GR Gems

April is National Poetry Month and this year (2023) marks 55 years since the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. 

At the close of World War II, thousands of women came to the United States as war brides, mostly from Europe. Felipa Breguera was one of 2,215 Filipina women who immigrated to America between 1946-1950 under the War Brides Act.

Richmond Park is a cold-weather destination.

Once a logging route, today the Blue Bridge is a gathering spot.

Community organizing helped keep Charles Garfield’s legacy intact.

Dr. Eugene Browning paved the way for Black doctors in Grand Rapids.

Usually, when a business rebrands, it’s in response to the fact things aren’t working out business-wise.

Corewell Health Butterworth Hospital has delivered 7,370 babies so far in 2022. Here are the top names for girls and for boys:

The Merrie-Go-Round brought books to the community.

Well before U2 became the biggest band in the world, they found an enthusiastic audience at the Fountain Street Church.

A fine artist and poet, William Randolph (Randy) Brown came to Grand Rapids as a young man.

An old ice cream sign leaves many questions unanswered.

The Jaycees ensured Santa Claus continued to visit Grand Rapids each year.

A group of Grand Rapids factory workers stood up for labor rights.

In 1947, employment options for Black Grand Rapidians were limited mostly to hotels, restaurants, domestic work or hard labor.

As Prohibition played out in Grand Rapids, local women were active on both sides of the issue.

Gardening during times of upheaval has a long history.

St. Cecilia Music Center always has been supported by women.

This holiday scene shows what Christmas looked like in a house at 458 Adams St. SE, circa 1925.

Unemployed workers were given jobs during the Great Depression.