Around 1880, four brothers immigrated to the United States from Holland (Netherlands), settling in Grand Rapids. The exact date(s) of immigration and other family members coming with them are currently unverified. However, their parents are believed to have been John (Jan, or Johanna, b. ca. 1829) and Mensie Seven (b. ca. 1836) [unconfirmed]. The four brothers were: Peter Seven b. ca. 1861-d. 1952; John Seven b. ca. 1864-d. 1935; Cornelius Seven b. ca. 1867-d. 1939; Miner (Myner) Seven b. ca. 1874-d. 1935

No mention of a “Seven” family is given in the Grand Rapids City Directory until 1882/83, when Jan and Jan, Jr. (John?) are listed as laborers and Peter is listed as a painter, all at 102 Third St. SW. By 1885/86, the household at 420 Turner SW lists Albert, John and John A. as laborers, Peter as a painter, and Cornelius a cabinetmaker for Kent Furniture Company. By 1890, seven Sevens are listed in the directory, most living at 152 W. Leonard. Several are employed at J. Seven & Sons, grocers, including John, Cornelius and Meindert. This John is presumed to be the father, John. The other John, his son, appears to be a wall paperer, living and working at 662 Wealthy. Son Peter is also a wall paperer, at 126 W. Leonard. Another Peter, a laborer, boards at 122 Quarry.

Of the four brothers listed above, an obituary for the brother John Seven (ca. 1864-1935) states that he established a paint and wallpaper business in 1889 and continued his association there for 46 years, until his retirement. This is presumed to be the John listed in the 1890 City Directory at 662 Wealthy. He passed this business on to his sons, George, Carroll and John H. It is believed to be this Seven Wallpaper & Paint Co. establishment, still operating in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2005, with which most residents associate the Seven family. However, the images in this collection appear to document the various early businesses operated by the other Seven family members, who settled and worked on the West Side of the Grand River. The primary focus of the images is on the family of Peter Seven, including his children John P., Henrietta and Martin. Early images of another wallpaper establishment run by Peter on Leonard St. are included. Other images show a dry goods and grocery run by Cornelius, also on W. Leonard, which appears to have evolved from the J. Seven & Sons grocery.

The years between 1890 and 1912 shows Peter apparently already independent from this father, while Cornelius and Miner are first living at home, and then establish their own residences and businesses. In the 1890s Cornelius and Meindart (Miner, Myner) are at the establishment on 153 Leonard then including dry goods, as well as the family grocery. By 1900, Miner Seven, listed in the City Directory for the first time under that name, now has a grocery at 120 W. Leonard, apparently in competition with the old family business. On March 22, 1902, the John believed to be the father of the original four sons dies, leaving his widow, Mensie (per the City Directory), at 151 W. Leonard. Cornelius continues operating the family grocery and dry goods on Leonard first under the name of the family business, then in his own name. Peter continues to do wall papering.

One of the major events in Grand Rapids which appears to be documented in the images in the collection, was the Grand River flood of 1904. As evidenced by the images, this effected the Seven businesses, and their nearby homes, on the West Side of the Grand River. The 1904 City Directory has Peter and his son John P. at home at 135 W. Leonard, across the street from the wall paper shop. The wallpaper establishment of Peter Seven, shown in the flood images in this collection, is at 130 West Leonard, next to Peter Klute’s dry goods, which in 1904 was at 132 W. Leonard in 1904.

By 1912, after the city wide address changes that year, Miner, the youngest of the original four sons is operating his grocery at 500 Leonard NW, and living at 1055 Scribner. Cornelius has a dry goods establishment at 537-539 Leonard, apparently no longer running a grocery. He lives at 1239 Quarry. Two of his four daughters, Lena and Gertrude, now young adults, are listed as boarders at that address at that time. Two additional younger daughters are not listed. Peter is living with wife Francis (Francina) at 1031 Leonard NW, along with adult children John P. and daughter Henrietta, and young Martin (not listed).

In 1910, the original brother John Seven is said to have built the home at 649 Union SE, then known as 425 Union, which between 1923 and 1930 would become the boyhood home of U.S. President Gerald R. Ford. In the 1912 City Directory, the next generation of brother John's family lists the sons John H. Seven (also sometimes called John, Jr. d. 1965) as a clerk at the wallpaper company, along with brother George as a bookkeeper. Brother Carroll (d. 1943) is at this time working as a clerk for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railway. George is killed in WWI, and not mentioned in the later family obituaries. Carroll is listed in his obituary as a President and Traveling Representative of the wallpaper company, dying at age 49 in 1943. His son Phillip at that time was a private in the military, but also a medical student at the University of Michigan. John H. retired as President of the John Seven Paint & Wallpaper Co. after 51 years with the company, and died a year after his retirement. After John H.'s retirement/death, his son Charles K. Seven became chief owner and officer of the company, ca. 1965. Charles Seven continued to head the firm until his death in 2004. No images of the original brother John, and his descendants, are known to be in this collection.