Bolt Park

Henry and Rena Bolt arrived in Holland in 1846. They then walked from Holland to Grand Haven to make their home, and settled in a house at 1028 Washington. A 20 acre farm of fruit trees, vegetables, and a cow pasture extended from Washington south to Grant. Bolt was the City’s first Street Commissioner, a position he took up in 1867.

The property that would eventually become Bolt Park was first given to the City by Henry Bolt for use by the Fourth Ward School, built in 1882. A second school (today’s Ferry school), built in 1913, replaced the original Fourth Ward School.

Otto Glueck purchased the vacated school for use as a home in 1916, and then moved it across the street to 1514 Pennoyer. The vacated lot would eventually become today’s Bolt Park, named after the original owner of the property.

Source: In the Path of Destiny by David Seibold

Back to the Parks main page