Hi, welcome the story of 2156 Eastern Ave SE! This house was requested by a follower of the blog - thank you, Wendy, for the suggestion!
General Facts:
City, State: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Neighborhood: Alger Heights
Built: 1925
Size: 3 bedrooms/1 bath; 1,100 sq. feet
*The original number for the house was 2218. It was changed to the current number, 2156, in 1937.
Family #1
Hicks - Bert & Evelyn (Backart)
Years Lived at 2156 Eastern: 8 (1926-1933)
Linford Burton Hicks (aka Bert)
Birth: June 6, 1869; Solon Township, Kent County, Michigan
Death: December 13, 1942; Howard City, Michigan
Parents: Daniel and Mary (Welch)
Sibling: Celia Bertha Hicks (1867 - 1944)
Daniel Hicks (Bert's father)
Birth: 1844; St. Joseph, Indiana
Death: 1912; Howard City, Michigan
Parents: Martin and Sarah (Edwards); both born in Indiana
Siblings: 6 - Mariah, Jacob, William, Ernestus, Florence, and George
Marriage: November 1865 to Mary Welch
Mary J. Welch (Bert's mother)
Birth: 1849; Hebron, Washington, New York
Death: 1933; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Parents: John and Mary Ann; both born in New York
*Mary's father worked as a Canal Boat Captain
Bert Hicks' Timeline
1870: The Hicks family lived in Solon Township, Michigan as Bert's father worked as a roof shingle-maker.
1880: The Hicks family moved four miles north to Reynolds Township, Michigan as Bert's father worked as farmer.
*90% of the 1890 US Census Records were destroyed in a fire in the 1920's so there is no record of Bert Hicks during that time. Since Howard City was/is a small rural city, there are no online city directories either.
1897: Bert Hicks was 27 years old and still lived on his family farm in Howard City, Michigan. He married an 18 year old woman, Edith M. Arnold, who was originally from Missouri but lived in Newaygo, Michigan at that time.
Bert and Edith lived in Aetna Township, Michigan and worked as farmers on their own land. They had two children together - June Hicks was born in June of 1898; Ford Hicks was born in July of 1902.
1904 - On October 14, 1904, Edith Hicks died of Typhoid Fever - she was only 25 years old. Bert was now alone in raising two young children (June was 6 and Ford was 2) and also the upkeep of his own farm.
1910: After the death of of his wife, Bert sold his farm - he and his children moved back to his parents' farm in Reynolds Township, Michigan. His parents were retired, and Bert worked in the Can Farming industry.
1915: Five years later, Bert had moved with his children the 44 miles south to Grand Rapids. Since he didn't have his own farm, I'm sure he found more opportunities in the city to support his family. He worked as a laborer for Peter Weber Moving Company and lived at 111 Franklin St SE.
Also in 1915, Bert remarried to a fellow widower: Evelyn Finch Backart.
Evelyn M. Backart
Birth: May 6, 1883; Croton, Newaygo, Michigan
Death: January 3, 1943; Grand Rapids, Michigan
Parents: Julius and Lucy (Loree)
Siblings: 11
Julius Backart (Evelyn's father)
Birth: 1846; Warrenville, DuPage, Illinois
Death: 1923; Coral, Montcalm, Michigan
Parents: George & Mary (her maiden name was also Backart); Both were born in Germany.
Siblings: 4 - Mary (Kline; 1832-1873); Elizabeth (Kline; 1841-1917); Jane (Cook; 1852-1902); Alice (1854-1902)
Marriage: 1866 to Lucy Loree
Lucy Loree (Evelyn's mother)
Birth: 1848; Livingston County, Michigan
Death: 1904; Pierson, Michigan
Parents: John and Jane (Simpson); John was born in Steuben County, New York; Jane was born in Genesse County, New York.
Julius Backart and his family moved to Newaygo County, Michigan in 1866 and were one of the original pioneers and residents of that county. Because of that status, the family were written about in an 1884 published book titled - "Portrait and Biographical Album Newaygo County, Mich" by Chapman Brothers. The image below is from the book which is a summary of Julius and Lucy Backart.
Julius and Lucy's great grandson from their son, Clifford, donated photos of the family to the Michigan GenWeb project - an online Michigan genealogy website. The images below are some of those images.
Evelyn Backart Timeline
Since the 1890 Census records don't exist and Newaygo County didn't archive their city directories, not much is known about Evelyn's childhood. I do know that in 1900, Evelyn was not living with her parents in Newaygo. I think I found a record of her living in Detroit at that time, but I can't confirm 100% if it's her.
1904 - On August 30, 1904, Evelyn and her younger sister, Lena, had a double wedding!
Lena who was 18 years old, married Leroy Baldwin, a 33 year old cabinet maker.
Evelyn, who was 21 years old, married a 22 year old meat cutter, John Finch. Both couples lived in Reynolds Township, Michigan.
Shortly after their wedding, the newlyweds John and Evelyn moved south to Grand Rapids. Tragedy suddenly came upon the couple, and after only 8 months of marriage, John Finch died of typhoid fever. John was only 22 years old.
I'm not sure where Evelyn went after her husband died - I'd assume she moved back home with her parents. The next record I can find of her is the 1910 US Census where she worked and lived in the dorms at a silk mill in Belding, Michigan.
Actually, there were 4 large silk mills that were in Belding, Michigan in the late 1800's and early 1900's. All four of those mills were built and operated by the Belding Brothers. The Belding family moved from New York and settled in that area in 1858 - hence the same name.
The Belding brothers made their fortune in the silk and textile industry. They actually built the largest and most technologically progressive silk mill in the US - the Richardson Mill in Belding, Michigan. That building is still standing today!
Evelyn worked in the silk factory as a spooler -
The 1910 census record of everyone who worked and lived at the silk mill went on for pages. The image below is just a very small sample of that census record. As you can see, the boarders and employees were all women, mostly single, but some were also divorced, or in Evelyn's case, widowed.
I'm not sure how long Evelyn worked and lived in Belding, Michigan or even at the silk factory. Her life would greatly change five years later when she married Bert Hicks.
Bert and Evelyn, both from small northern rural villages, decided to stay in the much larger city of Grand Rapids after they married. Bert's children from his first marriage, June and Ford, were 17 and 14 years old respectively at the time Evelyn became their step-mother.
In 1920, June Hicks lived with her paternal grandmother, Mary, in Reynolds Township and worked as a school teacher. I'm not sure where Ford lived, but I'd assume he was with his father and step-mother in Grand Rapids.
Bert worked as a laborer throughout the city - his occupations included - trimmer, toolmaker, and machinist. They also moved houses quite a bit as well. Below are images from 1920, 1923, 1924, and 1925 GR City Directory.
From 1926 - 1933 - Bert and Evelyn Hicks were the first owners of 2218 (later became 2156) Eastern Ave SE.
There were no newspaper articles about Bert or Evelyn Hicks during their time they lived on Eastern so I'm not sure of the social groups they were a part nor could I get insight into their life, unfortunately.
However, I did find their 1930 US Census. Bert, 60 years old, and Evelyn, 46 years old, owned (vs renting) their home on Eastern. Bert worked as a foreman for the Trimmers Furniture Factory.
They moved from 2218 (2156 Eastern) in 1933 during the peak of the Great Depression. They moved 9 miles north to 233 Burr Oak St NE. Since Bert worked in the furniture factories, the house on Burr Oak was much closer to those jobs. (Which was crucial during the Great Depression)
In 1940, Bert and Evelyn rented the house at 504 Gilbert St SE for $14/mo and at 70 years old, Bert was finally retired.
In December of 1942, while they were visiting family in Howard City, Bert Hicks passed away at the age of 73.
Less than a month later, on January 3, 1943, Evelyn Hicks passed away at the age of 59 years old.
The lives of Bert and Evelyn are very similar - they both grew up on farms in small, northern Michigan rural villages and both had spouses that died early on in their marriages of typhoid fever. Their lives after their spouses' deaths were both very difficult - from Bert having to work a farm and raise two children to Evelyn who had to live and work in a silk factory. When they finally found each other and shared 25+ years together, I bet Evelyn didn't want to spend another day without Bert - hence her death weeks after him.
The children from Bert's first marriage - June and Ford both remained in Michigan. June married Jay Meier and they had three children and lived in Reynolds Township. June passed away in October of 1991.
Ford Hicks lived in Grand Rapids, worked as a publishing press operator, and married Mabel Miller. Ford passed away in 1973.
Family #2
Baxter - George and Edna (Brown)
Years Lived at 2156 Eastern: 2 (1935-1936)
George C. Baxter
Birth: August 25, 1877; Center Township, Ohio
Death: August 23, 1957; Hollywood, FL
Parents: William and Jennie (Lozier); William was born in Pennsylvania; Jennie was born in Ohio. William worked as a marble cutter in the late 1890's in Ohio.
Sibling: 5 - William, Mattie, Robert, Roy, and Anna
Edna Brown
Birth: April 19, 1882; Paris, Michigan
Death: January 30, 1952; Paris, Michigan
Parents: William. Mother - unknown
Siblings: unknown
George and Edna's Children:
Gordon W. Baxter: 1911-1985
Spouse - Alvern Sherwood: 1912-1016
Elizabeth C. Baxter: 1913-1998
Spouse- James J. Frieling: 1907-1973
Family #3
Fild - Lester & Magdeline (Larsen) and their son, James
Years Lived at 2156 Eastern: 17 (1937-1954)
Lester Francis Fild
Birth: November 5, 1907; Cleveland, Ohi0
Death: May 12, 1960; Grand Rapids, MI
Parents: Edward and Loretta Corcoran; Both were born in Ohio. Edward worked as a "milk dealer" and owned his own wagon/company in the 1900's in Ohio.
Sibling: 1 - Edward P. Fild (1906-1995)
Magdeline Larsen
Birth: February 20, 1907; Manistee, Michigan
Death: August 26, 1963; Parma, Ohio
Parents: Fred and Augusta Lemke; Fred was born in Rudkøbing, Denmark; Augusta was born in Michigan. Fred immigrated to the US in 1880 and worked in department stores in the 1900's.
Siblings: 7 - Sigrid, Tekla, Ole, Annabell, Estelle, Nelsene, and Frederick
Lester and Magdeline's Child:
James Edward Fild: 1935 - 1985
Spouse - Nancy Koetsier: 1939-2016
Other residents after 1955:
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