GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A West Michigan man uncovered a slice of history last week. While renovating a century old home in Grand Rapids, several artifacts dating back to the 1800s were found inside.
"The duplex was built in 1860," says Brian Feenstra, who bought the property on the west side a few years ago.
Intending to repair and rent it out, his contractors made a unique find last week.
"They opened up one of the walls and found a whole bunch of these antique newspapers," says Feenstra.
Inside the walls of the home, a window into the past.
"I spent hours reading through all these articles, just soaking it all in," says Feenstra.
The newspapers are dated from 1885. In their pages, headlines that sound ripped from an old movie.
"It talks about a train robbery that happened and how somebody was killed during that train robbery," says Feenstra.
There are even bits of history that still relate to local landmarks.
"Mrs. Stella S. Nellis of the Barnard home was the first person to drive across Fulton Street bridge," Feenstra reads from one of the articles.
The newspapers weren't the only finds. An old mousetrap trademarked from 1877, a glass bottle formerly filled with ammonia and a small pair of shoes.
"Around the turn of the century, it was common for people to put children's shoes in the walls to help ward off evil spirits and for good luck."
For Feenstra, it's the find of a lifetime. While there may be more history to uncover, he plans to leave it in the past.
"Who knows what else there is in this house," says Feenstra. "But I'm not going to go to the point of tearing it apart to find it."
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