Flat River (Michigan)
The river was an important water route and fishing source for the Grand River Band of Ottawa who lived along it in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Two historic covered bridges cross the river. One, the Fallasburg Bridge, in Vergennes Township, Kent County is in Fallasburg County Park a few miles north of Lowell. The other, Whites Bridge is a few miles to the northeast in adjacent northwest Keene Township, Ionia County, near Smyrna. On July 7, 2013, an arson fire destroyed White's Bridge. Fund-raising efforts are underway in attempt to have the bridge rebuilt. At the time of its destruction, it was the oldest covered bridge of its kind in Michigan.
There are 5 dams along the river: Greenville, Belding, Whites Bridge, Burroughs and Lowell.
It is the river named in the song "Sad Ballad of Jack Haggerty", sometimes known as "Flat River Girl."
References
- ^ United States Environmental Protection Agency. "Watershed Report: Flat River". watersgeo.epa.gov. Archived from the original on 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ "Daniel Marsac". Collections and Researches Made by the Pioneer and Historical Society of the State of Michigan. Vol. 38. Lansing, MI: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Company. 1912. p. 60.
- ^ History of Ionia County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co. 1916. p. 462.
- ^ Flat River Michigan Department of Natural Resources
- ^ McClurken, James M. (2009). Our People, Our Journey: The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press. p. 12. ISBN 9780870138560.
- ^ "History in the rubble: How arson-struck Whites Bridge became a West Michigan landmark". 8 July 2013.
- ^ "One year after fire, signs of progress in effort to rebuild Whites Bridge". 6 July 2014.
External links
- "Sad Ballad of Jack Haggerty" Lyrics Archived 2011-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
Media related to Flat River (Michigan) at Wikimedia Commons