The Center City - Taking a Look at Centopolis, the Seat of Grant County
The height of the Gilded Age and turn-of-the-century optimism had not yet been interrupted by the darkness of the Great War. And at this time the reforms of the City Beautiful movement were sweeping the nation, including Centropolis. This update will, instead of looking at the region as a whole, will focus instead on the City of Centropolis, finally taking a closer look the Center City of Grant County.
By 1910, the landscape of Grant County was still dominated by agriculture. But the urban seeds planted earlier had sprouted and were now growing strongly.
The crux of this growth was located in Centropolis, the county seat, and proved to be into the future.
This shot above shows Cerulean Park at the time it was built; Cerulean Park is located at the geographic center of Center Township and serves as the origin of the Centropolis and Grant County address grid.
Centropolis was chosen as the site for the State Fair in 1911. Shown above are the fairgrounds and charming neighborhoods surrounding the fairgrounds.
Centropolis was built on the banks of the Blue River which runs the length of Grant County from east to west. Shown above in detail and below in vertical panorama is the new Blue River Development Project. Land was reclaimed along the banks by constructing walls and pedestrian walkways. The walls also allowed for a measure of river tide and flood control.
Below: Blue-collar rowhouses and tenements in Centropolis.
The grandest crowning achievement for Centropolis in this time was the opening of their new city hall building. After deciding to consolidate the scattered city offices into one building, Centropolis built a Beaux-Arts masterpiece inspired by the new city hall in San Francisco. On the west face of the city hall building, a charming plaza was built using all the best materials other peoples' money could buy. Grant County then moved the county offices into more modest offices nearby, consolidating local governance in one area. Governance! Governance!...
With new hope in this Age, Centropolis also entered a new era of power and lighting. The first electric plant in this side of the State was opened up in Centropolis at this time. Shown below is the contrast between day and night.
Lastly, here is an animation showing the growth of Centropolis from Stage 1 to Stage 4, showing growth from a small town along a river ford to the booming urban center it was at the turn of the 20th century. Thanks as always for visiting!
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