The 20th century brought remarkable changes to Grand Rapids. From the "Furniture City", with a population of 88,000 and no suburbs, it became an economically and socially diverse community of 190,000 centered in a metropolitan area of more than 525,000. Gone are the days when trains took nearly two days to reach the East Coast and telegraphs were the only means of rapid communication-replaced by automobiles, airplanes, long-distance telephone calls, radio, television and the internet. From a city dominated by European immigrants and their sons and daughters, the city has become more ethnically and racially diverse, with growing numbers of African Americans, Latinos, and Asians.

Unlike its current diversified economy, a century ago two-thirds of its 16,000-person work force earned their incomes from furniture making or a related industry. The remainder of the city's economy consisted of retailers, professionals and a flourishing wholesale trade. Thirty to forty freight trains carried goods to and from the city each day, and a like number of passenger trains brought a steady flow of business travelers, families, tourists, and new immigrants.

Contrasted with modern glass-covered office buildings and hotels, downtown had a decidedly different look a century ago. Only the Michigan Trust Building was taller than four stories and horse-drawn buggies and streetcars, not automobiles, dominated city streets. Among the buildings gracing the central city in the early 1900s were the elegant City Hall built in 1888, County Court House (1891), Powers' Opera House (1873) on Pearl Street, St. Cecilia Music Society Auditorium (1893), Ryerson Library Building (1904), and Federal Building (1911.) Of these, the St. Cecilia, Ryerson and Federal buildings remain, although the latter is now the Art Museum. In 1900, gas lights and oil lamps illuminated these buildings because electric lights were still not deemed dependable.

Where contemporary residents turn to the Van Andel Arena, movie theaters and numerous other locations for entertainment, turn-of-the century Grand Rapidians visited downtown vaudeville theaters or headed for Reeds Lake's Ramona Park, where a pavilion, boat livery, and picnic ground awaited. North Park, along the river was also popular, while across town, 40 acres of steep, wooded hillsides, given to the city by early resident John Ball, were becoming a popular recreation destination.

Grand Rapids has experienced dramatic change over the past 100 years. Dynamic leaders have restructured its political and business makeup, new buildings and transportation routes have reshaped the urban landscape, and immigration patterns have altered the makeup of its population. The images in this exhibit document those changes. They also bear testimony to the community's resilience and offer assurance that the best of the past remains as a solid foundation for the approaching new century. 

Share with us this photo-essay of Grand Rapids from 1900 through 1999. Click on the thumbnail image to see a larger image - be advised that because of its greater size, it may be slow to download.