Local History

Biographies

Hodgman, Francis

History reminds us that it isn’t always the big and medium size cities that produce transformative individuals. Francis Hodgman was born and lived in the small village of Climax for most of his life, but left an indelible legacy.

Butterfield, Walter Scott

When Tony Pastor’s Star Troupe brought “The Largest and Best Vaudeville and Specialty Company on Earth” to Kalamazoo’s Union Hall in 1876, audience members were unknowingly witness to the humble beginnings of one of America’s most popular pastimes.

Chaffee, Ada Gilmore

Kalamazoo-born artist Ada Gilmore Chaffee was a leading pioneer as a painter and woodblock printer, known primarily for her affiliation with the Provincetown Printers and their unique advances in the use of multi-colored woodblocks.

Coddington, Henry W

Henry W. Coddington, a “reliable and well-known architect and builder,” was responsible for designing and constructing many churches, residential homes, and prominent commercial buildings in Kalamazoo and throughout Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.

Crane, Caroline Bartlett

One of the most interesting and productive careers ever to unfold in Kalamazoo began with an unusual childhood. Caroline Bartlett was born in Hudson, Wisconsin, in 1858 to Lorenzo and Julia Bartlett. Her father was owner and captain of a small...

denBleyker, Harry

Harry denBleyker was one of the most successful realtors in Kalamazoo. From 1911 until his sudden death in 1920, he ran a company that worked to promote home ownership through…

denBleyker, Paulus

Paulus denBleyker, his family and employees were among the first Dutch pioneers to settle in Kalamazoo. In 1846 Rev. Albertus VanRaalte had preceded him to western Michigan, and in his letters he spoke of the opportunities and future that existed...

Desenberg, Edward B.

Music was clearly Edward Desenberg’s first love. Formally educated in Kalamazoo and abroad, Desenberg quickly became an instructor, composer and entertainer of substantial merit. Following closely in his father’s footsteps, Desenberg later...

Doubleday, Abner D.

Mistaken identity: For two decades, it was assumed that Captain Abner D. Doubleday, a local businessman, had been the man who first organized a baseball game in Cooperstown, NY. But in 1929, Doubleday’s son Fred corrected the official record...

Dunbar, Willis Frederick Dr.

“The only way we can plan for the future is to understand our past” –Dr. Willis F. Dunbar, 1961 The name Dr. Willis F. Dunbar is synonymous with the history…

Dunkley, Joseph

Joseph Dunkley was one of the largest celery growers in Kalamazoo, earning him the title of “The Celery King.” Dunkley’s celery fields covered nearly 80 acres and his products helped bring great notoriety to the “Celery City.”

Dunkley, Samuel J

Samuel Dunkley was an entrepreneur and an inventor. He operated a railroad line, a steamship company, and several canneries. He also held more than 30 patents for devices and processes that revolutionized the fruit preservation and canning industry.

Eames, Lovett

Kalamazoo has a rich history of manufacturing. But long before the stoves, sleds, guitars, and other products that made the city famous, the mills operated by Lovett Eames helped establish the village of Kalamazoo as a manufacturing center.

Eames, Lucy C

Lucy Eames opened a select school for young women at a time when institutions of higher learning for women were rare. She helped organize the Ladies Library Association in Kalamazoo and served on its board of directors for many years.

Ferber Family

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Edna Ferber (1885-1968) was born in Kalamazoo on August 15th, 1885. Despite Edna’s brief time here, we are able to uncover several historical details regarding the Ferber family, and their brief time in Celery City.

Fetzer, John E.

When John E. Fetzer died on 20 February 1991, he left a life replete with the legacy of a broadcasting empire, a World Series winning baseball club, philanthropy, and exploration of the mystical fringes of science.

First Settlers Born in the Township

1834 was the year that saw the first two children of non-Native American ancestry born in the Kalamazoo Township. The first was Mary Belinda Heydenburk, born on July 7th. Ten…

Fischer, Charles L. and Burton E.

Kalamazoo has long had a strong connection with the production and performance of music. Since the mid-nineteenth century, local, nationally-recognized, and even world-famous instrument makers, educators and performers have actively pursued their...

Follett, James I.

Military service became something of a tradition in James Follett’s family. His paternal grandfather served in the Revolutionary War. James Ivan Follett enlisted in Company F, 12th Michigan Infantry as a Corporal on 4 December 1861 at Kalamazoo...

Folz, Samuel

“Sam Folz, as everyone already knows, is big-hearted, broad-minded and noble spirited, and is always foremost in any movement that has for its purpose the betterment and upbuilding of Kalamazoo,…

Ganzel Brothers

Long before the Kalamazoo Growlers, a thriving batch of nineteenth century independent and semi-pro teams helped put Kalamazoo in the forefront of organized baseball across the state and beyond....