The Kalamazoo Region

Kalamazoo, an Indian word said to mean "boiling water," originally referred to the river that flows northwesterly to Lake Michigan. A trickle of settlers in the late 1820's became a torrent in the 1830's as the region's fertile prairies, oak openings, bottom lands, and ample sources of water power became known. The village of Bronson, founded in 1829 by Titus Bronson, became the city of Kalamazoo. Lincoln made his only known Michigan speech here, and J. Fenimore Cooper wrote about the area in Oak Openings. Kalamazoo College, founded in 1833, Nazareth College in 1897, and Western Michigan University in 1903 are here. Once famous for its celery and its stoves, Kalamazoo became known for many products including paper and drugs, and the nation's first permanent pedestrian mall opened in the downtown section in 1959.

Michigan · United States