1960-1970

File — Box: 5

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

This series includes the text for the exhibit's panels. For the originals and their locations, see Boxes 3-5.

Dates

1900-2000

Extent

From the Collection: 6.6 Linear Feet (Seven boxes)

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Exhibit Captions

Evangeline Lamberts became Grand Rapids’ first woman city commissioner in 1961. [Campaign poster. GRPL Art & Graphics Collection 224, Acc. No. 91.030b]
Old Kent Bank president Carl Morgenstern (second from left) joined Kentwood Mayor Peter Lamberts (second from right) and several others to break ground for Woodland Mall in 1968. [Chamber of Commerce Col. 46-24a-36]
Entrepreneurs Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos cut the ribbon on their new administrative building in Ada, 1965. [Chamber of Commerce Collection 46-21a-30]
Image not available. By the time this photo was taken in 1964, 28th Street had become Michigan’s second busiest city street. Only Detroit’s Telegraph Avenue was busier. [GR Press photo]
Lt. Roger B. Chaffee selected for the NASA program in 1963, died in a tragic fire while training in 1967. [Lt. R.B. Chaffee, ca. 1958. News Photos Collection. 133-1-184]
The first segment of the U.S. 131 freeway, Grand Rapids’ first, opened on December 22, 1961. [Chamber of Commerce Collection 46-27-3]
Construction of U.S. 131 north from downtown Grand Rapids resulted in the demolition of more than 800 west side homes. [William F. Drueke Photo Col. 212-1-4].
Downtown urban renewal in the 1960s cleared land between Ionia and Monroe avenues from Lyon and Michigan streets. [Chamber of Commerce Collection 46-26b-43???]
Mary Stiles made a statement for historic preservation in 1969 when she chained herself to the wrecking ball that was poised to knock down the old city hall clock tower. [GRPL Photo Collection 54-10-25]
Image not available. Racial strife in Detroit and other cities fueled unrest that boiled over into the streets of Grand Rapids in 1967 [GR Press photo].
Kent County Airport, opened in November 1963, was officially dedicated with an air show the following summer. [Airport, Interior. GRPL Photo Collection 54-16-15]
Airport, Exterior. Image not available
Dedicated in June 1969, Alexander Calder’s stabile sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, shown here framing the soon-to-be-torn-down old city hall, quickly became a symbol of Grand Rapids urban renaissance. [Alexander Calder at the Plaza. June 13, 1969. Nancy Mulnix Collection. 1-6-8]