Updates on the Alma Powell Branch Library can be found on kpl.gov/pow

Biographies

Lockwood, Guy H.

Guy H. Lockwood. Local History Room. A bold, colorful free-thinker who marched to the beat of a different drummer, Minneapolis-born Guy H. Lockwood was Kalamazoo’s most flamboyant, progressive-era socialist; a…

Minott, Margaret

Margaret Minott was the first African American elected to the Kalamazoo Board of Education. She was instrumental in the effort to desegregate Kalamazoo Public Schools and it was through her efforts that the Oshtemo Branch Library came to be.

Mittenthal Brothers

The Mittenthal name itself has been linked to successful enterprise in the United States since the middle of the nineteenth century. But one branch of the Mittenthal family placed Kalamazoo closer to the popular entertainment limelight than ever...

Newell, George B. and Frank A.

When William and Marilla Newell came to Kalamazoo County in the 1850s and estabished their farm in Texas Township near the Van Buren County line, little could they have known about the lasting impact their future children would have on the...

Norton Pomeroy and Jane Chipman

Favorable reports about the climate and resources in Michigan, along with low prices for cash payments, enticed many eastern families to buy land in Kalamazoo County. Two families that saw…

Orcutt, Benjamin F.

Benjamin F. Orcutt, a native of Roxbury, Vermont who arrived in Kalamazoo County around 1835, fought in and survived both the Mexican War and the American Civil War, yet it…

Phillips Brothers

Of all the dance orchestras and concert ensembles that Kalamazoo produced during the 19th century, the Phillips Brothers’ Orchestra was among the busiest… and perhaps the best. Five talented violinists; Joseph, Joshua, Sylvester, Albert and...

Ransom, Epaphroditus

He was one of those men whose lives are constantly in the spotlight. Whether for good or ill, the fortunes of Epaphroditus Ransom were well known to characters of all sorts, for he mingled freely with old stock New Englanders and pioneer...

Rawls, Paul W.H.

Paul Wideman Huntington Rawls was well known by the people of Kalamazoo, not as a man of wealth and industry, but as a talented student with a promising future. Rawls’…

Roberts, Duane L.

Duane L. Roberts was a native son of Kalamazoo, and one of its most important voices for community change for more than three decades. At the time of his death…

Roberts, Flora B.

When Flora B. Roberts began her twenty-four year career as chief librarian of the Kalamazoo Public Library in February 1918, she found the library in complete disarray. Her initial lofty goals were to re-catalog the entire 50,000 volume collection...

Snuggs, Edward H.

Born in Kalamazoo on the first of March, 1886, Edward Harrison Snuggs grew to become one of the city’s most beloved bandleaders. From his early days as an up-and-coming young trombonist, through the “Jazz Age” and beyond as a top-notch composer...

Spear, Marion R.

In the early years of the last century, a new approach to the treatment of mental and physical illnesses unfolded.

Spradling, Mary Mace

Mary Mace Spradling, Martin Cohen, Shirley Miller. Undated Photo from KPL Archives The following text is taken from a brochure printed for the dedication ceremony of the Mary Mace Spradling…

Stockbridge, Francis

Francis Stockbridge Source: Under the Oaks, 1904, facing page 162. Like many early southern Michigan settlers, Francis Brown Stockbridge hailed from New England. His father was a physician, his mother the daughter of…

Stoddard, Asa H.

Like so many 19th century residents who moved into Kalamazoo County, Asa Harding Stoddard’s origins began in the state of New York, near Lake Ontario. Born near the small city…

Stone, Lucinda Hinsdale

The mid and late 1800’s were a transformative time in American history in many ways. Traditional American values were limiting to women who wanted opportunities to expand their horizons. However, there were crusading activists who attempted to...

Stryker, Homer

Dr. Homer Stryker is Kalamazoo’s most famous physician. He was an orthopedic surgeon, inventor, and businessman, best known for his inventions which revolutionized orthopedic care, bringing comfort to patients and convenience…

Taylor, Harold Victor

During the 1960s and 1970s, Vic Taylor's Kalamazoo-based "LaVal Records" was a big name in popular entertainment, especially among lovers of blues, R&B, and comedy. Taylor did much to promote black music and entertainment in our area.

Todd, Albert M.

One of Kalamazoo County’s most widely known citizens was Albert M. Todd, who in 1869 began the thriving mint industry that continues to flourish in Kalamazoo nearly three quarters of…

Share: Facebook Twitter