Beginning around 1865, as the fledgling art and science of photography began to appear in cities and towns across the United States, a small group of photographers, using new methods and equipment developed a few years before in Europe, began producing and offering for sale stereographic views of the people, places, and events that made up daily life in the then nearly 40-year-old city of Grand Rapids. These photographic views were unlike others that had preceded them and when viewed using a special device, they presented a detailed, three-dimensional portrait of the young city. Once introduced, stereographic views of the city, alongside those of more distant lands, became wildly popular and soon graced the homes of many in this city and elsewhere. The stereographic cards themselves today offer a rare and detailed glimpse of the city, its residents, and some of the special and unusual events that occurred nearly 150 years ago.

Grand Rapids responded to President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops with passionate swiftness. Kent County men fought stubbornly on memorable battlefields like First Bull Run, Stones River and Gettysburg, as well as obscure places like Boonville, La Vergne and Mossy Creek. An affinity for cavalry earned Grand Rapids the moniker "Michigan's Horse Soldier City," while Valley City engineers designed and constructed spectacular railroad bridges throughout the South. Back home, the soldiers' mothers, wives and sisters faced the conflict's many challenges with patriotic doggedness. Dr. Roger L. Rosentreter chronicles how Grand Rapids citizens responded to wartime trials and tribulations while helping the North save the Union and end slavery.

What began as a fur-trading post grew into the second-largest city in Michigan, a center for industry and the arts. As "Furniture Capital of the World” and an All-American City three times, Grand Rapids has a fascinating past. Historic Photos of Grand Rapids explores that past in images depicting a range of subjects, including the furniture industry, the Flood of 1904, recreational activities, the Pantlind Hotel, the original Ada Covered Bridge spanning the Thornapple River, civic celebrations, a 1941 Monroe Avenue, the 1889 County Building, and countless others.These striking black-and-white images are the pride of the Grand Rapids Public Library’s History and Special Collections Department. Come take a tour through the pages of Historic Photos of Grand Rapids and discover the charm of bygone eras, the fortitude of the city’s pioneers, and the richness of the old city.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, began to take shape when settlers found power, transportation, and abundant natural resources on the banks of the Grand River. A gateway to the settlement of western and northern Michigan in the mid- to late 19th century, Grand Rapids became home to a fledgling cottage industry in the manufacture of furniture. In the decades that followed, the furniture industry brought employment and prosperity to the city, and significantly influenced its physical landscape and character. The history of Grand Rapids during the late 19th and early 20th centuries has been documented in the postcards of the period. Hundreds of scenes of buildings and institutions, and the people who lived, worked, and played here were recorded on these cards.