Town and City Scenes--Grand Ledge

Black and white aerial view from 1959 of the Grand Ledge Clay Product Co. factory in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The company formed in 1906 and mostly manufactured conduits for underground telephone wires until a 1937 fire destroyed the factory, including molds for the conduits. When the factory was rebuilt, production shifted to agricultural drain tiles, chimney tops and sewer pipe fittings until the plant closed in 1986.

Black and white postcard showing the boat landing and Round House on Second Island, part of Seven Islands Resort, on the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan. J. S. Mudge, then-owner of the resort, had envisioned the Round House as a mechanical tower with rotating levels. Even as a merely decorative building, the unique architecture made the Round House a symbol of the resort.

Black and white aerial photograph of Grand Ledge, Michigan, 1959.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1911 showing the Island House Hotel on Second Island, part of the Seven Islands Resort in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The resort, which changed hands three times, was significantly built up in the late 1880s and early 1890s by the third owner J. S. Mudge, who added on to the Island House Hotel, built a rollercoaster and constructed "Mudge's Folly" - a decorative pagoda-like building which became an iconic building for the area. The resort came to be one of the most popular vacation spots in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing a natural ledge on the banks of the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white stereograph titled "Council Rock in Glen," showing a natural rock formation near Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from 1893 showing the flood waters surrounding the iconic Round House on Seven Islands Resort in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The flood, which carried with it dangerous chunks of ice, severely damaged the Round House, causing the builder's vision to go unrealized. J. S. Mudge, then-owner of the resort, had envisioned the Round House as a mechanical tower with rotating levels. Even as a merely decorative building, the unique architecture made the Round House a symbol of the resort.

Black and white postcard from approximately 1910 of the Grand Ledge, Michigan water tower, built in 1906.

Black and white postcard showing the bridges to Second Island and the Island House Hotel, part of the Seven Islands Resort on the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The resort, which changed hands three times, was significantly built up in the late 1880s and early 1890s by the third owner J. S. Mudge, who added on to the Island House Hotel (seen in this image), built a rollercoaster and constructed "Mudge's Folly" - a decorative pagoda-like building which became an iconic building for the area. The resort came to be one of the most popular vacation spots in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Black and white photograph of Lions Head Rock, one of the most well-known ledges in Grand Ledge, Michigan, above Sandstone Creek off of Grand River. Part of the rock was destroyed in 1936 when the city blasted it to lay a drainage pipe.

Black and white postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing a scene on the Grand River near Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing a view of the Grand River with the High Bridge (railroad trestle) in the background, near Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white postcard showing South Bridge Street as it looked in the early 1900s in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white print showing an aerial view of Grand Ledge in 1881. Note the iron bridge crossing the Grand River at Bridge Street. It was built in 1870 to replace a wooden bridge, which inevitably was damages each spring by ice flow on the river. It would be replaced in 1910 by a concrete bridge.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 of Hemlock Point above Sandstone Creek in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Hemlock Point is located at the base of Lions Head Rock, and was a popular destination for boaters on the Grand River. It includes one of the only natural groves of hemlock trees in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Black and white photograph from 1863 of the flooding Grand River rushing over the Stone Dam in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The Stone Dam was constructed in 1887 by J.S. Mudge, the then new owner of the Seven Islands Resort. This dam created a deep, level body of water used for boating and swimming. In 1893, the river flooded, bring with it chunks of ice; both the ice and the flooding water several damaged many buildings.

Black and white postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing East Jefferson Street in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from 1893 showing the buildings of the Seven Islands Resort (including the iconic Round House in the background) surrounded by flood waters along the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The flood of 1893 is also known as the Great Ice Flood, as the flood waters included chunks of ice which damaged buildings. The Round House was one of the building severely damaged by the floodwaters.

Black and white photograph of the Grand River at Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white print of a circa 1877-1886 sketch of the Seven Islands Resort area by R. Caughey. Included in this image are Hemlock Point, Grand River looking towards Grand Ledge, the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Islands, the large Island House Hotel on Second Island, and the steamboat "Gertie." The second owner of the islands, S. M. Hewings purchased the resort islands in 1877. He launched the steamboat "Gertie," named after his daughter, and built the Island House Hotel on Second Island, which featured a veranda and ballroom. In 1886, he sold the resort to J. Scott Mudge.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing a scene on the Grand River at Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white photograph of the Sandstone Creek, which meets the Grand River at Hemlock Point in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Hemlock Point is located at the base of Lions Head Rock, and was a popular destination for boaters on the Grand River. It includes one of the only natural groves of hemlock trees in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Black and white aerial view from 1959 of the Grand Ledge Clay Product Co. factory in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The company formed in 1906 and mostly manufactured conduits for underground telephone wires until a 1937 fire destroyed the factory, including molds for the conduits. When the factory was rebuilt, production shifted to agricultural drain tiles, chimney tops and sewer pipe fittings until the plant closed in 1986.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing the Grand River and natural ledges near Grand Ledge, Michigan. This section of ledges, known as The Palisades, is an area of shear cliffs that runs from Main Street up to the upper dam.

Color postcard from approximately 1917 of the new concrete Bridge Street bridge in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The bridge, built in 1910, replaced the 1870 iron bridge.

Black and white panoramic photograph from approximately 1910 of Grand Ledge, Michigan. Image includes the newly constructed concrete bridge, which replaced the 1870 iron bridge in 1910.

Black and white postcard showing the bridge to Second Island and the Island House Hotel, part of the Seven Islands Resort on the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan. The resort, which changed hands three times, was significantly built up in the late 1880s and early 1890s by the third owner J. S. Mudge, who added on to the Island House Hotel (seen in this image), built a rollercoaster and constructed "Mudge's Folly" - a decorative pagoda-like building which became an iconic building for the area. The resort came to be one of the most popular vacation spots in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Black and white aerial photograph of Grand Ledge, Michigan, 1959.

Black and white photograph of two women boating on the Grand River, surrounded by picturesque ledges near Grand Ledge, Michigan. The ledges they are boating by are "The Palisades", a section of shear cliffs.

Black and white print of Grand Ledge, Michigan, circa 1870-1880, showing the Rose Harrison Planing Mill and Denison House (hotel) along the Grand River and the iron Bridge Street bridge.

The company formed in 1906 and mostly manufactured conduits for underground telephone wires until a 1937 fire destroyed the factory, including molds for the conduits. When the factory was rebuilt, production shifted to agricultural drain tiles, chimney tops and sewer pipe fittings until the plant closed in 1986.

Black and white postcard showing a street scene on South Bridge Street in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 showing a view of the Grand River with the High Bridge (railroad trestle) in the background, near Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white aerial photograph of Grand Ledge, Michigan, 1959. Image shows Grand River and the Bridge Street crossing.

Black and white photograph of the hemlock grove at Hemlock Point in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Hemlock Point is located at the base of Lions Head Rock, and was a popular destination for boaters on the Grand River. It includes one of the only natural groves of hemlock trees in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

Black and white photograph from 1959 of Bridge Street in Grand Ledge, Michigan, looking south from the bridge crossing Grand River.

Black and white photograph showing Grand Ledge, Michigan in 1862. At this point, Grand Ledge is a little less than 15 years old and was growing up around a dam and sawmill built between 1849 and 1852.

Black and white aerial photograph of Grand Ledge, Michigan, 1959.

Black and white photograph showing a winter scene horse-drawn carriages and carts on Bridge Street, looking north, in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white postcard from approximately 1909 of a man and a woman standing in front of The Owl Restaurant in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white photograph of the pavillion on Third Island on the Grand River, part of the Seven Islands Resort in Grand Ledge, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from circa 1870-1910 showing the view over the Grand River towards the north side of Grand Ledge, Michigan, including the First Congregational Church (built 1864) and the iron bridge (built 1870, replaced 1910).

Black and white aerial photograph from 1959 showing the Grand Ledge Chair Company factory along the Grand River in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Founded in 1883, it passed through various ownerships until it folded in 1982. The factory in the image was constructed in 1902.