Grand Rapids Bicycle Factory Ruins

Former Grand Rapids Bicycle Factory Fire | Smoldering Ruins 2, photo by Mr. Gillette & His Image-Making Apparatus.

A fire destroyed the former Grand Rapids Bicycle Factory last week, leaving a nothing but a burned out hulk that looks like something you’d have seen in London during the blitz. Brad also took some photos during the massive fire.

According to a story from WOOD-TV:

At one time the city had six factories making bicycles and Grand Rapids Cycle Company was the first and largest. The company put out 30,000 bicycles and the factory employed 200 people in its prime in the late 1800s.

Bicycle manufacturing in Grand Rapids was abruptly halted in 1899 as most of the bike makers were bought out and shut down by the bicycle trust out of New York. By 1903 the bicycle industry was completely gone.