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Village History II
In 1946 all 12 grades of school were in the present middle school
building. Neighboring schools were Tontogany, Haskins, Whitehouse, and
Waterville. There were three good doctors in town and Joe
Hampshire's drug store dispensed medical necessities. We also had
three grocery stores - one a locker-freezer combination. The Grand
Rapids Bank was on the ground floor of the Masonic building. We
had a movie theater, three
Farmers and their families came to a lively town on Saturday
night. Farms still had cows and pigs and sheep and chickens.
A Greyhound bus could be taken to Toledo where passenger rail
connections could be made. Changes were slow but sure as many small northwestern Ohio towns began to have empty store fronts. Grand Rapids was fortunate enough to keep a good grocery store. Phil Hock bought the pharmacy and Dr. Barger replaced Dr. Pilliod. There was the Box Dry Good Store and gas stations. By 1966 schools in our area had changed names to Anthony Wayne, Eastwood, and
Otsego. A nice elementary building was in place but the high school was very
overcrowded. Although the building was old, it was maintained, and
For many of the citizens of Grand Rapids it is THE RIVER - spelled in
capital letters! There is the annual celebration of "when the
ice goes out!" This is not In 1966 the whole scene of the river was sad. It was full of algae, no fish, somewhat dead. Two factors have helped clean it up - the Clean Water Act of 1972 made factories upriver do something about the pollutants they put in the river. The federal government also gave grants to villages to build sewer systems. Grand Rapids received such a grant for $1,600,000, and in 1978 our sewer plant was completed. The condition of the river is now much, much better. |
Local men went to France to save the world for democracy in World War
I . Almost every man eligible at the time served in the armed forces in
World War II. Our men and women served in the Korean War, and in
the 1960's the call was for Vietnam. There has been an active American Legion since WW
I. Grand Rapids also has a VFW post.
churches, and the railroad was still here for
freight only.
money was used wisely. In the spring of 1967 the Grand Rapids
school board made the decision to consolidate with Otsego. Some
citizens much against this decision were successful in calling for a
referendum for the citizens to vote on this consolidation. The
vote was to consolidate and the class of 1967-68 was the last to
graduate from the Grand Rapids School building.
just idle talk because most of the
devastating floods have been caused by the jamming of the ice
floes. When the winter is terrible and the ice is thick, the ice
going out is a spectacular show... and the town breathes a collective
sigh of relief if there is no jamming of the ice.