Campau Square in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Campau Square in Grand Rapids, Michigan with people and horse-drawn vehicles in foreground and businesses in background. Typed on photo back: "The accompanying picture is described thus in "Old Grand Rapids a Picture Story of Old Conditions," intended only as supplementary to the local histories, so well written by Albert Baxter and others, by George E. Fitch, 1925, Campau Square in 1852, this was copied from a daguerreotype made by Proctor and Buel who had a gallery on the third floor of the Gunn Block then know as Faneuil Hall, from their front windows you are looking down past the balcony of the old Rathbun Hotel on the left, notice the wooden awnings over the three buildings in the square and the town flag pole, the Checkered Store was not yet so decorated and Canal Street is several feet lower than Pearl, no brick buildings are in the picture, Bridge Street bridge shows up well in the background, Hall's Bookstore, Joseph Martin's grocery and Powers & Ball furniture are the three buildings on Pearl Street, the little dark front one story affair opposite the Rathbun, over on the right is Guild's home made over into Wm. Fulton's meat market, with a swinging sign of a bull in front, this was the first house built on the first lot Campau sold, Campau asked guild $25.00 a lot but as he bought two lots he closed the bargain at $45.00, the two lots now owned by the National City Bank. Note by WSH, viewer is looking northwest, Campau Square is the point at which Monroe, coming northwest from Division swings north, Pearl Street goes off at sharp right angle to Monroe at left, today I believe the south side of the Pantlind Hotel fronts on Pearl, the Guild mentioned is perhaps John Guild whose home in 1834... was appointed post office according to Fitch." Written on photo back: " Copied from old daguerreotype by Geo. E. Fitch. 1905."