On this day in 1917, actress Lorna Gray was born in Grand Rapids. And in 1883, a massive log jam on the Grand River damaged train bridges in the heart of the city.
TRANSCRIPT
Today in 1917, early Hollywood actress Lorna Gray was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When her father’s millinery business went bust in the Great Depression, she went west, and signed on as a contract player where she featured alongside Buster Keaton, The Three Stooges, and in many Westerns. Gray was also in the very first film version of Captain America, a serial film from 1944 where she starred as Gail Richards.
Also today in 1883, because of heavy summer rains, one of the largest log jams ever in US history hit Grand Rapids. At the peak of the clog to the Grand River, it was 30 feet deep and 7 miles long, and took loggers 4 days and nights to strategically clear the mess on the way to Lake Michigan. However, as it hit current day downtown Grand Rapids not fully cleared, the logs would destroy 2 train bridges at Fulton and Wealthy streets.