Wyoming Michigan History Room

09/01/2026

An old landmark that likely goes unnoticed

08/31/2026

The end was growing near. This article is from the July 20, 1995 edition of The Grand Rapids Press.

08/30/2026

With summer winding down, we thought we'd revisit two popular summer hangouts from 1952 and later. The "dairy freeze" idea was becoming popular, so popular in fact that a "dairy technologist" at the University of Illinois published a "how-to" book on the topic of this thriving business.

Read more details in the captions for each photo.

08/30/2026

We're just about a month-and-a-half away from the 60th anniversary of the opening of Burger Chef 1285 28th Street in Wyoming.

As we pointed out before, this wasn't Wyoming's first Burger Chef, as that honor went to the drive-in at 3261 S. Division which held its grand opening on July 16, 1959. In fact, the S. Division location was just the second Burger Chef to open in Michigan.

Based in Indianapolis, the Burger Chef chain opened for business in 1954. For a time, Burger Chef was actually more popular than McDonald’s, and they even came up with original ideas that were eventually used by McDonalds. Burger Chef's "Big Shef" and “Super Shef” were followed by McDonald’s “Big Mac” and “Quarter Pounder”.

Burger Chef was the first to package a meal for kids and called it the "Funmeal" in the early 1970's...then McDonald's, seeing the Funmeal's popularity, came up with the "Happy Meal" in 1979. Burger Chef attempted to sue McDonald's but lost the case.

Burger Chef was also the first to come up with the “works bar” where customers could slather on their own ketchup, mustard, mayo, and other condiments to their sandwiches.

In the early 1970s there were 1,050 Burger Chefs in the United States, second only to McDonald’s. Jackson, Michigan's W. Ave. location became Burger Chef’s longest-held franchise. The final Burger Chef in the U.S. closed in 1996.

The photo below of the 28th Street location is from the Milhaupt-Debakey Collection 326, Box N, Grand Rapids History Center.

Because folks are asking: The business suffered declining food quality under General Foods ownership (which bought the chain in 1968) and severe negative publicity after the tragic 1978 Burger Chef murders in Speedway, Indiana. It was sold to Amasco (owner of Hardee's) for $44 million in 1982 and most locations were rebranded as Hardee's or closed. The very last independent restaurant operating under the Burger Chef name closed in Cookeville, Tennessee, in 1996.

08/25/2026

On your next cruise down South Division, you might take note of this old house, shown here in 1960 and as it now appears.

08/23/2026

08/20/2026

Long ago, it seemed there was a gas station around every corner. Pictured here is a classic from the 1950s at 3105 South Division

08/20/2026

A familiar restaurant with a long history, Tommy Brann took ownership of the old Southern BBQ Restaurant and Tavern in 1971. The Southern had earlier featured a night club environment with adjoining motel cabins. Pictured here in the 1940s along with a current image. Before the opening of the US 131 Freeway, Division Avenue was "the highway" and featured many places similar.

08/17/2026

Mark your calendar and join us downtown at the Grand Rapids Public Library on March 11, 2027. https://grhistory.org/event/from-picric-town-to-ghost-town-the-story-of-wyoming-township-s-world-war-i-picric-acid-project/89