A small rural Michigan city, Belding

2010 10 25 Today Belding. Why Belding,  no one really knows- maybe because it is near enough to do a day trip, it's a new-to-us place, we like road trips sometimes.

We visited all of their parks, mostly city parks with the exception of Lightning Bend, which has 100 acres of mostly woods. The parks were nice but there were several old and impressive buildings in town.  I was surprised by these large brick buildings in the small town, who built them and why go to so much work?

This is what I learned about Belding. Settled in the 1850's, Belding's growth was the result of silk manufacturing established by Hiram H. Belding and Alvan N. Belding, for which the community was eventually named in 1871.

 From 1860 to 1890, the area flourished as a lumbering town with the Flat River playing a vital role in the economic development of the entire region of northeastern Ionia County.

This large factory building is known as the Jolly Kid plant,
which manufactured children's clothing. It was formerly
the Richardson's Mill, Belding's first silk factory
started in 1887.

Flat River

                                                            Along the way in Ottawa County

                                                 On the way Friske Drive in Kent County
 
We also had some good soup at Millie's Restaurant in Belding.