105 Montrose St - Grand Rapids, MI

Welcome to 105 Montrose St in the Creston neighborhood of Grand Rapids, Michigan!

Year Built: 1923* (property records has the house built in 1960, but censuses, directories, and newspaper articles show the house was built in 1923)

Bed/Bath: 3/2

Size: 1,730 sq. ft

Neighborhood: #creston

This area of the Riverside Gardens/Creston neighborhood is a little different than some of the other streets nearby. There are five dead-end streets in a row starting after Graceland St to Conrad St - including Montrose St. At the end of each dead-end street, is a large hill that has a significant drop. At the bottom of the hill are backyards of homes on Riverside Drive. In the early 20th century, the Taylor Street Car had tracks through this area and each of the those five dead-end streets were stops off the street car.

At the end of Bowne St, there is a staircase that goes down to Riverside Dr. I'm wondering if each of those five dead-end streets used to have a staircase that served as the platform for the street car. Unfortunately, there aren't many records of this street car.

The Taylor Street Car ran from at least Leonard and Plainfield, through Ann St, right in between the Boltwood and Comstock mansions on Boltwood St, to the Michigan Veteran Home, and ending at the North Park Boat and Canoe Club. If you look at aerial views on Google Maps, you can see large gaps between houses where the street car was.

In 1920, Montrose St had its first two houses built - 19 and 36 Montrose. The numbers were different from 1920 and were changed to what they are today in 1924. 19 Montrose = 69 Montrose today; 36 Montrose = 129 Montrose.

In 1922, there were 6 houses on Montrose, the next year, 1923, there were double - 12 homes on Montrose St.

*The previous address of 105 Montrose was 21 Montrose.

In 1922-'23, Harold and Minnie McClain built 105 Montrose and Minnie lived there until she passed away in 1967.

Harold McClain

Born: March 1, 1895; Colon, Michigan

Died: July 23, 1975; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Father: Amos (b.1856; Pennsylvania - d. 1935; Michigan)

Mother: Catherine Shoemaker (b. 1868; Michigan - d. 1952; Michigan)

Siblings: Clarence, Minnie, Ruth, and Robert

Harold McClain was born in Colon Township, Michigan - 36 miles south of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Harold and his parents moved to Grand Rapids a few years later and lived at 726 Jefferson Ave.

In 1917, Harold lived in Pontiac, Michigan and worked as a "fountain man" Keyers Drug Store. He enlisted in World War I and fought in the Company D 329th Machine Gun Battalion 85th Division.

A couple years after the war, Harold moved back to Grand Rapids and in 1922, married Minnie Fatum.

Wilhelmenia Pauline Fatum

Born: April 16, 1891; Reed City, Michigan

Died: January 15, 1967; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Father: Henry (b.1852; Germany - d. 1923; Michigan)

Mother: Katherine Darr (b. 1856; Germany - d. 1923; Michigan)

Siblings: Pete, Ed, and Henry

Wilhelmenia, or Minnie, as the name she went by, was born in a rural Michigan town, Reed City (60 miles north of Grand Rapids). Her father worked as a mason in the town and the family moved to Grand Rapids sometime between 1911 and 1919.

Harold and Minnie were married in December 1922 and Minnie was 31 years old and Harold was 28. Harold was working as a sawyer (a person who cuts wood, metal, stone, etc...) and Harold was renting a room at the home of Minnie's parents - probably how they met.

During this time, Harold and Minnie bought lot 21 of the Robinson, Lacey and Bowne Riverside Addition - 105 (21) Montrose St.

During their first year at their new home of 105 Montrose, their first child was born - Lorraine.

Lorraine Katherine McClain

Born: November 27, 1923; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Died: September 14, 2001; Saranac, Michigan

Spouses: Leonard Holquist, Alfred Pulsifer, and Archie Gravelin

The year of 1926 was a year of highs and lows for the McClain family. In the summer of 1926, Harold was arrested and served 30 days in jail for abuse against Minnie.

In December of 1926, Harold and Minnie's second child was born - Lloyd.

Lloyd Harold McClain

Born: December 9, 1926; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Died: March 25, 2016; Grand Rapids, Michigan

Spouse: Mary Jane Brock (1929-2017); married October 1948.

Also in 1926, Harold's father, Amos, built the house next door to his son at 109 Montrose. He lived in that home until he died in 1932.

Two years later, in 1928, according to Lloyd's obituary, Harold McClain left his family. Suddenly, Minnie had to care for two children and herself. As a single mother in the 1930's, she struggled often and worked as a housekeeper for various families. Minnie and her two children remained at 105 Montrose for 39 more years.

Minnie worked hard to support herself and her two children by herself. After 44 years, 105 Montrose St was not only a house for her, but it was her home, her safety net, and where she could spend time with her children. Minnie passed away in January of 1967.

After leaving his family in 1928, Harold moved around quite a bit but eventually moved back to Grand Rapids. He remarried to Frances Hawthrone of Virginia.

Harold passed away in 1975.

Minnie and Harold's daughter, Lorraine, married three times and lived in Ionia County - just outside of Grand Rapids. She passed away in 2001.

Minnie and Harold's son, Lloyd fought in WWII in Japan and married his high school sweetheart in 1948. He passed away in 2016.

Click here for the full obituary.

If only the walls could talk, I can only imagine the stories of 105 Montrose St!