The Grand River winds its way through Ionia County. It has been an important waterway throughout history. The area was first home to Potawatomi, Ottawa and Chippewa Villages. Sometime later, traders and missionaries arrived in the area. In the spring of 1832, Mr. Samuel Dexter from New York made a real estate purchase of one square mile of land along the river. He returned one year later with sixty-two other settlers and began to settle what is now known as Ionia. The purchase price was for a $25.00 coin. The sale price also included the gardens and the wigwams of the Indians.

The city of Ionia is full of beautiful historical buildings. Stately Victorian homes line the central city streets. Several historical private residences line the hillside overlooking the Grand River Valley. One of my favorite homes is the spectacular Mission Style home built for Governor Green, governor of Michigan from 1927-1931.

The Ionia County Courthouse was built in 1886. Built of Ionia sandstone, this 3 ½ story landmark is even more beautiful on the inside with its black and white marble floors, oak wainscoting, butternut and walnut stairway and fourteen marble fireplaces throughout the building.

Ionia is full of many other historical government buildings just waiting to be explored, as well as Main Street with the Victorian streetscape. One of my favorite buildings in Ionia is the Ionia Theater a beautiful old building, still operating as a theater today.

What many may not know, is that Ionia was the home to the first J.L. Hudson store, located right on Main Street. Later, the J.L. Hudson store branched out and became a nationwide corporation.

The annual Ionia Free fair is located in town along the Grand River shoreline. It is the largest of its kind and has been operation at its current location since 1868.

Today Ionia being the county seat, enjoys a vibrant and diverse economy. It is home to several Michigan prisons, providing employment for many throughout the county. Growth is evident south of town along the M66 corridor.

There is so much to discover in this quiet city, it will be may well be a subject of a more detailed post at a later date.

If you like history and old historical buildings, you will love Belding. Located on Belding Rd (M44) in northern Ionia County, Belding is a sleeper when it comes to history and places of interest.

Driving through town you cannot help but notice the towers on the turn of the century industrial buildings. All located along the banks of the Flat River, these former silk mills have become landmarks to the community, paying tribute to the rich heritage of the area.

The most striking tower is located at the corner of Bridge and Main Street. This clock tower, which was built in 1903, has four clock faces with cast iron Roman numerals and wooden hands. The tower  is now showing some signs of  age. It is missing some windows, has peeling paint, brick that is deteriorating and the long overdue building maintenance are all signs of an uncertain future. That’s a shame. Belding should save it’s tower and cause it’s chimes to ring on the hour and half hour again.

Yes,  they still build clock towers today.  Occasionally  you see them  on a school’s campus, a shopping center, or wherever an architect wants to make a statement. But, they do not even remotely come close to stature of this handsome monument that towers over this Michigan City.

For more about the rich history of Belding visit the Belding Chamber of Commerce website. They have done a nice job with it.

For a little more background about towers, check out Wikipedia about Clock Towers.

For a little more of my perspective about Belding, stay tuned for more.

The Little Muskegon River has it’s headwaters in Mecosta County and winds it’s way through three Michigan counties. The river begins as a shallow stream and increases in width and depth as it flows thru Montcalm County and then into Newaygo County, where it becomes a tributary of the Muskegon River at the Croton Dam.

Much of the Little Muskegon’s riverfront is natural, it’s riverbanks lined with a variety of oak, pine, ash and elm. Michigan deer, as well as a wide range of other wildlife and waterfowl, make their home here, enjoying life in their natural habitat. Fisherman report catches of small mouth bass, walleye and perch.

Due to the brush, low hanging limbs and the trees that have fallen into the river, as well as the seasonal water levels, canoeing is only possible in the lower third of the river.

As with much of the waterfront on Michigan’s lakes and rivers, much of the property along the river is privately owned. Please respect the rights of property owners by not trespassing.

If you have traveled on old US 131 between Big Rapids and Reed City, you may have noticed this building with the interesting architecture. This is the old Paris Fish Hatchery, now a Michigan historic site.

A sign explains a bit of the history: Opening in 1881, the Paris Fish Hatchery was the state’s second fish rearing agency. This area was selected because of its abundant sources of water and excellent railroad connections. The Paris Fish Hatchery was a major supplier of salmon and brown trout fingerlings. Fish in milk cans painted a distinctive red were shipped throughout the state in railroad baggage cars, the most famous of which was the “Wolverine,” which was used from 1913 to 1938, when motorized vehicles began to dominate shipment. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) renovated and expanded the facility in the mid 1930s. It continued to operate until 1964, when it was closed by the Department of Natural Resources. The site was acquired by the Mecosta County Park Commission in 1973, refurbished as a park and reopened in July 1976.

Today, the Paris Park consists of forty wooded acres, with about ½ mile of Muskegon River frontage. The park also consists of 68 campsites, modern restrooms, volleyball court, canoe launch and three camp-n-cabins. A Camp-n-Cabin is a 12×12 rustic cabin, ½ log siding, concrete floors, and a 5×12 covered porch. These three cabins are on the southern end of the park, overlooking the beautiful Muskegon River.

In our opinion, Mecosta County does an above average job of taking care of their parks.

Hello Sister,

I got the letter, it is a dandy day here and I have made thirty cents this for noon and will make sixty more this afternoon. Got a letter from bro Fred this morning and one from mother the other day. I will answer your letter tomorrow, so good by till I write.

Bro Carl

This postcard with it’s intriguing message, is dated Sept. 22. Unfortunately, it is impossible to read the year, but because of the type of card it is, we can assume it was between 1901-1907.

The picture you see on the postcard is of the Fairman Block in Big Rapids, Michigan. The building was built by Ferdinand Fairman in 1880 and from the postcard we can tell that the corner store housed Fairman’s Drug Store. Today the corner store is home to Fairman’s Apparel, a women’s apparel shop owned by the great and great-great granddaughters of Ferdinand Fairman.

The next time you are in or near Big Rapids, be sure to check out this important piece of Big Rapids history.

 

If you know me, you know I love dogs. They have been called “Man’s Best Friend”, and for good reason. When I come home from a day’s work, there he is wagging his tail, glad that I am home. At least that is what I tell myself, the truth may be that he knows when I get home it’s almost time to eat!

Anyway. While driving through Big Rapids the other day, I noticed an interesting painted sculpture of a dog and had to stop and take a picture. I discovered and interesting event entitled year of the dawgs. Hosted by the Leadership Mecosta, this is designed to be a community art project. Twenty-five fiberglass bulldawgs, standing about three feet tall and four feet long, were painted by a local artist. They are now displayed at the sponsor’s business site. The art I saw was well done. Sometimes when I look at art, I think I could do better, but in this case I could not begin to match what these artists are doing.

Next time you travel thru Big Rapids on the way to your favorite lake, slow down and have a good laugh. I promise it will brighten your day.

Reed City Michigan is located at the crossroads of US10 and US131 (exit #153). Even before there was a US10 or a US131, Reed City was at the crossroads of the Pere Marquette and the Northern Michigan rail lines. The Pere Marquette ran from Ludington to Midland, while the Northern Michigan ran from Rockford to Caddillac. Today, Reed City is still at the crossroads with the intersection of two popular rails to trails; the White Pine Trail and the Pere Marquette Trail.

There is ample trailhead parking available adjacent to the soon to open new Reed City Depot. This is impressive building will house offices, as well as 24 hour restooms for the trails. Grand Opening July 12, 1-4 p.m.

Complementing the natural beauty of the area, the Hersey River runs thru Reed City and continues thru to Hersey Michigan where it flows into the Muskegon River.

Reed City serves as the county seat for Osceola county. County administration offices, the county courthouse as well as the county road commissions operation are located there. This often provides a source of ecomically stability for the area.

The Rev. George Beverly Shaw, who authored the popular hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” made Reed City his home. He is now remembered at the Reed City Museum.

Quality health care is available at Spectrum Health’s Reed City Hospital. A Yoplait Yougart (a division of General Mills) plant also is located in Reed City.

Reed City is far more than just another exit of US131!

You will not even find a “Welcome to Dighton” sign on the edge of town. In fact, if you are not careful you may not even recognize it is a Michigan town. Much of the original town is long gone except for a store known as The Dighton Store.

You can find Dighton in Sherman Township in northern Osceola county on 130th Avenue, 1/2 mile south of 20 Mile Road.

What is so unique about Dighton? Dighton is considered to be the highest elevation in southern Michigan, which provides some beautiful, sweeping views of the surrounding area. This fall, be sure to check out the view on 20 Mile Road, just before it turns south. It will take your breath away!

Recently I found myself passing through Reed City, Michigan. As I drove through the town, I was reminded of a previous visit to Reed City and a post I wrote about the new Reed City Depot, that was about to open. I was curious to see if it was completed, so I decided to go check it out.

It has opened and it is impressive! This all new brick depot is located at the intersection of the Pere Marquette Trail and the White Pine Trails. These former rail lines have been turned into trails for walkers, runners and bicyclists.

This site offers plenty of paved parking and restrooms for those using the trails. The team that thought, planned and built the depot did a wonderful job. This will be a landmark for the Reed City community for years to come.

Throughout Michigan they are many small lakes, many with names few would recognize or be familiar with. Many have names that are shared with other lakes throughout the state, names like Bass Lake, Sand Lake, Lost Lake and Long Lake. Lakes that often go by unnoticed by many of Michigan’s residents. Lakes that are tucked away in the Northern Michigan forests and are just as quiet as the day they were formed.

Many small developments are found around some of these Michigan treasures. One example of these developments is the Swiss Valley Lake Association. Found in Osceola County, just a few miles north of Reed City, along the edge of the Pere Marquette State Forest, this well kept community displays a pride of ownership of the lake development. Mainly year round stick built homes are built around two small Michigan lakes.

Round Lake and Horseshoe Lake, yes, are names of other Michigan lakes. These two small private lakes, of twenty some acres of surface waters each, are the jewels of this community of neighbors enjoying the four seasons of Michigan. Whether it is the sight of a deer running thru the woods, catching some pan fish for a summer fry with family or friends, life is just a little bit better living on a Michigan lake.

Exit #153 has been a favorite stop for us on the way to Michigan’s North Country as it is home to a Mac Donald’s, Burger King, roadside produce market and a gas station.

Recently I noticed the Old Rugged Cross Museum was open and decided to pay a visit. I wasn’t sure what to expect once I walked thru the doors,  but I soon learned that the museum is actually the Reed City Museum.

The building is divided into three large rooms. The first room is focused on home life in and about Reed City in the early 1900’s. Displays center on various rooms in a home at that time, with replicas of a dining room, kitchen, etc.

The second room is focused on the work life in the Reed City’s area, with old farming tools, shop tools, displays of the logging era, and equipment from an old Reed City cottage cheese factory. Of added interest is some old firefighting equipment from the 1930s, including a fire truck.

The third room is full of mementos of Reverend and Mrs. George Bennard, who in 1913 wrote a that is still popular today, The Old Rugged Cross.

The part of my short visit I appreciated the most was the volunteer staff, two warm friendly women who enjoyed their work as the caretakers of the museum. The next time you’re at Exit 153, it may be a nice welcome rest stop from the trip. Certainly better for you than a Big Mac, fries and a shake.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted

Labor Day  historically signals the last day of summer, a time to think about taking the boat out of the water, closing up the cottage and getting the kids ready for the new school year.

But, even though the school bells say fall, the calendar still says summer, so we know there is plenty of great weather ahead. In fact,  the other night while in Grand Haven I noticed the on the Grand Theater marquee. It read “It’s Still Summer” .

So, yes, it still is summer and there is plenty of time to enjoy a Michigan lake.