Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
City of Grand Rapids history
City of Grand Rapids company history timeline
One French trader named Louis Campau established a trading post here in 1826.
Campau became the most important settler in 1831.
In the fall of 1833, were Richard Godfroy, who set up a store to trade with the Indians, Robert Barr, Louis Morau, and Lovell Moore, Esq.
The first marriage in Grand Rapids occurred in 1834.
During the year 1835 Edward Guild and Darius Winsor moved down the river from Ionia and quite a large number of settlers arrived, among whom were Hon.
Slater when to Washington to make a treaty relative to selling their lands on the west side of the river, which was consummated in 1835.
The late George Coggeshall emigrated, in 1836, to this place, from Wilmington, N.C., with his family, and invested his means in Kent.
The first newspaper, called the Grand River Times, was started by George W. Pattison in 1837, and the first number published April 18th, of that year.
A little steamboat, called the "John Almy" was built in 1837, to run above the Rapids.
Campau, in 1837, and, until the last stick of it is in ashes, it will be a monument to the noble, religious seal of Louis Campau, the Catholic, and James Ballard, the Protestant.
He took A. D. Rathbone into partnership with him in 1840, who continued in that relation for about a year.
He came to Grand Rapids to reside in the year 1840, from Detroit, and studied law in the office of Judge Martin, along the Hon.
Commercial gypsum operation began in 1841 and there were eventually 13 separate mine operators.
The first bridge that spanned Grand River was a narrow foot bridge, built by James Scribner and Lovell Moore, in 1843.
In 1843, E. D. Burr became a partner, and hoisted the Democratic flag, with the name of John C. Calhoun for President.
In 1844, Solomon L. Withey became his partner and the firm was known as Ball & Withey.
The first formal census occurred in 1845.
The first banking establishment was the Grand River Bank, established in 1847, Judge Almy being President, and Lucius Lyon, Cashier.
In 1848 he was chosen Judge of Probate for Kent county and held that office for four years.
When Grand Rapids was incorporated on April 2, 1850, it already had one furniture factory and several small private shops that created various furniture pieces.
He designed the Grand Rapids City Seal which the City Council adopted on June 25, 1850.
The business was first established by the late J. F. Chubb, in 1850, and went into the hands of the present company about a year ago.
He died January 2nd, 1852, at the age of sixty years; having living to see a handsome stone church edifice erected on Monroe Street, two years previous to his death and filled with a numerous and prosperous congregation.
The first toll bridge, on Bridge Street, was finished in 1852 and for the first year did not pay the expenses of running it.
Scribner's interest was purchased by A. B. Turner in the fall of 1852.
The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, founded in 1854, became the country’s longest north-south rail line when it provided passenger and freight services between Cincinnati, Ohio and the Straits of Mackinac, the waterway between Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas.
In March 1855, A. E. Gordon started the Daily Herald, which was the first daily paper published in Grand Rapids.
Turner started a daily May 26, 1856, with telegraphic dispatches by stage from Kalamazoo.
Bal finally bought out their interests, and, in 1856, admitted Mr.
In 1857, Thomas D. Worrall started the Great Western Journal, a weekly paper whose high sounding name did not save it from a final collapse in a short time.
The business steadily increased until 1860, when the Grand Rapids Plaster Company was organized and the firm of Hovey & Co. merged in that.
It was kept up by him until 1867, and since that time, by his son, E. B. Dikeman, whose store is now on Canal Street.
The first train of cars on the Kalamazoo, Allegan & Grand Rapids Railroad, now a division of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, arrived on the first day of March 1869.
In 1869, a brick school house was begun in the Fifth Ward, which, when completed, will cost about $15,000.
The amount of plaster quarried and sold by them prior to 1869 was about 98,000 tons and for 1869 the total was about 18,000 tons.
On the first day of June 1870, Grand Rapids contained, according to the United States Census, 16,507 inhabitants, and is therefore the second city in the State, in population.
Through trains commenced running on this road, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, on the tenth day of October 1870, opening a new market for our manufactures, which promises to prove of great importance to the leading branches of industry.
Their works were trebled in extent during the year 1870, and can manufacture 200 tons of ground plaster in 22 hours, and 20,000 barrels of stucco per year.
The historic Blue Bridge was built in 1886.
1911 Aquinas opened its doors in Grand Rapids, transferring from Traverse City.
When residents voted to abolish the old aldermanic system of city government in 1916, they replaced it with the Commission-Manager form of government that is still in place today.
In 1916 the citizens of Grand Rapids voted to adopt a home rule charter.
The local brewing scene thrived until Prohibition and limped along thereafter – the last remaining brewery closed in 1951.
Joe Kinnebrew designed the Grand Rapids City logo which the City adopted in March of 1982.
2008 The Fulton Group was founded.
2018 Bridge Street Market opened, which was catalyst for the development along Bridge Street.
Rate City of Grand Rapids' efforts to communicate its history to employees.
City of Grand Rapids jobs
Do you work at City of Grand Rapids?
Does City of Grand Rapids communicate its history to new hires?
City of Grand Rapids competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Fort Worth | 1849 | $280.0M | 7,500 | 43 |
| Columbus Consolidated Government | - | $33.0M | 777 | - |
| Willamalane Park and Recreation District | 1944 | $1.2M | 327 | 7 |
| Splash Valley Water Park | - | $1.0M | 50 | 21 |
| City of Tempe Government | 1871 | $670,000 | 25 | 23 |
| Virginia Beach | 1963 | $22.0M | 350 | 10 |
| Forsyth County | - | $29.0M | 350 | 38 |
| City of Oak Park | 1945 | $7.0M | 147 | 1 |
| City of Springfield | - | $25.0M | 779 | 19 |
| Town of Monroe, CT | - | $690,000 | 50 | - |
City of Grand Rapids history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of City of Grand Rapids, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about City of Grand Rapids. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at City of Grand Rapids. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by City of Grand Rapids. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of City of Grand Rapids and its employees or that of Zippia.
City of Grand Rapids may also be known as or be related to City Of Grand Rapids and City of Grand Rapids.