The old Creston Branch Library
Creston A Historical Sketch
The history of Creston largely revolves around the development of transportation routes in the area. It began as a small isolated farming community and has since developed into one of Grand Rapids' largest neighborhoods.
In 1850, Creston was located north of city limits. It was an isolated community occupied by only a few farmers. One of these farms farm is believed to have introduced fruit tree farming to West Michigan. The local farmers used Plainfield Avenue, a dirt road at the time, to deliver their goods to a market in downtown Grand Rapids. Some of the farm families' names included Coit, Carrier, Knapp, and Page, which are now names of neighborhood streets.
By the late 1850's the character of area became increasingly urban. In 1857, Creston was annexed to the city. On 21 October 1858, the Leonard St. Bridge became only the second bridge in the city to span the Grand River.Also in 1858 was the completion of the depot for the Detroit, Grand Haven, and Milwaukee Railroad. The depot was built on the corner of Plainfield and Leonard. To accommodate passengers entering or leaving Grand Rapids, hotels like the Sherman, Occidental or Parnell, and Baldwin House opened near the depot. In 1864, horse car lines were extended the 1.5 miles from downtown Grand Rapids to the railroad depot.
In the 1870's, Creston included roughly 200 residents, some living in the 50 homes in the area and many more living in the hotels. It remained semi-isolated from the rest of Grand Rapids because of its well-defined boundaries: Coldbrook Creek, the mill pond, and the railroad.
Charles C. Comstock EstateBy 1880, Creston had grown to nearly 1,000 residents of mixed ethnicity and religion. Evidence of a significant Irish and German Catholic population can be seen from the founding of St. Alphonsus Church in 1888. Coldbrook Christian Reformed Church, now Beckwith Hills, sponsored the first Christian Reformed Church in the area in 1915. A great variety of churches followed, including those for Baptists, Congregationalists, and Methodists.
During these years, commercial activity began to develop along Plainfield Ave. There were six grocery stores, four meat markets, and three saloons in the area. Within ten years, it had grown to fifteen grocers, seven meat markets, and five saloons.
Although most of its members were not from the neighborhood, the prestigious Kent Country Club established itself in Creston in 1904. In 1909, the Creston Community Association formed. There is no direct relation to the
Creston Neighborhood Association that exists today, but it stands as the oldest neighborhood group to be formed in the city.
By 1912, Creston was fully developed, with industry located along the river, the businesses district operating along Plainfield Avenue (and spreading northward), and about 2,500 homes built along the neighborhood streets. The population was about 9,000, which according to a 1912 study of Sweet Street, was 1/3 Irish, and 1/4 Dutch. Incomes were modest, with common occupations being machinist, laborer, carpenter, clerical worker, and cabinetmaker. A large number of Irish railroad workers and French lumber workers lived in the Sherman hotel.
Former Monroe Water Filtration PlantBy the 1920's and 30's a total shopping area was present including dime stores, drug stores, department stores, hardwares, lumber, groceries, paint stores, sporting goods, a shoe repair, movie theaters, blacksmiths, stables, and plumbers. Creston High School was also built during this time. The major employers in the area were located along the river. These large employers included the Berkey and Gay Furniture Company, Grand Rapids Chair, and Edge Lumber. Edge lumber constructed a series of cottage type houses for their employees to live in. The 13 houses were identical in architecture and design and several still stand on Matthews Court.
Further development of schools and community assets added to the growth of Creston in after 1950. Creston Christian School was built during the 1950s. Riverside Park School, constructed on the 21.3-acre park site, was the first combination of elementary and junior high schools in the city to be built in separate buildings but on the same property. The Plainfield Avenue Fire Station was constructed in 1951 and the Creston Branch Library was built in 1962. The founding of the Creston Neighborhood Association followed in 1977 and is still an active force in the neighborhood. In October 2003, Creston merged with the North End Neighborhood and the North Park neighborhood.
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