Copywrited.
INVENTORY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
IN THE CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS
1850-1968
The City came into existence in 1850 annexing three existing township schools established under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and funded under the Land Ordinance of 1785. The City continued the three "township" divisions, each division responsible for maintaining existing schools and adding more schools until it became apparent that the competition was self-defeating. In 1871 the newly created Grand Rapids Board of Education. added schools until the City annexed nine more township schools in 1891. Then the City gradually added a few new schools until a post WWI Baby Boom resulted in rapid expansion in the 1920's. The depression hit the schools hard. Then after WWII the City schools could barely keep up with the post war Baby Boom. . And now it is shrinking and the neighborhood schools are fast disappearing being replaced by the new modern conglomeration of cutesy name-changes and bussing which make no sense to me.
I have made no attempt to inventory parochial or private schools other then when they crossed paths such as Oakdale Public and Oakdale Christian, Baxter Public and Baxter Christian, Pine Public and Pine Christian among others. .
Introductory and background Information:
a. Federal Ordinances that created and financed public schools in Michigan
b. Michigan Laws (not done yet)
b. General Introduction of Michigan History at it applies to the formation of public schools.
c. Local Timeline of events affecting City public schools
d. Franklin Austin A History of the Organization of the Grand Rapids Public Schools. (Not done yet).
e. Historical Groupings of the formation of City Schools
f. Inventory in Chronological order
The City of Grand Rapids annexed schools from four townships; Grand Rapids Twp, Paris Twp, Walker Twp and Wyoming Twp. I just happen to have some extra information on Kent Township renamed Grand Rapids Township because I know the Township Clerk, Jan Hulbert. So here is the extra information: Kent Twp
Public Schools of the City of Grand Rapids.
a. Alpha List by well-known modern names.
b. All names cross reference index for any name ever used (only up to 1911)
c. Synopsis of each school in alpha order by most common name.
e. History of Central High School written 30 years ago.
f. 2006 school map coming
Bibliography
Annual Catalogue
Annual Reports of the Grand Rapids Board of Education 1872-
Baxter, Albert. History of the City of Grand Rapids, Mi. Munsell & Co, 1891
Belknap, Charles. The Yesterdays of Grand Rapids. 1922
Chapman's History of Kent County, MI. Chas. C. Chapman & Co, 1881
Cuningham, Bill. City Archives. Personal Interview. 2005, 2006
Dillenback & Leavitt, History and Directory of Kent County. 1870
Etten, William J. Citizens' History of Grand Rapids, 1926
Funk, Tim. GR Bd of Ed, Administrative Assistant, personal interview, 2006.
Gillis, Edward. Growing Up in Old Lithuania Town, 2000.
Grand Rapids Board of Education manuscript collection at the service building on Union Ave.
Kent County Grantor/Grantee Index (what's left of it) at Metropolitan Title, Kraft Avenue, Jim Mulder
Mudrak, Tim, City Archives.
Nelson, Delores. City of Grand Rapids, Abstract Clerk, personal interview
Reports of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State
of Michigan For the Years 1855, '56, and '57
Sanborn Fire Maps, as annotated by City Assessors, 1895, 1913 housed at City Archives.
Sanborn Fire Map as annotated by City Engineers, 1953, housed at City Archives.
Standard Atlas of Kent County. T. O. Williams, Kent County Surveyor. George A Ogle, publisher, 1907, Chicago.
Umphrey, Vaughn. City of Grand Rapids, Design Services Supervisor, Engineer's Office, personal interview, 2005, 2006..
1885 Collar and Greiner map
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info