The Spectator


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The Spectator


Book Description




Grand Rapids


Book Description

William Haldane opened a cabinet shop in 1836, 14 years before Grand Rapids incorporated. Other furniture companies followed: Berkey and Gay, Widdicomb, Sligh, Hekman, and Phoenix were among those taking advantage of the Grand River for transportation and power, the area's abundant hardwood supply, and a growing immigrant labor pool. The furniture soon attracted national attention. In 1876, the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition proved conclusively that a river town in Michigan had indeed earned the title "Furniture City." Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower all worked at Grand Rapids-made desks. Fifteen manufacturers joined forces to build 1,000 Handley Page bombers during World War I. The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, at a table made in Grand Rapids. Despite fires, floods, strikes, depressions, and wars, Grand Rapids led the industry until the 1950s and 1960s, when the factories began moving to North Carolina. Today the area, along with nearby Holland and Zeeland, dominates the office furniture industry.




Lost Restaurants of Grand Rapids


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Grand Rapids restaurants have served up meals and memories since the city's earliest days. At Bentham's, one of the first downtown restaurants, customers without money to eat could trade an animal pelt for supper. John Sebaitis trained his German shepherd, Spooky, to serve beer to the patrons at his tavern. And a seventeen-year-old Gerald R. Ford worked part time as a server and dish washer at Bill's Place. Join Norma Lewis as she explores the history of Grand Rapids most beloved eateries and the stories behind them. Book jacket.




Murder & Mayhem in Grand Rapids


Book Description

While the River City is known for its history of furniture making, it also has a sinister side. Jennie Flood was a widow with a get-rich scheme that involved a shotgun and an insurance application. Reverend Ferris went undercover in his war against the city's purveyors of vice. The police rounded up the usual suspects in an attempt to solve the infamous 1921 bank heist that led to the slaying of two detectives. And the death of a teenager exposed "Aunty" Smith and her dangerous side business conducted in the shadows. Author Tobin T. Buhk delves into the colorful characters of Grand Rapids' past and the heinous crimes they committed.







The American City


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The Education of Gerald Ford


Book Description

GERALD R. FORD (1913-2006), the thirty-eighth president of the United States, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and by all accounts modeled exemplary behavior. In this biography Hendrik Booraem carefully examines that image and the reputation that Ford earned during his early years, telling about Ford's life up until his graduation from the University of Michigan in 1935. Booraem uses in-depth research of numerous written sources — plus interviews with some twenty people who personally knew Ford — to show how Jerry Ford excelled at academics and athletics, forging his way through challenges, family difficulties, economic setbacks, and more on his way to a remarkable political career. Booraem's historical portrait offers fascinating insight into the early years of this president who sought to heal the nation at a very low point in its history.