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About the History Detectives
Fred Quillin and Michael Tuffelmire make up the Grand Rapids Historical Detectives. The GRHD strives to advance the city of today by studying the city of yesterday.
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THE FEED
A portion of the vintage footage featured in the video is from a film made in the 1920s. That promotional film was made by the Grand Rapids Railway Company, the private corporation that controlled the transit in the city. In the beginning of the silent film, there is an introductory passage
The Grand Rapids Railway Company proves its faith in Grand Rapids by investing in new Electric Rail Coaches, giving Grand Rapids World leadership in ultra modern street railway equipment.
The prominent families and city planners knew that a robust transit system would ensure the future prosperity of the city. Grand Rapids had a transit system in place as early as 1865 and it had culminated into a system that rivaled those of major cities. In 1927, the Grand Rapids City Planning department started a plan that envisioned a city with both auto and rail traffic serving 300,000 citizens by 1975. Sadly, this vision of transit came to an end less than five years after the railway company's film was made.
With the May 3 millage coming up, we are once again faced with a historical decision: Are we going to invest in our transit and start advancing our system to what the original citizens of this city envisioned?
Disclosure: Michael Tuffelmire, who helped produce this video, is a member of the Friends of Transit
My name is Michael Tuffelmire. I was born and raised in downtown Grand Rapids, attending school in the Heartside neighborhood. I am 29 years old, and have a two year old son named Michael Scott. I served in the U.S. Army Infantry for six years, and was in two U.S. conflicts: Kosovo and Iraq. I have been to 27 different countries, and on nearly every continent of this planet. I am a community organizer and board member elect on the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) and a member of the executive board of the East Hills Council of Neighbors. I am currently a full-time Senior at Ferris State University with a minor in Accounting and major in Health Care Management. I start graduate school next summer. I have been writing for the Rapidian since its infancy in October, 2009, and recently received the 2010 Volunteer of the Year award from the Community Media Center for my writing – an honor for which I am extremely proud. My hobbies include bicycling, martial arts, boxing, reading, and enjoying the sights and sounds of the city.
Reports on: Inner-city neighborhoods, Urban Bicycling Issues, Education, the Environment, local events
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It's great to see this after viewing some ridiculous opposing youtube videos. Definitely voting and taking advantage of the awesome transit we have here!