History of Kent County.

62

HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY

the mayor, recommending the construction of a city hall the cost not to
exceed $20,000, one-third the proposed cost of the first plans. On Mr.
Letellier becoming mayor the same recommendation was made and,
while new plans and estimates were submitted, no further steps were
taken at the time. However, the project was not dead, and the acquiring of the property, which is a part of the present site and purchased in 1883, completing the present site, apparently removed all
objections and in that year the council again declared the erection of a
city hall to be a public necessity. The board of public works were instructed to procure plans for a building costing between one hundred
thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. On April 7,
1883, a loan of $150,000 was authorized by the electors, the proposition having been submitted to the voters of the city in compliance with
a resolution submitted by Alderman Brenner and amended on motion
of Alderman Gilbert. For the second time architects were invited to
submit plans and in October, 1884, the plans of E. E. Myers, of Detroit,
were accepted. Bids being advertised for and later received and
opened in 1885, it was found that the lowest bid exceeded the authorized expenditure by more than $35,000. It was the opinion, however, of the council and a large number of the leading citizens that
the building should be erected according to the plans and specifications
adopted.
The contract was made and approved April 11, 1885, the contract
price being $185,641.68, the lowest bid received. The building was
completed in 1888, was formally accepted and dedicated September
26th of that year and the occasion was one of great enthusiasm. A
street parade, addresses by the mayor and Charles I. Walker, the first
treasurer of Grand Rapids fifty years previous to this dedication, were
features.
The building has a frontage on Lyon street of 160 feet and is 96
feet deep. From the sidewalk level to the top of the tower it is 163
feet high. The main entrance is at the center of the Lyon street
front with side entrances from both Ottawa and Ionia.
RAILROADS
As early as 1845, the inhabitants of the village entertained high
hopes of soon seeing the iron horse enter its limits. Several charters
were sought, but little of practical benefit was accomplished from 1845
to 1853. In that year work was started on the Oakland and Ottawa
railroad. Two years later this was consolidated with another and became known as the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad. In 1858 the line
was completed into the city and cars entered. For the next eleven
years Grand Rapids was a "one railroad town," but in 1869 the
situation was relieved by the entrance of the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern which had been built from Kalamazoo. In 1870 the Grand
Rapids and Indiana was completed between Fort Wayne, Indiana, and
this city and, in 1873, between this city and Petoskey, Michigan. In
1886 the Grand Rapids and Indiana built and put in operation the line
between this city and Muskegon. The Grand River Valley railroad,
now the Michigan Central, was built into Grand Rapids, from Jackson,