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Kalamazoo Facts and History
Origin of the Name
"Kalamazoo" | Early Settlements | Culture & Education
Commerce | Kalamazoo
County Facts | Kalamazoo County Amenities
"Kalamazoo” was
originally an Indian name, though its exact origin has not been pinpointed.
Some say it means “the mirage of reflecting
river, ” others
say it means “bubbling
or boiling water.”
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The earliest residents of the
area were the “moundbuilders,” an
early race of Indians that subsisted on farming.
A number of earthen mounds attributed to these
people still exist in the area. The
most prominent one can be found in downtown
Kalamazoo’s
Bronson Park.
Experts feel that the moundbuilders were probably taken over
by the Indians who later traveled down from the north. The earliest
written records tell of the Sioux frequently occupying the region.
The Mascoutin and the Miami also appeared in the area. By the
time the white man arrived in the area that was to become Kalamazoo
County, the land was occupied by the Pottawatomi tribe, a branch
of the greater Algonquin people.
In 1680, the first white man journeyed through Southern Michigan,
passing through Prairie Ronde and Climax. Two traders occasionally
did business in the county more than a century later, beginning
in 1795.
The Indian Treaty of 1795 opened the
Northwest Territory for settlement. It also
set aside a large portion of what was to be
Kalamazoo County for an Indian reservation,
known as “Match-e-be-nash-she-wish.” This
may have been the chief gathering place of the Pottawatomi Indians.
The Indian Treaty of 1821, known as the “Chicago Treaty,” opened
this plot of land to white settlers and became the basis for many
of the county’s land titles.
In 1827, the Indian reservation was
consolidated in the southern end of Kalamazoo
County and the northern end of St. Joseph County.
Another treaty with the Indians in 1833 arranged
the exchange of five million acres of Indian
land for $40.00 in trinkets and
trappings. The enforcement of the treaty in
1840 required the relocation of Kalamazoo’s Indians across
the Mississippi River.
In 1829, Titus Bronson built the first cabin
within the modern city limits of Kalamazoo, on Arcadia Creek,
west of present Westnedge
Avenue. A year later, he built a new cabin
on the present site of Bronson Park.
The county itself was organized by an
act of the territorial legislature and approved
by the governor on
July 3, 1830. The town of Bronson was officially
designated the county seat on May 1, 1831.
Five years later, an influential group
of men in town, dismayed by the apparent eccentricities
of Titus Bronson,
had the name of the town changed to “Kalamazoo.”
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As the size of Kalamazoo
County grew, so did the variety of social and
cultural activities. The Kalamazoo Gazette, the county’s earliest newspaper, is one of
the state’s oldest. Many other papers were published here
in the early years, including the Kalamazoo Telegraph
(1844-1916).
The county’s educational facilities
have always been a source of pride for residents.
The first public high school was
built in 1859. In April 1833, the territorial
governor signed legislation authorizing a charter
for the Michigan and Huron Institute.
Over the years, the Institute evolved into
the well-respected Kalamazoo College. At present,
the county boasts five institutions
of higher learning, including the state’s oldest, Kalamazoo
College, along with Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport
University.
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A number of interesting products have
been produced in Kalamazoo County. A brief
list includes: Shakespeare fishing rods and reels, Upjohn’s Kaopectate,
Kalamazoo Stoves, Bowers Lighters, Checker Motor’s taxicabs and
Gibson guitars. Kalamazoo was known as “Celery City” in
the early 1900’s and was the largest producer of celery
in the United States. Currently the county
produces more bedding plants than any other
location in the United States. The Southwest
Michigan region is the fourth largest producer
of wine and juices in the United States.
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- Area: 576 square miles
- 7th largest county
in the state
- Average Annual Snowfall: 69.7
inches
- Average Annual Rainfall: 34.27 inches
- Four
Cities: Kalamazoo, Portage, Parchment,
and Galesburg
- Five Villages: Richland, Augusta, Schoolcraft,
Vicksburg, and Climax
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Currently Kalamazoo
County offers amenities such as:
- Over 300 eating
establishments
- 69 public parks
- 83 public access lakes
- 21 public golf courses
- 4 wineries
- 3 ski resorts
- 2 state game areas
- 1 tobogganing park
These and many more attractions make Kalamazoo County a great
destination for any traveler.
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