GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A home remodel resulted in an unusual discovery, giving a Grand Rapids family a window into the past. Now, they're looking to understand more about the people who lived in their home more than 100 years ago.
"I was really kind of just blown away," Jesse Leitch said.
A note, some toys and an old newspaper are some of the items that were once hidden inside a Grand Rapids Midtown home.
"It's got this crazy handwriting. 'Do you remember Helen Stewart? Well, she says hello to you. So it does Em and if any of the professors called if any of the professors see Ethel, they'll put her in the museum,'" Leitch said. "This seems to be like from a music box or something you either either struck or plucked, or can't really tell what it is."
Leitch has lived in this home for well over a decade and was shocked to see all of these items come out of the ceiling above his dining room table.
"I think a total of 12 items," he added. "It was just sitting on top of that wooden up the ceiling. Somebody just put it in there already when they were finishing the upstairs, I guess."
The recent Grand Rapids boil advisory spurred on this remodeling project.
"If they were replacing the water heater we're gonna have to replace the pipes. The whole house, we figured, hey, let's run as long as you're cutting stuff that's right upstairs," Leitch said.
This hole gave Leitch and his family a window into what was.
"I want to know more about these people. But it's all just first names, except for Helen Stewart," Leitch said.
The remodel is still going on. Leitch says they plan to leave some items they found and some of their own in the same spot.
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