The City of Grand Rapids is the County Seat of Kent County , and was first laid out as the "Village of Kent," by Judge Almy, in the year 1836. It contains a population of seven thousand at a time. Daily lines of elegant passenger Steamers ply between it and Grand Haven, on lake Michigan, a distance of forty miles, from which point, ready access by Propellers and other crafts is had with Chicago, Racine, Milwaukee and Sheboygan. Daily lines of Boats also connect with the flourishing villages of Plainfield, Lowell, Boston, Ionia and Lyons, up the river. Communications twice a day, by large and comfortable Coaches, over a plank road, is had with Kalamazoo. The City Plat extends nearly two miles on either side of Grand River, which, at this point, is eleven hundred feet wide, and is spanned by a substantially covered lattice bridge of the most approved style of construction. Arrangements are perfecting to erect another bridge the coming season, a short distance below the present one, and a grant for one at the head of the Rapids, and opposite the Depot of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad Company, has also been obtained, the erection of which will be demanded within the next three years. In addition to the lumber, plaster, and other natural resources of the City, may be mentioned lime, elegant building store, of various shades, not forgetting the Marble Gypsum, which equals the richest eastern marble in coloring and texture, brick, gravel, sand, salt water, etc.

Nature has indeed been lavish of her favors, and no one who has an eye to the future, can come to any other conclusion than that a place surrounded by, and embedded in such wonderful means for a rapid, substantial and healthy growth, can be other than a great business town.

In all improvements which tend to cultivate the useful and beautiful, Grand Rapids is not behind any of her sister towns. She has two spacious and admirably constructed Union Schools, with accommodations for one thousand children, in addition to several Ward Schools, for the primary departments. These institutions afford to the children a good education, at the expense of the State and taxable property in the City. The Roman Catholic, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, New Jerusalem and Hollanders have each a spacious Edifice of Worship; and during the present season; the Roman Catholics and the First Presbyterian Society will erect new and elegant churches on the west side of the river. There are three spacious and convenient Hotels, and four of more moderate pretensions. On the Grand Rapids Canal, which is situated on the east bank of the river, and is three-quarters of a mile in length, and eighty-one feet wide, and furnishes an abundance of water power, there are at present three extensive Flouring Mills, two Furnaces and Machine Shops, one of which is large as any in the State, one Pail and Tub Factory, three Saw Mills, one Hub Factory, one Tannery, five Cooper Shops, one Plaster Mill, one Gun Shop, two Sash Factories, one Edge Tool Factory, and two Cabinet Shops. Contiguous to the Canal, and within the Corporation, are two other Tanneries, two Stave Machines, one other very extensive Furnace, one Marble Yard, one Steam Saw Mill, one Shingle Machine, and two Perpetual Lime Burners.

During the present season, another canal will probably be constructed on the West Side, with sufficient water power to propel all the machinery that will be required for the next twenty years.

The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company are vigorously prosecuting their work, large portions of whose tract eastward from Grand Rapids, is nearly ready for the superstructure.

The Grand Rapids and Indiana Company have surveyed and located nearly their whole line, the northern terminus of which must be Grand Rapids for some time.