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The Kent County Council for Historic Preservation has several responsibilities that support the preservation and protection of our history. These include:
The Historic Preservation Commission consists of seven members who reside in Grand Rapids. Members are appointed by the City Commission for three-year terms (two consecutive terms are allowed). Members shall have a demonstrated interest in or knowledge of historic preservation. Two members shall be appointed from a list submitted by the Kent County Council for Historic Preservation and one member shall be an architect duly registered in the State of Michigan.
http://grcity.us/design-and-development-services/Planning-Department/Pages/Historic-Preservation-Commission.aspx
Steketee's was a department store in Grand Rapids that opened in 1862. It was started by Paul Steketee and John H. Doornich. In 1872 a fire destroyed the business and Doornich sold his part of the business to Steketee. He recruited his family to help rebuild and run the store. They opened an 8 story store on Monroe Avenue in 1915. Over time Steketee opened more stores throughout Michigan. It became one of West Michigan's oldest retailers, closing its final store in 2003.