City of Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan

Annotated 1953 Sanborn Maps

When I worked for the City Assessor, before computers,  we cut and pasted these maps. Now with my computer I will continue to cut and paste.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show diagrams and construction details of homes, stores, churches, schools and factories showing  burnable contents and watchman hours.  It also shows the closest source of water and location of fire barns. These maps are in color, the color showing brick, stucco etc. For more information click on this link Sanborn

The City of my childhood was divided into ethnic neighborhoods. People lived near where they worked cause they walked to work or took the bus. They liked having small yards they could care for themselves. The children walked to school. The mothers walked to the grocery store. For relaxation they walked to a park. The teachers lived in the neighborhood as they walked to work.  The children were safe because everyone was home.

From my memory the West Side was mostly working class and Catholic. The side streets didn't even have Stop signs.

There was a German neighborhood along Front Avenue.

There was a Dutch neighborhood along Leonard Street.

There was a Lithuania neighborhood along Richmond Street.

There was a WASP neighborhood along Winter and Summer Avenues.

Almost everyone else was Polish.

There was a Jewish neighborhood on the West Side but I didn't know this when I was a child. For information on other West Side ethnic neighborhoods that I did not personally experience, see Heart and Soul by Linda Samuels.

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Copyright © 2006 My Grand Rapids
Last modified: 05/17/10