Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
“The Fairman Building is a commercial building located at 102-106 South Michigan Avenue in Big Rapids, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.”
Wikipedia article Fairman Building, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 3 National Register listings published here for Mecosta County · listed in 1987 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 45 fires within 5 miles of Fairman Building between 1994 and 2020, burning about 94 acres in total. 6 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 14 |
| Natural | 6 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 3 |
| Smoking | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 September 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS DPS 0887 - 2018 |
| 7 August 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS TOWNSHIP FD 230 - 2018 |
| 30 August 2018 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS DPS 0865 - 2018 |
| 15 August 2018 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS DPS 0798 - 2018 |
| 6 July 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 2.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | MECOSTA-AUSTIN FD 109 - 2020 |
| 6 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS DPS 578 - 2020 |
| 4 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS TOWNSHIP FD 161 - 2020 |
| 11 July 2018 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | BIG RAPIDS DPS 0678 - 2018 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 6 workings within 5 miles of Fairman Building: 5 producers, 1 past producer. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Fire Clay (Refractory). Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nehmer's Clay Pit | Fire Clay (Refractory) | Past Producer | ||
| Mecosta County Road Comm. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mecosta County Road Comm. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Mecosta County Road Comm. Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Paris Pit No. 2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Pit Number 1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Big Rapids, the town this property stands in, in 30 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 16 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 2 lightning, 2 tornado. The reports record 16 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1998 | Tornado (F1) | Big Rapids | 12 hurt, $1,200,000 | Tornado touched down on Ferris State University in Big Rapids, 7 students injured, 5 others treated at a local hospital for minor injuries. The most serious injury was a broken arm. |
| July 2009 | Lightning | Big Rapids | 4 hurt | A non severe morning thunderstorm produced lightning that struck pine trees very close to where four construction workers were standing, injuring all of them. This occurred at Ferris State University in Big Rapids. |
| May 2022 | Flood | Big Rapids | $2,500,000 | Flooding from heavy rain resulted in road closures and damage to roads, bridges and culverts in Big Rapids with businesses and public spaces impacted. Ferris State University had multiple buildings take on water. |
| August 2011 | Flash Flood | Big Rapids | $250,000 | Cars floated in flood waters on State street in Big Rapids as reported by emergency management. County emergency management also reported that numerous other roads in and near Big Rapids experienced some flooding. ||One of the washed out roads stranded over 800 Boy Scouts at a local camp in Mecosta County. Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan reported 25 buildings on campus with water damage. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $50,000 | A wet microburst downed nearly a dozen large trees and 5 utility poles in the city of Big Rapids. No structural damage was reported to homes or businesses, but downed trees damaged 3 vehicles. Three traffic lights were knocked from their cables and approximately 2,400 Consumers Energy customers lost power. No injuries were reported. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Big Rapids | $50,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $50,000 | no account filed |
| April 1996 | Lightning | Big Rapids | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Big Rapids | $40,000 | Reports of seven eights inch to one inch diameter hail were received in Big Rapids. |
| December 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $25,000 | Power lines were blown down in Big Rapids township. |
| December 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $25,000 | Power lines were blown down in Big Rapids township. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Big Rapids | $15,000 | One inch hail was reported by the public in Big Rapids. |
| June 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $10,000 | Several trees were blown down. |
| August 1996 | Hail | Big Rapids | $10,000 | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Hail | Big Rapids | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2006 | Hail | Big Rapids | $5,000 | Seven eighths inch hail was reported in Big Rapids. |
| July 2006 | Hail | Big Rapids | $5,000 | Seven eighths inch hail was reported three miles south of Big Rapids. |
| August 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $5,000 | no account filed |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $2,500 | Several trees were downed in the Big Rapids area. |
| November 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $2,000 | no account filed |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | $10 | Large Healthy Trees Down Blocking Roads in at least two different locations. |
| May 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | - | Trees and wires down in Big Rapids. |
| July 2014 | Hail | Big Rapids | - | The media reported one inch diameter hail near Big Rapids. |
| November 2013 | Tornado (EF0) | Big Rapids | - | A severe thunderstorm produced multiple brief EF-0 tornadoes along a more than 50 mile path from Muskegon county northeast through Newaygo county into Mecosta county. The tornadoes were on the ground for very short periods of time. Mostly tree damage was incurred but there was also damage to several buildings and fences. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | - | Mecosta county emergency management reported that 15 trees were snapped off or blown down in the city of Big Rapids. |
| February 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | - | A 70 mile per hour wind gust was reported in Big Rapids. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | - | Mecosta County Emergency Management estimated 80-mph wind gusts associated with derecho in Big Rapids. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Big Rapids | - | Trees and power lines were downed by the wind. Torrential rain caused creeks and small streams to rise to near bankfull in the eastern half of the county. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Nisbett Building | under 500 feet | 1986 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 87000072 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Mecosta County | All 3 listed properties in this county. |
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