AJ’s Restaurant - Ramona Banquet Room
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan,
Dublin Core
Title
AJ’s Restaurant - Ramona Banquet Room
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan,
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan,
Subject
Restaurants in East Grand Rapids
Description
AJ’s Restaurant - Ramona Banquet Room
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Adrian J. Winters, proprietor
1957 – 1964
Adrian’s Ramona Terrace, Comstock Park, MI
Under management of A.J. Winters
1964 – 1996
Why were A.J. Winters’ establishments named “Ramona”?
Ramona Park, East Grand Rapids’ 20 acre amusement park, bordered roughly by Wealthy Street, Lakeside Drive and Lovett Avenue, closed after the 1954 season. The resort, turned park was established as a resort in the early 1880s. Ramona Park was under the ownership and management, first of the Grand Rapids Street Railway and lastly the Grand Rapids Motor Coach Company. It was a true trolley park. In 1886 the resort on the west shore of Reeds Lake was given the name Ramona via a naming contest. “Ramona”, the heroine of Helen Hunt Jackson’s popular 1884 novel Ramona was chosen. In 1897 the new theatre pavilion was also named “Ramona” in the same manner. After the turn of the century the resort became commonly known as Ramona Park; especially as more amusement rides, ball park and concessions were added.
In 1954 EGR residents voted in favor of replacing the aging Ramona Park with a retail shopping center and garden apartments on the west shore of Reeds Lake. Ramona Park was demolished by 1955, leaving room for new business and housing ventures. The shopping center which now is anchored by D & W Fresh Market was initially named “Ramona Plaza “by 1957. When A.J. Winters opened his restaurant and banquet room he used “Ramona” to name his business establishments. This name carried over to Adrian’s Ramona Terrace which he established in Comstock Park in 1964.
Names of EGR business district: Ramona Shopping Center, Ramona Plaza, Lakeshore, Gaslight Village
The articles, advertisements and documents contained in this report help to give the history of A.J. Winters’ business establishments.
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan
Adrian J. Winters, proprietor
1957 – 1964
Adrian’s Ramona Terrace, Comstock Park, MI
Under management of A.J. Winters
1964 – 1996
Why were A.J. Winters’ establishments named “Ramona”?
Ramona Park, East Grand Rapids’ 20 acre amusement park, bordered roughly by Wealthy Street, Lakeside Drive and Lovett Avenue, closed after the 1954 season. The resort, turned park was established as a resort in the early 1880s. Ramona Park was under the ownership and management, first of the Grand Rapids Street Railway and lastly the Grand Rapids Motor Coach Company. It was a true trolley park. In 1886 the resort on the west shore of Reeds Lake was given the name Ramona via a naming contest. “Ramona”, the heroine of Helen Hunt Jackson’s popular 1884 novel Ramona was chosen. In 1897 the new theatre pavilion was also named “Ramona” in the same manner. After the turn of the century the resort became commonly known as Ramona Park; especially as more amusement rides, ball park and concessions were added.
In 1954 EGR residents voted in favor of replacing the aging Ramona Park with a retail shopping center and garden apartments on the west shore of Reeds Lake. Ramona Park was demolished by 1955, leaving room for new business and housing ventures. The shopping center which now is anchored by D & W Fresh Market was initially named “Ramona Plaza “by 1957. When A.J. Winters opened his restaurant and banquet room he used “Ramona” to name his business establishments. This name carried over to Adrian’s Ramona Terrace which he established in Comstock Park in 1964.
Names of EGR business district: Ramona Shopping Center, Ramona Plaza, Lakeshore, Gaslight Village
The articles, advertisements and documents contained in this report help to give the history of A.J. Winters’ business establishments.
Creator
Mary T. Dersch, curator, East Grand Rapids History Room
Source
Various, R.L. Polk's Grand Rapids City Directory, Grand Rapids Press, Findagrave.com, Ancestry.com
Publisher
East Grand Rapids History Room
Date
2020
Contributor
Mary T. Dersch, curator, East Grand Rapids History Roon
Format
DIgital
Type
Digital
Identifier
Digital
Files
Collection
Citation
Mary T. Dersch, curator, East Grand Rapids History Room, “AJ’s Restaurant - Ramona Banquet Room
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan,,” East Grand Rapids History Room, accessed May 16, 2024, https://egrhistoryroom.omeka.net/items/show/74.
2164 - 2166 Wealthy Street SE, East Grand Rapids, Michigan,,” East Grand Rapids History Room, accessed May 16, 2024, https://egrhistoryroom.omeka.net/items/show/74.