89th Annual Hollyhock Lane Parade

Rep. Hillary Scholten and the GGWHC at the 89th annual Hollyhock Lane Parade

Featuring major politicians, National Guard trucks, neighborhood kids, and the Hollyhock Band, the annual Hollyhock Lane Parade has been a charming tradition for the Ottawa Hills community since 1934. The GGRWHC joined the parade again this year to honor the suffragists who marched just over a hundred years ago.

Image shows people walking down a neighborhood street in the parade. Two women in white dresses and hats and wearing masks for covid-19 hold a banner that says "Votes for Women." Participants also hold pennants and wear sashes that say "Votes for Women."

Join us at the 2023 Hollyhock Parade!

Join us at the Hollyhock Lane Parade on the morning of Tuesday, July 4 at the corner of Calvin and Alexander in Ottawa Hills. Line up will start at 8:00 AM and the parade will commence at 8:30 AM sharp. Here are a couple of helpful tips to make your trip out to the parade a little easier:

Our dress code is… Just wear as much white as you can! The GGRWHC will be providing the “Votes for Women” signs as well as pennants and sashes. But it doesn’t stop there – we will also have lots of great hats to jazz up your parade outfit!

You should arrive early if possible… We will be marching at 8:30 AM sharp! This is a short parade, but it is packed full of fun and history.

Why we march… Our annual Hollyhock march reminds both us and audience of our mission to share what we know about local women’s history.

We hope to see there!

Image shows people walking down a neighborhood street in the parade. Two women in white dresses and hats and wearing masks for covid-19 hold a banner that says "Votes for Women." Participants also hold pennants and wear sashes that say "Votes for Women."

Join us at the 2022 Hollyhock Lane Parade!

Join us at the Hollyhock Lane Parade on the morning of Monday, July 4 at the corner of Calvin and Alexander in Ottawa Hills. Line up will start at 8:00 AM and the parade will commence at 8:30 AM sharp. Here are a couple of helpful tips to make your trip out to the parade a little easier:

Our dress code is… Just wear as much white as you can! The GGRWHC will be providing the “Votes for Women” signs as well as pennants and sashes. But it doesn’t stop there – we will also have lots of great hats to jazz up your parade outfit!

You should arrive early if possible… We will be marching at 8:30 AM sharp! This is a short parade, but it is packed full of fun and history.

Why we march… Our annual Hollyhock march reminds both us and audience of our mission to share what we know and to skewer myths about local women’s history in general

We hope to see there!

History Detectives Launching New YouTube Channel – January 22, 2022!

History Detectives 2022 will be launching their new Youtube Channel on January 22, 2022!

Eight pre-recorded programs ranging from the shores of Lake Michigan through Grand Rapids to the statewide library in Lansing! You will be able to view these programs starting January 22, 2022 at whatever time is convenient to you!

Members of the GGRWHC will be presenting Unearthing an Army of Women: Diversity in Our WWI Women’s Registration Cards. Join Ruth Stevens, Sophia Brewer, Andrea Riley Mukavetz, and Sue Thoms to learn about the historical nuggets that can be found in an astonishing new resource. Collected in 1918, Kent County’s 23,000 WWI women’s registration cards are available on a searchable database, ready to reveal the diversity of women volunteers who crossed class, religious, racial, and ethnic boundaries to create, inadvertently, a mine of treasures not limited to Grand Rapids. Sociological, historical, and geographic veins remain largely unexplored. The presenters will highlight individuals and clusters of African American, Native American, and working women to illustrate what the cards can provide state- and nation-wide researchers; as well as fascinating tips on searching: “journalist” was not used, but “Indian” was. Tune in to explore the skills, held or desired, of a forgotten front line.

This is just one of 8 programs that will be featured at the launch of the YouTube channel, you can also look forward to the following programs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

House History 101: Learning how to research the background of your home
Presenter: Heather Edwards
Sponsor: Grand Rapids Public Library

A Record of Crime: Exploring the Data and Stories behind the Mugshots
Presenter: Matthew Ellis
Sponsor: Grand Rapids City Archives and Research Center

Becoming a Home for All: LGBTQ Tourism in West Michigan
Presenter: G. Angel, PhD Student in Indiana University Bloomington’s Gender Studies Department
Sponsor: Kutsche Office of Local History

Team Photo at the Grand Rapids Public Museum Sampler
Presenter: Gina Bivins for Team Photo
Sponsors: Grand Rapids Historical Society and Grand Rapids Public Museum

Researching the Other Side of the Story Using Historical Black Newspapers
Presenters: Christine Byron and George Bayard
Sponsors: Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives and Grand Rapids Historical Commission

The Legacy of Lamberton Lake
Presenter: Don Bryant
Sponsor: Western Michigan Genealogical Society

Discovering our State with the Resources of the Library of Michigan
Presenter: Tim Gleisner
Sponsor: Library of Michigan

To learn more about these programs and the launch of the History Detectives YouTube channel visit their website at https://historydetectivesgr.org/.

Women’s Way Murals: Harriet Woods Hill’s Ribbon Cutting

On September 1st, GGRWHC along with the Downtown Grand Rapics Inc., The City of Grand Rapids, Lions & Rabbits and numerous community partners, came together to host the ribbon cutting for the Harriet Woods Hill mural, located at at the Grand Rapids Police Department’s alley at 1 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Harriet Woods Hill in 1955 became the first African American female officer in the Grand Rapids Police Department. Her career began in the Juvenile Division, and she later trained new recruits about the challenges faced by children. Hill, in 1977, was named the first female detective in the department’s 106-year history. “I came there to do a job, and I wasn’t going to allow [anyone] to force me to quit working because [of their] prejudices,” she said. “Once the door was opened, I never allowed it to become closed.”

“Harriet Woods-Hill was resilient and humble. Symbolism flows through this piece as waves pay ode to Harriet’s hometown leading to the old-time Grand Rapids cityscape. Lotus flowers symbolize her growth out of muddy waters, all the while soaring above.” – Statement by Mural Artist Jasmine Bruce.

(The above description of Harriet Woods Hill and statement by the artist were taken from https://www.womenswaygr.org/)

Along with the ribbon cutting there was a welcome speech from DGRI and GGRWHC’s Sophia Brewer, a performance by local artist DJ Venus Flyytrap, a video on Harriet Hill Woods, and speeches from James Hill (Harriet Woods Hill’s son), Jasmine Bruce (the artist of the mural), GRPD’s Chief Payne, and Lions and Rabbits. There were snacks and refreshments provided by Mosby’s! Scroll on to see photos from the event!

If you were not able to join us at the Harriet Woods Hill’s ribbon cutting – don’t worry there will be four more events to join in on the fun! Every Wednesday in September the community members listed above will be holding a ribbon cutting to feature each completed Women’s Way Mural in downtown Grand Rapids. Along with the ribbon cutting these events will also include local artist performances, a video on the background of the women of the murals, and time to mingle with food and drinks! For more information on the upcoming events please see our events calendar.

Three work colleagues of Harriet Woods Hill’s.

Crowd gathered at the ribbon cutting.

James Hill (Harriet Woods Hill’s son) on the left with the scissors, ready to cut the ribbon!

The crowd seated beneath the mural for the presentation.

Sophia Brewer speaking for GGRWHC.

Jasmine Bruce (the mural’s artist) giving her speech.

Thank you for celebrating Women’s Equality Day with GGRWHC!

A big thank you to all of those who came out to honor and celebrate the local women we featured for this year’s Women’s Equality Day! Thank you to those who posted their visits on our Facebook page and to those who visited and did not post – we still noticed your presence and are grateful for that.

This year the GGRWHC featured four women in two different cemeteries to remember and continue their legacy of suffrage efforts and equal rights activism. Those who were able to participate visited one or more of the following grave sites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information on Clara Comstock Russell click here and to learn more about Etta Comstock Boltwood, click here! For a synopsis of our oral history interview of Lillian Gill, click here and to read more about the life of Ethel Beverly Burgess, click here!

Women’s Equality Day and the GGRWHC were featured in local press coverage throughout Grand Rapids! On August 25th, Susan Coombes, a board member of the GGRWHC appeared on Shelley Irwin’s WGVU Morning Show (88.5/95.3 FM) to talk about the GGRWHC’s plans to celebrate local women on August 26th through our “Here Lies a Suffragist” self-guided tours as well as the four women we featured this year. If you were not able to make it out on the 26th, fear not! The gravesites of local suffragists and activists can be visited on any day of the year; to learn more about how to find them, visit our self guided tours page here. Some of the pictures shared on our Facebook page of GGRWHC members celebrating Women’s Equality Day were also shared in a Fox 17 piece on the reflection and commemoration of the anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment on Women’s Equality Day. Watch this short video here to learn more and to see if you can recognize the GGRWHC members! To see the WZZM’ 13 On Your Side feature on the Comstock Sisters, click here.

For those who were unable to participate in this year’s event, scroll on to see more of the celebration and remembrance at the Fulton Street and Garfield Park Cemeteries.

We hope to see you on the next Women’s Equality Day!

 

From Melissa Fox at the Gravesite of Lillian Gill.

 

Lucy and Tom Fox at the Gravesite of Etta Comstock Boltwood.

 

The Fox Family visiting Clara Comsotck Russell in the Rain.

 

Diana Barrett at the gravesite of Clara Comstock Russell.

 

Diana Barrett at the gravesite of Etta Comstock Boltwood.

 

From Kristen Laham Wildes and her visit to the Gravesite of Ethel Burgess.

 

From Kristen Laham Wildes and her visit to the gravesite of Lillian Gill.

 

Holding Lucy Fox’s pennant for Lillian Gill’s gravesite, Jo Ellyn Clarey wrestles with balloons in the wind.

 

Ruth Van Stee honoring Ethel Beverly Burgess. Watch for Ruth’s work on the Burgess family!

Women’s Equality Day with GGRWHC

Celebrate Women’s Equality Day with GGRWHC! August 26, 2021

Help us to honor and continue the legacy of local women who progressed suffrage efforts and equal rights activism in our community by visiting the grave(s) of four women we are featuring for 2021.

This year, we will mark four gravesites with purple balloons to help you locate the four women we are featuring – see the suggested steps below to make the most of your visits!

  1. Visit our website page, “Here Lies a Suffragist,” for a full description of the event here: https://www.ggrwhc.org/here-lies-a-suffragist/
  2.  Please visit our new page this year for Garfield Park Cemetery to locate the gravesites of two more African American activists. Lillian Gill worked after the successful suffrage movement, but would have supported it. And the club life and public activism of Ethel Beverly Burgess suggests that she was a supporter. Meet them on the page here: https://www.ggrwhc.org/garfield-park-cemetery/
  3. For more information on the Comstock sisters and how to find their gravesites please visit the Fulton Street Cemetery page here: https://www.ggrwhc.org/fulton-street-cemetery/
  4. On August 26th, find the grave of one or more of our four featured suffragists and activists.
  5. Honor the individual’s grave with flowers, even a single stem, and record your visit by taking a photo of yourself and/or the decorated gravesite.
  6. Post your photo in the comments section of our Facebook post honoring the day. https://www.facebook.com/GGRWHC (If you do not use Facebook, please send it to our email address– info@ggrwhc.org)
  7. DON’T MISS THIS!

WZZM’s 13 ON YOUR SIDE will run a short feature on the Comstock Sisters at 11:00 pm Wednesday, August 25th and throughout the day on the 26th. Look for the link of this feature on our Instagram and Facebook pages!

Note: Note: If you choose to leave any flowers, we will see that the graves are cleaned up later.

Thank you for participating!

 

 

 

Join us at the 2021 Hollyhock Lane Parade!

Join us at the Hollyhock Lane Parade on the morning of Saturday, July 3rd at the corner of Clavin and Alexander in Ottawa Hills! Line up will start at 8:00am and the parade will commence at 8:30am sharp. Here are a couple of helpful tips to make your trip out to the parade a little easier!:

If you get lost… You can call (616)574-7307 and the GPS address of where the GGRWHC will be located will be at 1335 Alexander.

Our dress code is… Just wear as much white as you can! The GGRWHC will be providing the “Votes for Women” signs as well as pennants and sashes. But it doesn’t stop there – we will also have lots of great heats for women and men to jazz up your parade outfit!

You should arrive early if possible… We will be marching at 8:30am sharp! This is a short parade, but it is packed full of fun and history.

Why we march… Our annual Hollyhock march reminds both us and audience of our mission to share what we know and to skewer myths about local women’s history in general

For more information see our latest newsletter here!

Meet the 2021 Board Nominees!

The Virtual Annual Meeting is coming up soon! Mark your calendars for Monday, May 10th from 5:30pm – 6pm. Make sure to get acquainted with this year’s board nominees before then! Read on to meet the 2021 nominees who will be voted on during this year’s annual meeting. 

A native of Seattle, Washington, Cynthia Browne was a transplant to Grand Rapids twenty years ago and has been fascinated by the women’s history of her chosen city. She is currently a circulation specialist in the library of the Grand Rapids Community College, where she has the unique ability to connect both non-traditional, older students and younger learners with resources and often to serve as their continuing mentor. Also at the GRCC, Browne has taken the lead in library initiatives, such as the Exam Cram food supply, student employee training, and a library food pantry. A lifelong-student, Browne graduated from Ferris State University in 2019 and is now interested to help the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council unearth and preserve the stories of little-known local women who have impacted our past and to bring them into the city’s present. Her special interest is in African American women’s history and the many roles they have played in the area.

Will Katerberg is currently the curator of Heritage Hall, archive of Calvin University, and is editor of its print and online magazine, Origins. A professor of history, Will is also the director of the Mellema Program in Western American Studies and is actively working on a book on nineteenth-century Massachusetts senator Henry L. Dawes and his daughter Anna Laurens Dawes, who were both influential in promoting reform movements and legislation regarding the acculturation of Native Americans to U.S. life and values. His rephotography projects—comparisons of past and contemporary photographs—explore Dutch American and local history sites in West Michigan and throughout the state. Generously, Will has already been contributing to GGRWHC board life for much of the pandemic year.

 

Gabe LaGrand is a graduating senior in history at Calvin University, with minors in philosophy and German. Throughout his time at Calvin, Gabe enjoyed multiple women- and gender-focused courses starting with Kristin DuMez’s Women and Gender in U.S. History. From former board member Kristin, he first learned about GGRWHC. Then, supervised by Kate van Liere and Jo Ellyn Clarey, he began work in early 2020 as an intern on the Women Who Ran project and began learning more about the group. While Gabe was disappointed that his microfilm scrolling in GRPL’s archive and his official internship were cut short due to the pandemic, he has already begun continuing work on the electoral history project, which will continue during his time on the board. But he is also excited to engage with the organization’s other projects and pursuits. Bottom line, this Grand Rapids native is curious to learn more about his hometown and contribute to its history.

Sue Thoms is a writer and storyteller who has enjoyed over thirty years in journalism. In 2014, while writing for The Grand Rapids Press/MLive, she was captured by the story of the Grand Rapids women scientists who created the whooping cough vaccine and saved the lives of countless children. Thoms wrote a feature article pointing a spotlight at the groundbreaking work of these extraordinary women, which was in turn placed on the front page above the fold by the first female editor of the Press and our board member, Julie Hoogland. Together, they have kept up their work on Kendrick, Eldering, and Gordon, starting with a GGRWHC annual reception; then a GRPL exhibit; a Community Legends sculpture unveiling; and, most recently, a presentation for the Historical Society of Michigan. Thoms currently writes medical features for Spectrum Health Beat, the news site for Spectrum Health. She is especially captivated by stories that involve medicine and children and is the author of six children’s books, including The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan.

Remembering Joan Luedders Wolfe on Earth Day

On this 51st Earth Day we are remembering and celebrating the life and work of environmentalist Joan Luedders Wolfe who founded West Michigan Environmental Action Council in 1968 and was the first woman appointed to the Natural Resources Commission in 1973. Her work with WMEAC still impacts conservation efforts in Michigan today. Legislature such as the 1972 Inland Lakes and Streams Act, which continues to protect Michigan’s inland waterways from development and contamination and was made possible through the hard work of WMEAC under Wolfe’s leadership. Wolfe passed away on January 23, 2021, but leaves behind a legacy of trailblazing environmentalism. Learn more about her life and work in this recent WMEAC article.