WestSide, West Side or Westside? A Little Stockbridge History and a Lot of Opinions

The most contentious topic I’ve had as president of the Stockbridge Business Association may surprise you.

It’s not parking.

It’s not events. I

t’s not even funding.

It’s how to spell WestSide. 😂

When I moved back to Grand Rapids 12 years ago, I kept seeing it written every possible way: West Side, WestSide and Westside. And while I will be the first to admit my grammar and spelling can always use a little help, I really wanted to get this one right.

While serving on the WestSide CIA Marketing Committee, I finally asked the question and put the debate to rest, at least in my own mind. According to the CIA, the proper spelling is indeed: WestSide.

And yes, I have photographic evidence. 😉

As we head into the last third of the year, one thing I really want to focus on is getting more of our organizations history into writing before some of these stories are lost.

John Schultz recently shared the story of how the Stockbridge Business Association got its name, and it’s a good one. As the story goes, there was a contest in the Advance to name the organization. One of the submissions apparently came from someone who had visited Chicago, saw the name “Stockbridge” and thought, “That’s perfect.”

I would love to know who submitted it and any other details people remember.

I’ve also been learning more from my dad, Walt, who served as president of the organization in the 1980s. Hearing those stories has reminded me how much history is tucked away in the memories of people who have lived, worked and built businesses here over the years.

So now I’m asking all of you:

What do you remember?

Do you know important dates, former board members, old events, neighborhood traditions, business stories or moments that helped shape the Stockbridge area?

Do you have old photos, newspaper clippings, newsletters or anything else that helps tell the story?

I would truly love to hear from you.

And if what you really want to do is argue with me about how to spell WestSide, I’m open to hearing that too.

Send me at email at jes@swiftprinting.com