The BIG THREE
From 1850 to 1871 these three separate independent school districts existed within the City of Grand Rapids. District 2 and 6's original records don't seem to exist any more so the earliest information comes from District 1's Annual Catalogue of the officers, instructors, and students of Grand Rapids Public Schools East Side 1860- , Dept of Public Education and the 1872 inventory report of the newly created Grand Rapids Board of Education. Annual Reports of the Grand Rapids Board of Education 1872- , Board of Education. In this book an inventory was published of every public school in existence at that time.
In 1857 the City would annex additional land enlarging each of these districts.
1876 map showing the three districts in red and the 1857 annexation in blue.
District #6
When the City annexed the S1/2 of Section 18 of Grand Rapids Twp the size of this school district doubled. Two years later land was purchased at the corner of Leonard and North for a new 2-room brick school known today as East Leonard.
Ten years later additional land was purchased
District #2
In 1854 four lots were purchased between Broadway and Turner Avenues, Third and Fourth Streets for a new school large enough to last 100 years.
Begun as a primary school, high school grades began to be added in 1859 but not 12th grade until 1912. This school entity exists today as Union High School.
A new primary school was begun farther north when a lot was purchased in 1866 on the east side of Turner between Eleventh and Leonard. A two-story wooden building with three rooms for 128 pupils was built. It would later become Nederlandsch Reform church and today this site is covered by US 131
A new primary school was begun farther south when a lot was purchased in 1867
on Jefferson Street renamed Lexington Avenue and in 1870 a three-story brick
building designed to accept an addition with five rooms
was built. .
Just before consolidation, District #2 Board purchased five acres of farm land on Leonard Street. It would be known as the Richmond lot.
District #1
The richest and largest was District #1 which published
Their first school was the Centrally located Primary/Grammar union School on
Ransom Avenue. High school grades were added in 1859 resulting in the first City
of Grand Rapids High School graduation in 1862. See
History of Central High School.
By 1855 the need for additional primary schools had become apparent and three small wooden buildings were acquired or built some on rented land.
Land was purchased for Primary #3 in 1856 on Fountain Street and the
Quarter-line. A small wooden school was built. In 1867 additional land was
purchased in anticipation of a new larger school being built in 1872, a
three-story brick building torn down in 1911 for a relocated Central High
School. Fountain Street School still exists today on College Avenue.
Land was purchased for Primary #2 in 1861 on South Division and Bartlett. It was built on a hill with a full story brick walk-out basement and top floor of wood.
Land was purchased for Primary #1 in 1864 on East Bridge between
Immanuel Lutheran Church and Kusterer's Brewery.
A two-story brick school house was constructed.
Did Charles Kusterer, enrolled in first grade, give his teacher a bottle
of beer instead of an apple?
In 1857 the C
Land was purchased for Primary #4 in 1867 and a substantial two-story brick building with at least two rooms was built.
Land was purchased for Primary #5 in 1870 on the top of a hill overlooking
Grandville Avenue
From Heading History and the City of GrandRapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info
I have tried to impact every source with corrections or comments so everything on this site is copyrighted. The information may be used for your project but the source must be cited.
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