GRAND HAVEN

A flourishing post village in the township of Spring Lake. It is the county seat of Ottawa County, situated at the mouth of Grand River, and at the terminus of the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad, 184 miles from Detroit, and 110 miles from Chicago, (by Lake Michigan), and 85 miles from Milwaukee, which is immediately opposite on the Wisconsin shore; fare on traveled route, from Detroit, $5.65; from Chicago, $2.00. The village contains about 2,000 inhabitants. Grand Haven inside of the pier, at the mouth of the river, is one of the best harbors on Lake Michigan, and accessible to the largest sail vessels and steamers on the lakes. It has an extensive lumber trade, and possesses good facilities for manufacturing. The village was first settled in 1834, and the county seat established in 1838. It contains three churches, (one Congregational, one Dutch Reformed, and one Presbyterian). A Catholic church has also been recently organized. Two newspapers are published in the place, to wit: the "Weekly Clarion" and the "Grand Haven News". There is one Masonic Lodge, and a Lodge of Odd Fellows. It contains some fifteen stores of various kinds, a large saw mill, an extension tannery, several manufactories and mechanic shops, one private banking house, and several excellent schools. It has four daily mails and one weekly during the season of navigation, and three per day and one weekly during winter.

The postmaster is Hamilton Jones.

Transcriber: ES
Created: 10 September 2006
URL: http://ottawa.migenweb.net/towns/grhaven/1856dir.html