Campau Park School SECA
A Historical Sketch

In 1912 over 4,744 residents lived in a southeast neighborhood bounded by Division Ave., Wealthy St., Lafayette Ave., and Franklin St. Early photos show tree-lined parkways bordering streets and seven feet wide sidewalks. Over the years the neighborhood expanded many blocks past Franklin, to Cottage Grove.

By the 1920s, the homes West of Jefferson Avenue were occupied by lower-income residents. African-American residents became prominent within the community in the 1960s. In 1967, racial tensions flared near the intersection of Franklin Street and Jefferson Avenue. A series of scuffles and fires were reported. While these events were relatively minor, they did act to brand the neighborhood with a violent image.

Successive decades saw vast neighborhood deterioration. About half of the neighborhood's structures and most of its population were lost. In recent years SECA's population has begun to grow again. An emerging Hispanic population is now calling the neighborhood home. In addition, new efforts to revitalize the neighborhood are underway.

Sources:

• Gentrification and Grand Rapids - UP 494 Planning Practicum Report Michigan State University
• Grand Rapids: A City Renewed by Gordon L Olsen 1996