Tag: charlie’s dump

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The History of Charlie’s Dump

Charlie Montague sitting in front of his home. Date Unknown.

Do you and your family like to go sledding at Charlie’s Dump?  Did you know that this land used to belong to a man named Charlie Montague?  It was also a gravel pit!  I learned this history from Ken Williams, a co-historian for the Jenison Historical Association.  Mr. Williams provided me with these details:

The area now called, Charlie’s Dump, originally belonged to a man named Charlie Montague, a life-long resident of Georgetown Township.  Charlie lived at the corner of then 20th Avenue and Rosewood Street.  In 1924, the property became a Georgetown Township gravel pit which resulted in the deep hole in the ground.  Once the gravel was exhausted, the property was reverted back to Charlie Montague.

As the years passed the “pit” became a playground for neighborhood kids and even had a small pond.  After Charlie died at the age of 98, the land became overgrown with brush and some people started dumping trash.  In 1977 Georgetown Township acquired the property for use as a storm water retention pond.  Over the next few years, Charlie’s dump was  was transformed into township park along with a soccer field in the bowl.

I would love to share photos of your winter adventures at Charlie’s Dump.  Simply send them to my email and I will get them up on the blog with a link to this post.  (Email:  treagan@hpseagles.net)

 

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A Photo of Charlie Montague

Charlie Montague sitting in front of his home. Date Unknown.

Michelle Burns, Kaden’s mom, read our post about Charlie’s Dump and saw my wish for a photo of Mr. Montague, the owner of the property that has become a winter sport area for families in our area.

Michelle found a photo of Charlie Montague on the You Knew You Grew Up in Jenison If… Facebook page.

If you have photos of your children at Charlie’s Dump and would like to share these, send them my way!

Mrs. Reagan

 

 

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Winter at Charlie’s Dump

Nate Stacey and Max Troyer at Charlie's Dump

Last year, I sent out a blog request for information about a very popular winter sport hill, Charlie’s Dump.  The co-historian for the Jenison Historical Association, Ken Williams, was kind enough to respond.  Mr. Williams shared the following:

The area now called, Charlie’s Dump, originally belonged to a man named Charlie Montague, a life-long resident of Georgetown Township.  Charlie lived at the corner of then 20th Avenue and Rosewood Street.  According to a Deed signed in 1924, the property became a Georgetown Township gravel pit which resulted in the deep hole in the ground.  Once the gravel was exhausted, the property was reverted back to Charlie Montague.

As the years passed the “pit” became a playground for neighborhood kids and even had a small pond.  After Charlie died at the age of 98, the land became overgrown with brush and some people started dumping trash.  In 1977 Georgetown Township acquired the property for use as a storm water retention pond.  Over the next few years, Charlie’s dump was landscaped as you see it today and has since been developed into a Township park along with a soccer field in the bowl.

I would love to share photos of your winter adventures at Charlie’s Dump.  Simply send them to my email and I will get them up on the blog with a link to this post.  (Email:  treagan@hpseagles.net)

Thank you Mr. Ken Williams for sharing the history of this property.  And..my next wish…a photo of Charlie Montague.

Updated:   1/18/2012Click this link to see the photo of Charlie…with thanks to Michelle Burns!

Smiling Lincoln

 

 

 

 

 

Max Troyer