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William F. Drueke photographs

 Collection
Identifier: Collection 212

Scope and Contents

One third of the collection contains photographs of the construction of Interstate 96 in Grand Rapids between 1959 and 1966. Many stages of the construction process are shown. Approximately another third of the collection documents building construction and urban renewal in downtown Grand Rapids in the sixties and seventies. Most of the urban renewal is found in box 2. The third box contains photographs of people and events, however very few of the people are identified. The third box also contains information on the Drueke family and business.

A poster “Lakeside Club Bouquet,” located in the flat files, is shown in a photo in Box 3, Folder 11 of this collection, but may not belong to this accession.

Dates

  • 1958-1996

Creator

Biographical / Historical

William F. Drueke Jr. (1912-2000) was one of two sons of William F. Drueke Sr. (1884-1956). William Drueke Sr., from Grand Rapids, Michigan, was a civic leader and a games manufacturer. His father, William Peter Drueke was in the wholesale liquor business until 1918. In 1914, Drueke Sr. founded the first American company to produce chess boards. The company expanded producing many types of game boards, using high quality Grand Rapids wood craftsmanship. In 1932, his children, Marian, Joe, and Bill (William Jr.), joined the company.

During the Second World War, the Drueke Game Company received a war contract to produce games for soldiers. The company took the status of incorporated in 1954. Two years later William Sr. died unexpectedly in Kentucky at the age of 72 en route to Florida with his wife. William F. Drueke Jr. took over the family business, running it until it was sold to Low Tech in 1987. The Drueke name remained on the products even after the company was sold again in 1992 to Carrom, based in Ludington.

Bill Drueke married Doris E. McLaughlin on January 25, 1941. They had seven children: Elizabeth, William F. (3rd), Carole, David, Mary Kay, Richard and Rose. Bill developed his photographic interests from Cresence Smith, his uncle. A May 3, 2000 obituary article in the Grand Rapids Press states that Drueke had his own darkroom, with one of his favorite images being a 1969 photo of the Calder sculpture, La Grande Vitesse, not part of this collection at this time.

Extent

1.3 Linear Feet (Three boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

William F. Drueke, Jr. (1912-2000) was a Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman. He headed the family business, the Drueke Game Company. This collection contains photographs he took of various scenes in Grand Rapids from 1958 to 1979. The images depict urban renewal, including demolition of buildings. A large portion of the collection documents the construction of Interstate 96 through Grand Rapids. Also shown are many scenes of downtown Grand Rapids and the Grand River, including building projects and street scenes.

Also included are a few items related to the Drueke Game Company and Drueke family genealogy.

Pictorial Index

Armory- b.2, f.7

Brewery- b.2, f.5

Bridge Street (looking west)- b.2, f.15

Bridge Street Bridge- b.2, f.8

City-County Building- b.2, f.4

City Hall- b.2, f.7

Fanny Farmer- b.2, f.16

Federal Building- b.2, f.15

Fishermen in Grand River- b.2, f.15

Flat Iron Building- b.2, f.16

Fulton and Division- b.2, f.14

Fulton St. Bridge- b.2, f.8

Fulton St. West- b.2, f.8

Frye Building- b.2, f.15,16.

Grand Rapids Bedding Co.- b.2, f.8

Grand Rapids Public Library- b.2, f.14

Grand Rapids Press- b.2, f.7

Grand River Bridge- b.2, f.9

Grand River looking South- b.2, f.14

Immanuel Lutheran Church- b.2, f.15

Marywood Academy- b.2, f.9

Michigan Bridge- b.2, f.9

Michigan National Weatherball- b.2, f.15

Michigan Street Hill- b.2, f.8

Monarch Road Machinery (Old Red Schoolhouse)- b.2, f.15

Monroe St.- b.2, f.7

Monroe and Ottawa- b.2, f.16

Old Kent- b.2, f.4,16

Ottawa and Lyon- b.2, f.16

Peninsular Club- b.2, f.16

Rail Road Yards- b.2, f.8

Richard’s Manufacturing Co.- b.2, f.15

Sixth St. Bridge- b.2, f.14

St. Adalberts (West Side)- b.2, f.15

St. Andrews- b.2, f.9

Townhouse Motel- b.2, f.14

Trow Bridge St. NE- b.2, f.7

Union Bank and Trust- b.2, f.5,15,16

Upper Monroe- b.2, f.7

Waters Building- b.2, f.16

Welsh Auditorium- b.2, f.9

Wurzburg’s Building- b.2, f.16

Immediate Source of Acquisition

William F. Drueke, accession number 1996.002

Related Materials

Coll. 084, Furniture Manufacturers Association Collection has nine 1959 photos of Drueke chess game pieces, perhaps carved by the same carvers who worked for the Grand Rapids furniture industry.

Coll. 263, GRPL Small Manuscript Collection, includes a biography of William Drueke. Another copy may also be located in the departmental biography files.

Coll. 273, Father Dennis Morrow Collection. Father Morrow has included images from the Drueke Coll. 212 in his slide presentations.

Jane Drueke Biggins website http://www.peterspioneers.com/JAJDB.htm

Drueke Company site. History http://www.carrom.com/Site-Content/drueke

William Peter and Elizabeth Berles Drueke Family family history site. William Peter was the grandfather of the donor, William F. Drueke, Jr. http://www.peterspioneers.com/WEBD.htm

Title
Finding aid for the William F. Drueke photographs
Status
Completed
Author
Brian Anderson
Date
February 1997
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Grand Rapids History Center Repository

Contact:
Grand Rapids Public Library
111 Library Street NE
Grand Rapids Michigan 49503 USA
616-988-5497