Grand Ledge is located on M-43, 10 miles west of Lansing. I enjoyed my trips to this historic town on the Grand River, while visiting my Uncle John.
Grand Ledge was first settled in 1847 and has a population of 7,800. The town is named after the large sandstone ledges that line the Grand River. Grand Ledge was a popular resort area in 1870’s, spurred by railroad access and the building of the Seven Islands Resort. The island resort was accessible by steamboat and later by bridge. In 1888, Grand Ledge became the second city in Michigan with electric lights, helping the resort draw up to 70,000 visitors per year – second only to the Petoskey area as a tourist attraction.
By the 1920s the popularity of the resort had waned as the automobile came on the scene and tourists could travel further and see new attractions. In 1976, during the National Bicentennial, Island Park was reborn, and a gazebo was added. The park is now used for many annual festivals and is a popular walking area.
My first stop in town is always the Flour Child Bakery and Cafe, an eclectic bakery that was voted the Lansing area’s best bakery. On my last visit, I purchased a half dozen smaller pastries, cookies and brownies to share with Jackie and her grandsons for her birthday celebration. We enjoyed taste-testing and voting for our favorite, which was no easy feat. I also purchased a grilled chicken wrap, dressed with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, parmesan and Caesar dressing that was delicious! As I was waiting for my sandwich, I noticed the historic Sun Theatre just across the street, which opened in 1931.
The Salvage Yard Antiques is one of my favorite antique stores. There are two floors chocked full of several thousand books, magazines, postcards, tins, and every type of ephemera imaginable.
Mi-Rural Records – a great vintage record store with a friendly owner.
Preston’s Bar originally opened in 1914. Vic Preston is the fourth-generation owner of the bar. I poked my head in and was greeted by friendly locals, happy to share interesting stories with me. Vic told me of a renter who lives upstairs and recently locked his keys in his room. He decided to climb through an opening in the hallway ceiling, leading to some old heat ducts above his apartment. He became stuck, and luckily having his cell phone with him, called the bar below for help.
Fitzgerald Park is a 78-acre park, best known as the home of the Ledges. This year-round site offers three miles of nature and hiking trails, picnicking, a disc golf course, nature center, two miles of cross-country ski trails and access to the Grand River for canoeing and kayaking.
Oak Park is located on a bluff overlooking the Grand River, offering 9 acres of quiet park space and 1,000 feet of riverfront. The park offers a great backdrop for walking and hiking. Nature lovers share the park with rock climbers who use the ledges for recreational climbing and instruction, with 80 climbing routes up the ledge’s sheer rock face.
A fun discovery on my last trip was the Lincoln Brick County Park and the Lincoln Brick Company factory ruins. It is located on the Grand River and with its crumbling old buildings and smokestacks, is quite a sight to see. The factory was the last of the area’s five brick companies, having produced up to 40,000 bricks a day since 1914. It ceased production in 1947.
The land was sold in 1975 to Eaton County, who had a staff that was wise enough to make the grounds a historical public park for all to visit and learn about the area’s brick & clay production past.
The historic Grand Ledge has lots to offer and is well worth a visit.
