Editing Grand Ledge, Michigan (section)

====Resort era====
Grand Ledge grew as a resort area during the 1870s, spurred by the railroad access. John Burtch founded Seven Islands Resort in 1872, with the ''Dolly Varden'' steamer and a small inn on Second Island. Several wells were drilled, and the mineral-laden water they produced was touted for its curative property. In 1877 S.M. Hewings purchased the Seven Islands Resort, and in 1878 he built the Island House Hotel on Second Island. In 1880 Julian Scott Mudge purchased the Seven Islands Resort. To reduce the risk of flooding from Grand River, Mudge built a dam (1887). In 1888 the Railroad Trestle or High Bridge was built to bring the railroad south of the river and Grand Ledge became the second city in Michigan (after Lansing) to get electric lights. By that time an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people visited the Seven Islands Resort annually.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Seven Islands Resort |url=https://glhistoricalsociety.org/seven-islands-resort/ |access-date=March 15, 2025 |website=Grand Ledge Historical Society}}</ref>