, screenwriter and movie director
Del Shannon, recording artist
Still Remains, recording artists
Casey Stratton, recording artist
Edmund Cardinal Szoka, President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
James Toney, heavyweight boxer
Tony Tucker, former heavyweight boxer
Chris Van Allsburg, children's book creator, of East Grand Rapids
Arthur H. Vandenberg, U.S. senator
Brian Vander Ark, lead singer of The Verve Pipe
Whirlwind Heat, recording artists
Kim Zimmer, daytime tv actress
Wally Pipp, professional baseball player
Terry Barr, professional football player
Todd Sweeris, 1996 Olympics, table tennis
Dell Sweeris and Connie Sweeris, table tennis

External links

All-America City | Cities in Michigan | County seats in Michigan | Grand Rapids, Michigan | Kent County, Michigan

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