Reed’s Lake “Back in the Day,” in 1946 [Video]
Reed's Lake is just one of the many gems in the Grand Rapids area that makes living here so special. "Back in the day," it was really something special. People from all over would flock to the lake.
Located in East Grand Rapids, we know Reed's Lake today as the home of Roses Restaurant, part of the Gilmore Collection, municipal buildings, a bustling East Grand Rapids downtown, the East Grand Rapids Middle School, the Grand Rapids Yacht Club, several marinas, and many houses. But, a few...okay, many, years ago, things were very different.
Ramona Park at Reed's Lake was the best part, "back in the day." There was an amusement park, owned and operated by the Grand Rapids Street Railway Company, where thousands of families from 1897 to 1955 would take the train, later on bus, to "escape" the city and have some fun. A passenger steamer named Ramona would take people around the lake.
This video, courtesy of the Grand Rapids Amateur Film Club and posted to YouTube by Karl Mickna, takes us back to Reed's Lake in 1946.
Too much fun, huh. Ahhh, the good old days!