Ann E. Byle

Plainfield Township (Images of America) Ann E. Byle

Lovely plains and beautiful fields greeted settlers eager to put down roots in the area north of the growing city of Grand Rapids. The northernmost point of the Grand River and its environs, including the Rogue River joining the Grand nearby, offered folks everything they needed: river and road travel, good farmland, plenty of forestland, and enough space to grow and prosper. Soon the area was known as Plainfield Township, with the bustling Plainfield Village at its center. Small communities grew up around the township, including Belmont and Comstock Park that exist today but also Konkle Town and Childsdale, which do not. Plainfield Village is gone as well, but the spirit of those early pioneers lives on. Today Plainfield Township is a combination of city and country, businesses and farms, and longtime residents and those just discovering the beauty of this area that still boasts plains and fields.