The Eagle Hotel, built in 1834, served the residents and visitors of the city for ninety-nine years. It had many landlords during its tenure, but one was remembered for killing a guest.

John Almy and his wife came to the village of Grand Rapids in 1835. Mrs. Almy kept an account of their difficult journey in her diary.

It took many years for Grand Rapids to acquire a suitable City Hall.

G. B. Russo, who came to Grand Rapids from Sicily, was one of the early residents of the area around South Division and Franklin known as Little Italy when he opened his Italian grocery store on South Division.

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre has a long history in Grand Rapids, and its actors trod the boards in old Germania Hall during their early days.

Plank roads evoke the mystique of days gone by, but those old wooden planks held little charm for travelers.

Fred Meijer (December 7, 1919 - November 25, 2011) was an innovative businessman willing to take risks that changed the way people shop in Grand Rapids.

For months in 1935, during the Depression, the news that General Motors would open a new plant in Grand Rapids was kept secret under penalty that the project would be cancelled if news was leaked. Finally, announced in December, it was GM's Christmas present to the city.

Horses and other quadrupeds sometimes had difficulty coping with the uncertainties and complexities of urban life.

In August of 1924, four new Fageol Safety Coaches premium passenger buses were added to the Grand Rapids Greyhound fleet, offering daily service.