General Facts (according to the City of Grand Rapids Property Tax Public website)"
City, State: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Neighborhood: Southeast Community
Built: 1895
Size: 3 bedroom/1bath; 2,400 sq.ft; Single Family
Left to right: 1936, 1970's,(via Grand Rapids Archive Center) and 2017 (zillow.com);
The complete history of this house will be broken into different posts based on ownership periods. Between 1907-1997, there were only two families that lived there - wow! This first part is an introduction of the house and the first owner. The second part will be two other owners, then parts three and four will be the two families that lived there for 90+ years.
The first thing I look at when I start researching is to confirm if the house had a different number or street name that is different than today's. I found Henry Ave was always called Henry. Then, I searched on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, and I found the house used to be "274 Henry". The number closest to the house is the current number; the number furthest away was the previous one;
Since I know the house's number was 274, I can go back to the 1895 Sanborn Map and I know what property to search for. The house was still framed constructed; but the roof had wood shingles; Two stories high from the basement; and the front porch was slightly in a different position.
I can confirm the house was built in 1895, however, as with the first historic home's post, I found someone living at that address years before.
*Occupants of the Henry Ave SE house will be highlighted in red font color to help the reader keep track of names*
1883: Charles L Ward
According to the 1883 Grand Rapids City Directory, Charles L Ward lived at 274 Henry and worked as a street car driver. I am going to assume his brother and/or father is listed in the directory below him - David Ward, since he worked as a street car driver as well with the same surname.
Unfortunately, other than appearing in a few city directories, I am unable to find much more about Charles L Ward. He only lived on Henry for one year. Below are the other years, occupation, and residences I could find for Charles L Ward:
1882 - General Laborer; 108 Page St. (David Ward lived there too)
1884 - Deliverer for E McCarty; 94 Carrier St.
1885 - Driver A P Sinclair; 763 N College Ave
The trail ends there if I am looking exactly for a Charles L Ward. In city directories after 1885, there are Charles Wards listed. I do not have concrete data to confirm if that's the same person since it doesn't list his middle initial.
In 1883, there were four street railway companies and each served different sections of the city:
The Division St Co, The G.R. & Reed's Lake St. Co, G.R. St Co, and the Scribner St. Co. The streetcars were pulled by horses at this time. It was a few years later when horses were phased out for bus trolleys and electric street cards.
Because each of these companies were in charge of their specific road repairs, snow removal, and drivers were working 12-14 hour days at low wages, the entire street car industry was not sustainable.
Below: Monroe Ave towards Campau Square. Wealthy & Scribner horse-drawn streetcar.
For further information on the history of streetcars in Grand Rapids, check out this site.