History :

Georgetown Township has experienced many changes throughout its history. It has been a lumber town a river landing, a quiet farming settlement, and most recently a growing suburban community. Parts of this past can still be found today.

Remnants of the lumbering era can be found in the very names of Jenison and Georgetown Township. The Jenison family arrived in 1836 and began to cut the white pine and hardwood trees. By 1838, the Jenisons owned 1600 acres south of the Grand River along Rush Creek.  George Ketchum built sawmills along Rush Creek in 1837.  The area became known as "George's Town."

With the Grand River as its northern border, trees could be easily harvested, sawn, and floated down river to Grand Haven. Stephen Lowing, John Haire, and the Blendon Lumber Company are a few of the others who lumbered this area.

While most of the trees are gone, remnants of this era do remain. Ottawa County maintains a lumber museum at Hager Hardwood Park.  Haire cemetery on Fillmore is the only thing that remains of Haire's landing. A few pilings in the Grand River help mark Blendon Landing. Located just south of Grand Valley State University, Blendon was a company town complete with a sawmill, hotel, saloon and homes.

As a river landing, Jenison was just one of many in Georgetown Township. The Grand River was a busy river highway between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. Riverboats carried lumber, freight and passengers on the river from 1836 until 1910.  Today the Grand Lady, a 40 foot paddle wheeler run by Bill Boynton, can help recreate the atmosphere of this area.