At 265 miles, the Grand River is Michigan's longest waterway, and it was once considered one of the Midwest's most important. The river starts as a trickle just south of Jackson and gains power as it surges toward Lake Michigan in Grand Haven. Trappers first used the river to trade with the Native American villages along its banks. Later, the lumber industry transported logs via the Grand. The river shaped the towns and cities that grew up along its banks, providing them with transportation and power for manufacturers, including the once-renowned Grand Rapids furniture industry. Fertile...

William Haldane opened a cabinet shop in 1836, 14 years before Grand Rapids incorporated. Other furniture companies followed: Berkey and Gay, Widdicomb, Sligh, Hekman, and Phoenix were among those taking advantage of the Grand River for transportation and power, the area's abundant hardwood supply, and a growing immigrant labor pool. The furniture soon attracted national attention. In 1876, the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition proved conclusively that a river town in Michigan had indeed earned the title "Furniture City." Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and...