Furniture Industry
The first cabinet maker in Grand Rapids was William Haldane, who in 1837 set up a shop in his home at the corner of Pearl and Ottawa Streets. During the ensuing decades Grand Rapids attracted increasing numbers of furniture craftsmen. Under able business management Grand Rapids had developed into the furniture capital of America by the 1880s. Buyers the world over come for the furniture markets, first held in 1878. Grand Rapids today ranks among the leaders of the industry in quality, style, and design.
Plaque via Michigan History Center