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102-480: The current M-39 is the third highway to bear the designation. The first dated back to the origins of the state highway system in 1919 and ran between Grand Rapids and Lansing . This highway was replaced in segments through the 1920s and 1930s by realignments or extensions of other highways in the area. The second was part of Schaefer Highway in the Detroit area from 1939 until the end of the 1950s. The current highway

204-421: A "heritage village" made up of several well-preserved 19th-century buildings, including a log cabin, schoolhouse, and barn. The nature center is also home to Blandford School, a highly selective environmental education program for sixth graders from the metropolitan region, which is run by Grand Rapids Public Schools and serves as a feeder school for City High-Middle School . At 264 acres (107 ha), Blandford

306-630: A Hungarian native educated in Catholic institutions in Austria, arrived, presiding over the Catholic mission in the area until his death in 1852. That year, Campau, Rix Robinson, Rev. Slater, and the husband of Chief Noonday's daughter, Meccissininni, traveled to Washington, D.C. to speak about the purchase of Odawa land on the west side of the river with President Andrew Jackson . Jackson was originally unimpressed with Meccissininni, though Meccissininni, who often acquired white customs, asked Jackson for

408-495: A four month long general strike on April 19, 1911. Much of the public, the mayor, the press and the Catholic diocese supported the strike, believing that the unwillingness of business leaders to negotiate was unjust. Skilled and unskilled factory labor was mainly Dutch (60 percent) and Polish (25 percent), primarily immigrants. According to the 1911 Immigration Commission report, the Dutch had an average of 8 percent higher wages than

510-535: A locally adopted charter. The county is governed pursuant to the Home Rule Charter of Wayne County, Michigan , and the Wayne County Code is the codification of Wayne County's local ordinances . Unless a violation of the code or other ordinance is specifically designated as a municipal civil infraction (or unless expressly otherwise required by applicable state or federal laws), the violation

612-474: A minor dispute, workers were inspired to form labor unions ; workers requested furniture companies to increase wages , fewer working hours, the creation of collective bargaining and the institution of a minimum wage to replace piece work . The furniture businesses refused to respond with unions as they believed that any meeting represented recognition of unions. Workers in Grand Rapids then began

714-582: A part of mailing addresses in Kent County. The quadrants are NE (northeast), NW (northwest), SE (southeast), and SW (southwest). Fulton Street serves as the north–south dividing line, while Division Avenue serves as the east–west dividing line separating these quadrants. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 45.27 square miles (117.25 km ), of which, 44.40 square miles (115.00 km ) of it

816-488: A part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic , which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-39 were the 159,400 vehicles daily between Schoolcraft Road and Grand River Avenue in Detroit;

918-563: A retail destination for the region, hosting four department stores: Herpolsheimer's ( Lazarus ), Jacobson's , Steketee's (founded in 1862), and Wurzburg's. In 1945, Grand Rapids became the first city in the United States to add fluoride to its drinking water. National home furnishing conferences were held in Grand Rapids for about seventy-five years, concluding in the 1960s. By that time, the furniture-making industry had largely shifted to North Carolina . As with many older cities in

1020-410: A similar suit to the one the president was wearing. While later wearing his suit that was made similar to Jackson's, Meccissininni also unknowingly imitated Jackson's hat, placing a piece of weed in it, which impressed Jackson since it symbolized mourning the death of his wife. John Ball , representing a group of New York land speculators, bypassed Detroit for a better deal in Grand Rapids traveling to

1122-504: A sizable strip of Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. These boundaries would be adjusted as Indiana and Illinois became states and as other counties were formed within Michigan Territory . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 673 square miles (1,740 km ), of which 612 square miles (1,590 km ) is land and 61 square miles (160 km ) (9.0%) is water. Its water area includes parts of

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1224-545: A terminus at M-85 (Fort Street) in 1966. In 1987, the M-39 designation was truncated slightly so that the trunkline no longer officially connects to M-85. Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city in and county seat of Kent County, Michigan , United States. At the 2020 census , the city had a population of 198,893, making it the second-most populous city in Michigan, after Detroit . Grand Rapids

1326-422: A typical summer. The average temperature of the area is 49 °F (9 °C). The highest temperature in the area was recorded on July 13, 1936, at 108 °F (42 °C), and the lowest was recorded on February 13–14, 1899, at −24 °F (−31 °C). During an average year, sunshine occurs in 46% of the daylight hours. On 138 nights, the temperature dips to below 32 °F (0 °C). On average, 9.2 days

1428-412: A year have temperatures that meet or exceed the 90 °F (32 °C) mark, and 5.6 days a year have lows that are 0 °F (−18 °C) or colder. The coldest maximum temperature on record was −6 °F (−21 °C) in 1899, whereas the most recent subzero Fahrenheit daily maximum was −2 °F (−19 °C) in 1994. During the reference period of 1991 to 2020, the coldest daily maximum on average

1530-431: Is a misdemeanor . The county government operates the jail , maintains rural roads, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records for all areas except Detroit, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. Most other local government functions – police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. – are

1632-748: Is a decrease of 240,578 people from the 2000 United States Census . Overall, the county had an -11.7% growth rate during this ten-year period. In 2010 there were 702,749 households and 450,651 families in the county. The population density was 2,974.4 per square mile (1,148.4 per square kilometer). There were 821,693 housing units at an average density of 1,342.5 per square mile (518.3 per square kilometer). 52.3% were White , 40.5% Black or African American , 2.5% Asian , 0.4% Native American , 0.8% of some other race and 2.4% of two or more races . 5.2% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). 7.5% were of German , 6.8% Polish and 5.2% Irish ancestry. There were 702,749 households, out of which 33.1% had children under

1734-528: Is credited with the idea of putting a painted line down a roadway's center to divide traffic, and other innovations that were later widely adopted. The commission claims credit for constructing the country's first mile of concrete-paved rural highway, a section of Woodward Avenue just outside the Detroit city limits. A number of the county road commissions' works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The county road commission

1836-522: Is home to five of the world's leading office furniture companies and is nicknamed "Furniture City". As a result of the numerous micro and craft breweries, many with notable reputations nationally and globally, Grand Rapids is also known as "Beer City USA". Due to the prominence of the Grand River, many local businesses and civic organizations use the moniker "River City" in their names. The city and surrounding communities are economically diverse, based in

1938-581: Is included in the Detroit - Warren - Dearborn , MI Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is one of several U.S. counties named after Revolutionary War -era general Anthony Wayne . Wayne County was the sixth county in the Northwest Territory , formed August 15, 1796, from portions of territorial Hamilton County , territorial Knox County and unorganized territory. It was named for the U.S. general "Mad Anthony" Wayne . It originally encompassed

2040-406: Is land and 0.87 square miles (2.25 km ) is water. Grand Rapids has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with very warm and humid summers, cold and snowy winters, and short and mild springs and autumns. Even though it is in the middle of the continent, the city experiences some maritime effects due to its location east of Lake Michigan, including a high number of cloudy days during

2142-633: Is one of the largest urban nature centers in the United States. As of the 2010 census , there were 188,036 people, 72,126 households, and 41,015 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,235.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,635.2/km ). There were 80,619 housing units at an average density of 1,815.7 per square mile (701.0/km ). The city's racial makeup was 64.6% White (59.0% Non-Hispanic White ), 20.9% African American , 0.7% Native American , 1.9% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 7.7% from other races , and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 15.6% of

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2244-619: Is the stack interchange with I-96 (Jeffries Freeway) with access to both the local and express lanes of that freeway. The last of the series is another partial interchange with Schoolcraft Road. As a counterpart to the Plymouth Road interchange, this one provides access from southbound M-39 to the cross street with a signed connection along the southbound service drive to Plymouth Road and an entry point for northbound traffic. Continuing north, M-39 comes to an interchange with M-5 (Grand River Avenue) which also connects to Fenkell Avenue,

2346-553: Is the central city of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area , which has a population of 1,162,950 and a combined statistical area population of 1,502,552. Located 161 miles (259 km) northwest of Detroit, Grand Rapids is situated along the Grand River approximately 25 miles (40 km) east of Lake Michigan , it is the economic and cultural hub of West Michigan . A historic furniture manufacturing center, Grand Rapids

2448-523: The Democratic candidate for president in every election from 1932 onward, at times by large margins. From 1896 to 1928, it had always voted Republican for president, or at least more Republican than Democratic. Its large population has helped swing the election to Democrats in many statewide elections since then, with candidates running up large margins here offsetting Republican majorities in most rural counties of Michigan. In fact, between 1944 and 2012,

2550-536: The Detroit River and Lake St. Clair . Wayne County borders on Oakland County and Macomb County to the north, Washtenaw County to the west, Essex County , Ontario, Canada to the east, and Monroe County to the south. The eastern (and sometimes southern) boundary is a water boundary in the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair with Essex County, Ontario . Automotive traffic crosses this boundary at

2652-537: The Detroit–Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge . Due to the southwestern course of the river, this small portion of Canada actually lies to the south of Wayne County. The southern communities of the county are usually referred to as Downriver , in reference to their location downstream of downtown Detroit. Grosse Ile is the largest island in the county and is connected to the mainland by

2754-487: The Grand Rapids Public Museum . In October 1870, Grand Rapids became a desired location for immigrants, with about 120 Swedes arriving in the United States to travel and create a "colony" in the area in one week. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the city became a major lumbering center, processing timber harvested in the region. Logs were floated down the Grand River to be milled in

2856-534: The JW Marriott Grand Rapids , the first JW Marriott Hotel in the Midwest. It is themed from cityscapes of Grand Rapids' sister cities: Omihachiman, Japan; Bielsko-Biała, Poland; Perugia, Italy; Ga District, Ghana; and Zapopan, Mexico. When the hotel opened, Amway Hotel corporation hired photographer Dan Watts to travel to each of the sister cities and photograph them for the property. Each floor of

2958-759: The Panic of 1873 . In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side. Due to its flourishing furniture industry, Grand Rapids began being recognized as "Furniture City". Grand Rapids was also an early center for the automobile industry , as the Austin Automobile Company operated there from 1901 until 1921. Furniture companies included the William A. Berkey Company and its successors, Baker Furniture Company , Williams-Kimp, and Widdicomb Furniture Company . The furniture industry began to grow significantly into

3060-877: The Wayne County Bridge and the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge . The highest elevation (990 feet (300 m)) in the county is near Northville , in Maybury State Park . The Wayne County Department of Public Services was formed in 1906 as the Wayne County Road Commission . It was the government agency in Wayne County, Michigan responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways. Its first commissioners were Edward N. Hines , Cassius R. Benton, and automobile manufacturer Henry Ford . While

3162-471: The health care , information technology , automotive , aviation , and consumer goods manufacturing industries, among others. Grand Rapids was the childhood home of U.S. President Gerald Ford , who is buried with his wife Betty on the grounds of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in the city. The city's Gerald R. Ford International Airport and Gerald R. Ford Freeway are named after him. After

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3264-533: The 1830s. Ancestors of these people included not only English colonists but people of mixed ethnic Dutch, Mohawk , French Canadian, and French Huguenot descent from the colonial period in New York. However, after 1837, the area saw poor times, with many of the French returning to their places of origin, with poverty hitting the area for the next few years. The first Grand Rapids newspaper, The Grand River Times ,

3366-471: The 1980s and 1990s. According to city government data, Grand Rapids has 37 distinct neighborhoods: Grand Rapids developed on the banks of the Grand River , where there was once a set of rapids, at an altitude of 610 feet (186 m) above sea level . Ships could navigate on the river up to this fall line, stopping because of the rapids. The river valley is flat and narrow, surrounded by steep hills and bluffs. The terrain becomes more rolling hills away from

3468-491: The 5 Mile Road equivalent on Detroit's mile road system . There are three more interchanges along M-39 in Detroit as the freeway continues through the residential upper west side. Near the Wayne Community College District, the freeway meets McNichols Road (6 Mile). There is another interchange approximately one mile (1.6 km) north at 7 Mile Road as well. The road then crosses

3570-468: The Commissioners refused to grant" of which Joseph La Framboise received 1,000 dollars immediately and 200 dollars a year, for life. Madeline La Framboise retired the trading post to Rix Robinson in 1821 and returned to Mackinac. That year, Grand Rapids was described as being the home of an Odawa village of about 50 to 60 huts on the north side of the river near the 5th Ward, with Kewkishkam being

3672-470: The February record high of 73 °F (23 °C), which was recorded on February 27, 2024. In April 1956, the western and northern portions of the city and its suburbs were hit by a violent tornado which locally produced F5 damage and killed 18 people. With the Grand River flowing through the center of Grand Rapids, the city has been prone to floods. From March 25 to 29, 1904, more than one-half of

3774-479: The French established territories in Michigan, Jesuit missionaries and traders traveled down Lake Michigan and its tributaries. In 1806, white trader Joseph La Framboise and his Métis wife, Madeline La Framboise , traveled by canoe from Mackinac Island and established the first trading post in West Michigan in present-day Grand Rapids on the banks of the Grand River , near what is now Ada Township ,

3876-660: The Grand River Valley, in hopes of evangelizing them. In 1821, the Council of Three Fires signed the first Treaty of Chicago , ceding to the United States all lands in Michigan Territory south of the Grand River, except for several small reservations, and required a native to prepare land in the area to establish a mission. The treaty also included "One hundred thousand dollars to satisfy sundry individuals, in behalf of whom reservations were asked, which

3978-441: The Grand River valley. Lincoln purchased land in what is now known as Grandville , while Campau became perhaps the most important settler when he bought 72 acres (291,000 m ) from the federal government for $ 90 and named his tract Grand Rapids. Over time, it developed as today's main downtown business district. In the spring of 1833, Campau sold to Joel Guild, who traveled from New York, a plot of land for $ 25.00, with Guild building

4080-455: The Grand River, though some of his followers believed that this was a wrestling match between the two that Slater won. Slater then erected the first settler structures in Grand Rapids, a log cabin for himself and a log schoolhouse. In 1825, McCoy returned and established a missionary station. He represented the settlers who began arriving from Ohio, New York and New England, the Yankee states of

4182-617: The Northern Tier. Shortly after, Detroit-born Louis Campau , known as the official founder of Grand Rapids, was convinced by fur trader William Brewster, who was in a rivalry with the American Fur Company, to travel to Grand Rapids and establish trade there. In 1826, Campau built his cabin, trading post, and blacksmith shop on the south bank of the Grand River near the rapids, stating the Native Americans in

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4284-652: The Poles even when they did the same work. The pay difference was based on seniority and not ethnicity, but given that the Dutch had arrived earlier, seniority was linked to ethnicity. Ultimately, the Christian Reformed Church – where the majority of Dutch striking workers congregated – and the Fountain Street Church – led opposition to the strike, which resulted in its end on August 19, 1911. The strike spurred substantial changes to

4386-680: The Southfield Road name on either side. M-39 meets Outer Drive next to the Fairlane Green power center. The adjoining properties are residential to the west and commercial to the east. Near Greenfield Village , the freeway curves to the northwest around the Ford Proving Grounds before turning to the north, a direction it will maintain until the end of its run. The freeway crosses the River Rouge , passes under

4488-558: The United States, retail in the city suffered as the population moved to suburbs in the postwar era, enabled in part by federal subsidies for highway construction. The Grand Rapids suburbs began to develop rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. For example, Wyoming saw rapid growth following the opening of retail outlets such as Rogers Plaza and Wyoming Village Mall on 28th Street , with some developments built so quickly that they were finished without functioning utilities. Consolidation of department stores occurred in Grand Rapids and nationally in

4590-407: The age of 18 living with them, 37.4% were husband and wife families , 20.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.9% were non-families, and 30.7% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.22. In the county, 25.4% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.7% was from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7%

4692-452: The area were "friendly and peaceable". Campau returned to Detroit , then returned a year later with his wife and $ 5,000 of trade goods to trade with the Odawa and Ojibwa, with the only currency being fur. Campau's younger brother Touissant would often assist him with trade and other tasks at hand. Lucius Lyon , a Yankee Protestant who would later become a rival to Campau, was contracted by

4794-558: The area, returned to Grand Rapids to purchase the rest of the prime land and called his plot the Village of Kent. When Lyon and his partner N. O. Sergeant returned after their purchase, they arrived along with a posse of men carrying shovels and picks, intending to build a mill race . The group arrived to the music of a bugle which startled the settlement, with Chief Noonday offering Campau assistance to drive back Lyon's posse believing they were invaders. Also that year, Rev. Andrew Vizoisky,

4896-521: The border between Wayne and Oakland counties to enter Southfield at the interchange with M-102 (8 Mile Road). The Southfield Freeway, and M-39, terminates at an interchange with M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway) near 9 Mile Road. Southfield Road continues northward from the end of the freeway under local maintenance. M-39 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As

4998-599: The city and shipped via the Great Lakes. The city became a center of fine wood products as well. By the end of the century, it was established as the premier furniture-manufacturing city of the United States. It was the Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Philadelphia that brought attention to Grand Rapids' furniture on the national stage, providing a new growing industry to help the city recover from

5100-486: The city of Grand Rapids' area totaled 10.5 square miles (27 km ). Through the 1850s, the land containing forty-six Indian mounds located on the west side between Bridge Street and the Grand River to the south were sold by the United States government, with the mounds being destroyed to fill low-lying land in the area while the Native American artifacts contained within were taken or sold to museums, including

5202-536: The city's southeast side, is 104 acres (42 ha). It is home to over 44 acres (18 ha) of public-access nature trails, a 60-acre (24 ha), restricted-access wildlife preserve, as well as the Bunker Interpretive Center, which hosts university classes and educational programs for the wider community. The Blandford Nature Center, located on the city's northwest side, opened in 1968 and contains extensive nature trails, an animal hospital, and

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5304-566: The city, river and surrounding area. The Pantlind Hotel's original architects, Warren & Wetmore, were inspired by the work of the Scottish neoclassical architect Robert Adam . In its prime, the hotel was rated as one of the top ten hotels in the US. The hotel features several restaurants well known in Grand Rapids. The hotel is owned by Amway Hotel Collection, a subsidiary of Amway's holding company Alticor . Other prominent large buildings include

5406-414: The commission was authorized by an 80% positive vote of county voters in a 1906 referendum, it was controversial and there was a Michigan state supreme court case pressed which found it unconstitutional. Commissioners Benton and Ford quit, but commissioner Hines persisted and led the commission through reorganization getting around the obstacles. Hines was a commissioner continuously from 1906 to 1938. Hines

5508-686: The county had the largest margin of victory for the Democratic candidate in Michigan in every presidential election except for 1976 and 1984, both times coming in second place to Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula by less than 1.5%. More recently, however, the margin of victory for the Democrats has started to shrink. Beginning in 2016, neighboring Washtenaw County , home of the University of Michigan , has surpassed Wayne County as

5610-904: The county was $ 20,948. About 18.6% of families and 23.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 34.8% of those under the age 18 and 11.7% of that age 65 or over. According to 2010 statistics, the largest religious group in Wayne County was the Archdiocese of Detroit , with 297,283 Catholics worshipping at 149 parishes, followed by 92,394 non-denominational adherents with 144 congregations, 76,422 NBC Baptists with 110 congregations, an estimated 67,775 Muslims with 38 congregations, 28,021 ABCUSA Baptists with 32 congregations, 22,687 Missouri Synod Lutherans with 52 congregations, 16,043 CoGiC Pentecostals with 66 congregations, 14,689 UMC Methodists with 53 congregations, 14,107 PC-USA Presbyterians with 36 congregations, and 13,199 AME Methodists with 29 congregations. Altogether, 43.3% of

5712-621: The entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan , most of the Upper Peninsula , as well as smaller sections that are now part of northern Ohio , Indiana , Illinois and Wisconsin . By proclamation of the Territorial Secretary and Acting Governor, Winthrop Sargent , on August 15, 1796, the boundaries of Wayne County were declared to begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River then west to Fort Wayne , then to

5814-438: The entire populated portion of the city lying on the west side of the river was completely underwater, over twenty-five hundred houses, affecting fourteen thousand persons, being completely surrounded. On March 28, the river registered at 19.6 feet (6.0 m), more than two feet (0.61 m) above its highest previous mark. More than one-hundred years later, the 2013 Grand Rapids flood occurred from April 12 to 25, 2013, with

5916-516: The federal government to survey the Grand River Valley in the fall of 1830 and in the first quarter of 1831. The federal survey of the Northwest Territory reached the Grand River, with Lyon using a surveyor's compass and chain to set the boundaries for Kent County, named after prominent New York jurist James Kent . In 1833, a land office was established in White Pigeon, Michigan , with Campau and fellow settler Luther Lincoln seeking land in

6018-478: The first frame structure in Grand Rapids, which is now where McKay Tower stands. Guild later became the postmaster, with mail at the time being delivered monthly from the Gull Lake, Michigan to Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids in 1833 was only a few acres of land cleared on each side of the Grand River, with oak trees planted in light, sandy soil standing between what is now Lyon Street and Fulton Street. By 1834,

6120-405: The first town meeting that had nine voters. It was also this year Campau began constructing his own frame building—the largest at the time—near present-day Rosa Parks Circle. In 1835, many settlers arrived in the area with the population growing to about 50 people, including its first doctor, Dr. Wilson, who was supplied with equipment from Campau. Lucius Lyon , using his knowledge from surveying

6222-500: The five-way intersection of Schaefer, Oakwood Boulevard, and Francis Street) in Melvindale to US 16 (Grand River Avenue) in western Detroit. Since M-39 was moved to Southfield Road in the end of the 1950s, Schaefer Highway has been a locally maintained road. M-39 was reassigned to Southfield Road, which parallels Schaefer Highway two miles (3.2 km) to the west, connecting I-94 with Northwestern Highway in 1958-59. By 1961,

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6324-536: The freeway was marked as under construction on maps. The first section opened in December 1961 was 2.7 miles (4.3 km) from Ford Road north to Chicago Road. The remainder of the freeway between I-94 and the Lodge Freeway and 9 Mile Road was opened by the middle of 1964 at a total cost of $ 40 million. The highway designation was extended southeasterly along Southfield Road to the new I-75 freeway and

6426-614: The governmental and labor structure of the city. With businesses upset with Mayor Ellis for supporting the strike lobbied for the city to change from a twelve-ward government – which more accurately represented the city's ethnic groups – to a smaller three ward system that placed more power into the demands of Dutch citizens, the city's largest demographic. Some workers who participated in the strike were blacklisted by companies and thousands of dissatisfied furniture workers emigrated to higher paying regions. Shifting from its furniture-centric industry, downtown Grand Rapids temporarily became

6528-657: The group returning to the Carey Mission for the Potawatomi on the St. Joseph River . The government worker stayed into 1824 to establish a blacksmith shop, though the shop was burned down by the Odawa. Later in May 1824, Baptist missionary Reverend Leonard Slater traveled with two settlers to Grand Rapids to perform missionary work, though the group began to return to the Carey Mission after only three days due to threats. While

6630-412: The group was returning, they encountered Chief Noonday who asked for the group to stay and establish a mission, believing that the Odawa adapting to European customs was the only chance for them to stay in the area. The winter of 1824 was difficult, with Slater's group having to resupply and return before the spring. Chief Noonday, deciding to be an example for the Odawa, chose to be baptized by Slater in

6732-713: The hotel features photography from one of the cities, which is unique to that floor. Cityscapes of these five cities are alternated in order, up the 23 floors. The city's tallest building is the River House Condominiums , a 34-story (123.8 m) condominium tower completed in 2008 that stands as the tallest all-residential building in the state of Michigan. Grand Rapids is also home to two large urban nature centers. The Calvin Ecosystem Preserve and Native Gardens, operated by Calvin University on

6834-474: The intersection of what is now Watson Street and National Avenue, with Chief Black Skin – known by his native name recorded as Muck-i-ta-oska or Mukatasha (from Makadewazhe or Mkadewzhe , "Have Black Skin") and was son of Chief Noonday – leading the village. In 1820, General Lewis Cass , who was on his way to negotiate the first Treaty of Chicago with a group of 42 men, commissioned Charles Christopher Trowbridge to establish missions for Native Americans in

6936-580: The junction of the Grand and Thornapple Rivers . They were French-speaking and Roman Catholic . They likely both spoke Odawa , Magdelaine's maternal ancestral language. In the fall of 1806, Joseph was fatally stabbed by a member of the Potawatomi tribe named Nequat. Joseph had been with his family and an entourage of voyageurs traveling between Grand River and Grand Rapids. The Potawatomi man had insisted that Joseph trade liquor with him. When Joseph refused,

7038-441: The late 19th and early 20th century, and a Polish neighborhood developed on the west side of the city. By the early twentieth century, the quality of furniture produced in Grand Rapids was renowned throughout furniture industry, mainly due to the skill of its workers. Government reports in 1907 revealed that while Grand Rapids lead the industry in product output, its furniture workers were paid lower wages than in other areas. After

7140-467: The late fall and winter, delayed heating in the spring, delayed cooling in fall, somewhat moderated temperatures during winter and lake effect snow . The city averages 75.6 in (192 cm) of snow a year, making it one of the snowiest major cities in the United States. The area often receives quick and sudden lake effect snowstorms , producing significant amounts of snowfall. The months of March, April, October and November are transitional months and

7242-598: The line used by the Amtrak Wolverine , and meets US Highway 12 (US 12, Michigan Avenue) next to the Fairlane Town Center and Ford Motor Company 's world headquarters in Dearborn near the campus of the University of Michigan–Dearborn . North of the interchange for M-153 , (Ford Road), M-39 crosses into Detroit. From there the road continues through the densely populated areas of

7344-508: The location where the highway turns to the northeast and transitions into a six-lane limited-access freeway. Immediately after this transition, the Southfield Freeway, as M-39 is now called, has an interchange with I-94. There is a second, adjacent interchange that connects to Van Born Road, and the freeway winds its way northeasterly through Dearborn . The freeway is bordered by service drives that carry one-way traffic and bear

7446-549: The lowest counts were the 20,400 vehicles per day between the I-94 and Van Born Road interchanges. All of M-39, and Southfield Road on either end that is not under state maintenance, has been listed on the National Highway System , a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. Two previous highways bore the M-39 designation. When the state highway system was first signed in 1919,

7548-417: The man left, only to return at dusk when Joseph, who faithfully performed the ritual of Angelus every day at that time, was in prayer. Nequat stabbed the trader, fatally wounding him, leaving Joseph's wife, Magdelaine, a widow at age twenty-four. The next spring, a delegation from the Potawatomi tribe brought the offender, Nequat, before Magdelaine for her sentence upon him for the death of her husband. It

7650-416: The most Democratic county in Michigan; and in 2024, Ingham County , home of Michigan State University , also voted more Democratic than Wayne County. In 2020, Donald Trump became the first Republican since 1988 to crack 30% of the vote in the county. The 2024 election saw an even bigger shift, with Trump taking more than one-third of the county's vote, and Kamala Harris turning in the worst performance for

7752-552: The northwest side of present-day Grand Rapids near Bridge Street with about 500 Odawa, though the population would grow to over 1,000 on occasion. During the War of 1812 , Noonday was allied with Tecumseh during the Battle of the Thames . Tecumseh was killed in this battle, and Noonday inherited his tomahawk and hat. A second village existed lower down the river with its center located at

7854-522: The number was assigned to a highway that ran between Grand Rapids and Lansing . The westernmost end in Kent County near Alto was replaced by a realigned M-16 . Within the next few years, the western end was scaled back further to the Woodbury area when M-50 was extended, with the remainder replaced by an extended M-43 around 1938. The next trunkline to be designated M-39 was Schaefer Highway in 1939, running north–south from US 25 / M-17 (at

7956-513: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Wayne County had 780 religious organizations, the 12th most among all US counties. Wayne County is Michigan's first " charter county ", with a home rule charter setting up its structures within limits set in state law and constitution. Most Michigan county governments are structured according to state law, without

8058-429: The population. Of the 72,126 households, 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.5% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.1% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

8160-464: The present state of Michigan in addition to parts of Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin, so that the townships erected at that time were vastly larger than the corresponding divisions of the present time. On January 14, 1803, the Governor of Indiana Territory , William Henry Harrison , issued a similar proclamation defining the boundaries as beginning at a point where an east and west line passing through

8262-957: The responsibility of individual cities and townships. (information as of February 2021) Formerly the Wayne County Road Commission, the Department of Public Services is the government agency in Wayne County responsible for building and maintaining the county's roads and highways. A number of the former agency's works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Wayne County Jail Division operates The Andrew C. Baird Detention Facility in Downtown Detroit , The Old Wayne County Jail in Downtown Detroit, and The William Dickerson Detention Facility in Hamtramck . Wayne County has backed

8364-592: The river cresting at 21.85 feet (6.66 m) on the 21st, causing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and over $ 10 million in damage. The city skyline shows the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel , formerly the Pantlind, which reopened in 1981 after extensive renovations by Marvin DeWinter & Associates. This work included the addition of a 29–story glass tower offering panoramic views of

8466-431: The river. The countryside surrounding the metropolitan area consists of mixed forest and farmland, with large areas of orchards to the northwest. It is approximately 25 mi (40 km) east of Lake Michigan . The state capital of Lansing lies about 70 mi (110 km) to the east-by-southeast, and Kalamazoo is about 50 mi (80 km) to the south. Grand Rapids is divided into four quadrants , which form

8568-434: The settlement had become more organized. Rev. Turner had established a school on the east side of the river, with children on the west side of the river being brought to school every morning by a Native American on a canoe who would shuttle them across the river. Multiple events happened at Guild's frame structure, including the first marriage in the city, one that involved his daughter Harriet Guild and Barney Burton, as well as

8670-509: The settlement in 1836. Ball declared the Grand River valley "the promised land, or at least the most promising one for my operations". That year, the first steamboat was constructed on the Grand River named the Gov. Mason , though the ship wrecked two years later in Muskegon. Yankee migrants (primarily English-speaking settlers) and others began migrating from New York and New England through

8772-440: The southernmost extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect a north and south line, passing through the westernmost extreme of the lake, then north to the territorial boundary, then along said boundary line to a point where an east and west line passing through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan would intersect the same, then along this last mentioned line to the place of beginning. This boundary would include Chicago , Illinois, and

8874-513: The southernmost point of Lake Michigan and along the western shore north to the territorial boundary in Lake Superior and then along the territorial boundary through Lake Huron , Lake St. Clair , and Lake Erie back to the starting point. The first division of the county into townships occurred November 1, 1798, into the four townships of Detroit , Hamtramck , Mackinaw , and Sargent. The extent of Wayne county at that time included all

8976-501: The start of the M-39 designation under local maintenance. From there the road is a six-lane boulevard through residential areas as it runs west-northwesterly to pass under I-75 and an adjacent Conrail Shared Assets Operations rail line. In Allen Park , the highway continues through residential and commercial areas. Southfield Road crosses lines of the Canadian National Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway near

9078-470: The trade business, expanding fur trading posts to the west and north, creating a good reputation among the American Fur Company . La Framboise, whose mother was Odawa and father French, later merged her successful operations with the American Fur Company. By 1810, Chief Noonday , or Nowaquakezick, an Odawa chief, established the village of Bock-a-tinck (from Baawiting , "at the rapids") on

9180-413: The twentieth century; in 1870 there were eight factories employing 280 workers and by 1911, Old National Bank wrote that about 8,500 were employed by forty-seven factories. At least a third of the workers in Grand Rapids were employed by furniture companies. The Grand Rapids Furniture Record was the trade paper for the city's industry. Its industries provided jobs for many new immigrants from Europe in

9282-456: The village chief and Chief Noonday being the chief of the Odawa. The first permanent European-American settler in the Grand Rapids area was Isaac McCoy , a Baptist minister. In 1823, McCoy, Paget, a Frenchman who brought along a Native American pupil, and a government worker traveled to Grand Rapids from Carey Mission near present-day Niles, Michigan to arrange a mission they called the "Thomas Mission", though negotiations fell through with

9384-527: The weather can vary. March has experienced a record high of 87 °F (31 °C) and record low of −13 °F (−25 °C). The average last frost date in spring is May 1, and the average first frost in fall is October 11, giving the area a growing season of 162 days. The city is in plant hardiness zone 6a, while outlying areas are 5b. Some far western suburbs closer to the insulating effect of Lake Michigan are in zone 6b. Summers are warm or hot, and heat waves and severe weather outbreaks are common during

9486-468: The west side of the city. Next to the Chicago Road overpass, the freeway runs under a CSX Transportation rail line. The trunkline continues traveling to the north through a series of interchanges. The first is a partial interchange for Plymouth Road; northbound traffic exiting here is directed to use the service drive northbound to access Schoolcraft Road, and traffic can enter M-39 southbound. Next

9588-584: Was "one of the most important and delightful to be found in the country," and described the changing Native American culture in the area. By 1838, the settlement incorporated as a village, and encompassed approximately .75 square miles (1.9 km ). An outcropping of gypsum , where Plaster Creek enters the Grand River, was known to the Native American inhabitants of the area. Pioneer geologist Douglass Houghton commented on this find in 1838. Settlers began to mine this outcrop in 1841, initially in open cast mines , but later underground mines as well. Gypsum

9690-400: Was 11 °F (−12 °C). Summer nights influenced by the lake can be hot and muggy on occasion. The warmest night on record was 82 °F (28 °C) in 1902 and lows above 72 °F (22 °C) have been measured in every month between April and October. On average, the warmest low of the year stood at 74 °F (23 °C) for the 1991–2020 normals. The most recent record set was

9792-466: Was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.20. Wayne County, Michigan Wayne County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Michigan . As of 2020, the United States census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States. The county seat is Detroit . The county was founded in 1796 and organized in 1815. Wayne County

9894-434: Was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males. The 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimate indicates the median income for a household in the county was $ 39,408 and the median income for a family was $ 49,176. Males had a median income of $ 26,823 versus $ 17,744 for females. The per capita income for

9996-497: Was commissioned when the M-39 designation was moved to Southfield Road from Schaefer Highway. During the 1960s, it was converted into a freeway in stages. Afterwards, it was extended to end at M-85 (Fort Street) before a change in the 1980s gave the trunkline its present termini. M-39 begins at Lafayette Boulevard a block east of its junction with I-75 in Lincoln Park along Southfield Road, which continues east-southeasterly past

10098-410: Was ground locally for use as a soil amendment known as "land plaster." The first formal census in 1845 recorded a population of 1,510 and an area of 4 square miles (10 km ). The city of Grand Rapids was incorporated April 2, 1850. It was officially established on May 2, 1850, when the village of Grand Rapids voted to accept the proposed city charter. The population at the time was 2,686. By 1857,

10200-598: Was merged into the general county government, becoming the Roads Division of the Department of Public Services. Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. The 2010 United States Census indicates Wayne County had a 2010 population of 1,820,584. This

10302-465: Was printed on April 18, 1837, describing the village's attributes, stating: Though young in its improvements, the site of this village has long been known and esteemed for its natural advantages. It was here that the Indian traders long since made their great depot. The Grand River Times continued, saying the village had grown quickly from a few French families to about 1,200 residents, the Grand River

10404-444: Was their tradition for the victim's family to avenge deaths within that tribe. Magdelaine refused to sentence him and, in an act of forgiveness, told the Potawatomi tribe members to let him go and that God would be his judge. Though Magdelaine had forgiven Nequat, the tribe had not. Nequat's body was found stabbed with his own knife the next season. After Joseph's murder while en route to Grand Rapids, Magdelaine La Framboise carried on

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