GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Simeon Lathrop Baldwin was an early settler and prominent businessman in Grand Rapids, and his contributions to the city’s development during its formative years earned him lasting recognition through a street named for him.
According to the Grand Rapids Historical Commission, in 1856, Baldwin killed a wild bear weighing 324 pounds near Fulton Street and Union Avenue.
This dramatic incident, occurring during an era when Grand Rapids was still adjacent to the wilderness, was considered significant enough to warrant civic commemoration through street naming—a testament to how the city celebrated its pioneer heritage and the memorable exploits of its early residents…