After visiting the Turner-Dodge House, I decided to walk around the vicinity a little in search of sidewalk stamps. I had walked this section of James Street looking for stamps in 2020 and didn’t find anything of note, but this time I found that the whole stretch of sidewalk had been redone, the sidewalk had been marked, and best of all, it was by a contractor as yet unknown in this blog.

Martin J. Concrete is based in Coopersville, as the stamp says, which is in the Grand Rapids metro area. Disappointingly, their Web site lacks a company history. They describe themselves as “a West Michigan based Concrete Road Contractor specializing in concrete road construction throughout the State of Michigan.” They also have a page showcasing various major sidewalk projects they have done as well as curb installation. That may be why they were hired for this particular job; the sidewalk here is one of those rare spots around the city (mostly, I assume, on the earliest streets) where there is no lawn extension, so the sidewalk is flush to the curb.

The stamp uses a template I have seen very often in new sidewalk stamps. The city’s O & M department uses it, as well as numerous private contractors. It’s neat enough, but as a weird connoisseur of sidewalk markings I prefer them less standardized.