The Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad Company was established on April 14, 1869, by Kalamazoo businessmen, and final construction on the line was completed in December 1870. After a year of operation, the railroad became a division of the Michigan Central Railroad. The village of Bloomingdale was established along the line on May 23, 1870, by Lucius Kendall and Henry Killefer. Passenger service ended in 1937, and all other rail service ended in 1970. Originally called the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad Depot, the Bloomingdale depot was completed in December 1870. Harvey Howard, owner of the local sawmill, and his brothers Zenas and Joseph supplied the lumber and built the depot. Its original site was an acre of land donated by Augustus Haven, and the park built on the depot grounds in 1912 was named in his honor. The first passenger train arrived in Bloomingdale on July 4, 1870.