East Grand Rapids

History

Originally part of Paris Township, East Grand Rapids was first settled in the early 1830s by the Reed Family from New York City, New York. Miss Sophia Reed and Miss Euphemia Davis opened a school in 1834 near Reeds Lake. This involved construction of some school houses. Another schoolhouse was constructed in 1835 near Reeds Lake in the Grand River Valley, with Francis Prescott as one of its teachers. Residents voted to establish the Village of East Grand Rapids in 1891. The village was incorporated into a home rule city in 1926 when the population was approximately 1,300. Visitors to East Grand Rapids initially traveled by foot, stagecoach, or horse and buggy. In the mid-1870s, horse-drawn cars became available. Passengers would board in downtown Grand Rapids and transfer onto the Grand Rapids & Reeds Lake Railway. By 1877, a steam locomotive replaced the horse cars. Electric streetcars came into use in the early 1890s. They were replaced by buses as a mode of transportation in 1935. Interurban also brought residents from nearby cities to Reeds Lake.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (13.57%) is water. Reeds Lake and Fisk Lake comprise most of the water area.

Race & ethnicity