Grattan Township, MI

Historical Society

12050 Old Belding Rd - Belding, MI 48809
Upcoming Events: Fall 2023
"My Father the Supervisor" -October 3, 2023 at 7:00 pm in the Township Hall

The program will feature personal stories from children and grandchildren of former Grattan Township Supervisors.  Represented in the program will be supervisors from the 1930s to the 1990s, including John B. Heffron, Roy McArthur, Robert Lamoreaux, Pat Malone and Joe Nowak. Refreshments will be served after the program. 

Spring Into The Past click here

check out Grattan Township 1870) click here

Grattan Center Cemetery

Grattan Township, Kent County

grattancemetery
The Grattan Center Cemetery is located on Old Belding Road
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/tsphoto/kent/grattancenter.htm

RECALLING A MOMENT IN TIME

generalstore
Picture of the General Store of James R. Trask, Grattan Center, Kent Co, MI

Circa 1899-1900

jordandavis
Carriage and Paint Shop of Jordan Davis, Grattan Center, Kent Co. Mi
Circa 1899-1900

FAMILY TREE NIGHT

LOWELL AREA
HISTORICAL  MUSEUM

The Lowell Area Historical Museum would like to remind you about Family Tree Night (Genealogy) at the museum.
Family Tree nights are scheduled for the second Thursday of every month, beginning in September from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Come and look up info about your family. Obituaries, death certificates, old maps, old tax rolls from the village of Lowell and other resources are available.

THE GRATTAN MUSEUM

In1843 the Methodist Episcopal Church of Steele's Corner was started. The historical church building (30 ft. x 40 ft.) was built in 1853 on the site presently known as Belding Road and Tiffany. In 1905 a decision was made to move the church building three miles east to Grattan Center . In 1906 the church was moved using a horse to turn a winch which slowly moved the building on log rollers one hundred feet at a time. It took thirty days to move. On July 15, 1930 the land and building were sold to Grattan Township for $1.00. From 1930 to 1971 it was used as the Grattan Town Hall . In July of 1987 a dedication ceremony was held by the Grattan Township Historical Society and the building became the Grattan Museum . It was located at 11675 Old Belding Road until May 10, 1999 when it was moved to its present location at 12050 Old Belding Road .

The constructional style with a reverse truss with mortise and tenon joints and wooden pegs is of particular significance. This is a 30 ft. x 40 ft. single story, gabled roof building with no basement. Clapboard siding was used throughout the building. The original structure had narrow stained glass windows, double doors in front with fluted sides and transom windows above, shutters on both front and side windows, and a colonial style steeple. The township removed the steeple, lowered the ceiling, and put wide windows in front. They changed the front door from a double to a single door and removed the transom windows. However, the basic structure is still intact. In 1999 the building was moved to its present location and the following improvements were made. New siding, a new front door, and a new furnace and air conditioner were added. The floors were refinished and both the interior and exterior of the building were painted to give it the appearance it has today.
The museum contains artifacts, pictures, and the history of many of its pioneer families and the surrounding area. It is maintained and operated by the society. It is opened to the public from June through October on the second Sunday between 2pm and 4pm , or by appointment.

GRATTAN TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY PROJECTS

ROADSIDE PARK

The Grattan Roadside Park , located on the north side of M-44 between Nugent and Wabasis Avenues is maintained by the Society. We provide picnic tables, trash pick-up, porta johns, and lawn care. The park is enjoyed by many throughout the year. The Society holds its annual Picnic in the Park here on the first Tuesday in August every year.

ADOPT -A - HIGHWAY

The Society is part of the Michigan Adopt - A - Highway Program. We maintain a four mile section of M-44 between Tiffany and Lincoln Lake Avenues.
An Ice Cream Social is held by the Society on the third Tuesday in August every year at the Roadside Park . Proceeds toward the upkeep of the Park

GRATTAN TOWNSHIP MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Membership to the Grattan Township Historical Society is $5.00 per household per year, and is due every January. A subscription to Grattan Glimpses, the Society newsletter, is included with each membership.

MEMBERSHIP ($5.00) _____________
OTHER _____________
NAME_____________________________
ADDRESS__________________________
CITY______________________________
STATE_______________ZIP___________

Make checks payable to: Grattan Township Historical Society.
Mail to: Grattan Historical Society
12040 Old Belding Road
Belding , MI 48809

Links

Doc app

Document Center

The Document Center provides easy access to public documents. Click on one of the categories below to see related documents or use the search function.

Categories always sorted by seq (sub-categories sorted within each category)
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category

Documents5 documents

  • Early History of Grattan Township, 1870)
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  • History of Kent County (Grattan) 1919
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  • Grattan Township Cemeteries 1928-1995
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  • Vergennes Township Cemeteries 1928-1995
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  • Kent County Michigan Master Cemetery List
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