A LITTLE HISTORY, MAESTRO!
Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan. (Detroit being the first.) The "founding father" of Grand Rapids is Loius Campau who came to the area in November 1826 (138 years before I was born) and built a temporary shelter among the Ottawa Indian camps along the deepy valley, dense green foliage and swift-moving river. The Ottawas used the area for a meeting place and a place to rest and called the river "Owashtanong" meaning "the faraway waters." 72 acres of land were bought by Campau and he built a trading post and a blacksmith shop and thus the village of Grand Rapids was born. The rest is history. Links will be available if you need to learn more. |
UPDATES AND OTHER ERRATA
1.14.2002 Created myGRANDRAPIDS ONLINE
7.16.2008 You can check out my blog at http://positiverantings.blogspot.com/ 9.16.2008 A 200-page book featuring a slew of my previously published (and hard to find) work can be purchased at http://www.wordclay.com/BookStore/BookStoreBookDetails.aspx?bookid=36197. It has a bunch of my fantasy, scifi and action-adventure material, and also includes a few new unpublished tales. I have an alternate cover that I created that is very cool (see the PIX AND MENTS page) and will send a autographed one to you if requested. (Order a book from Wordclay, then let me know if you'd like a copy. You can email me at pwelmerink@gmail.com
12.31.2008 I have a BLOG which has a bunch of ramblings on different things, and will be focusing on memories of my time and life in Grand Rapids and the general area. You can go here to view it: http://positiverantings.blogspot.com/
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ABOUT ME
I was born in 1964 and spent about 3 years of my life on the southwest side of town. My family moved to the west side of Grand Rapids to my grandparents old house...a big gray-sided home a stones throw away from some woods and the John Ball Park Zoo. I grew up there, went to a Catholic school, went to a public high school, screwed around during my college days, got serious and now have a good job and my own family. There is a magic about Grand Rapids that flows through my blood, maybe because I know there is adventure and things to do here.
Thus I share Grand Rapids with you. Enjoy.
This site is dedicated to my family and friends who have made this life possible and wonderful.
MY MISSION STATEMENT
I am here for a reason, for a purpose. I was given ten fingers to write (which I only use my two index fingers), a brain with a world of imagination locked inside and open eyes to see the land around me. I will tell my tales of Grand Rapids, share my thoughts, adventures, achievements and disasters to hopefully entertain and enrich the lifes of others not only in my hometown but from any city or state...because I CAN.
All material and photographs copyright Pete Welmerink 2005 except where noted. |
Your Narrator, Pete Welmerink
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