Local History

Business

St. John Plow Works

By the 1880s, significant advancements had been made in farm implement design and manufacturing. Labor-saving devices like plows and cultivators revolutionized farming and created a host of opportunities for Kalamazoo’s inventors and manufacturers.

A.M. Todd Company

On a breezy day, the sweet smell of Albert M. Todd’s legacy still wafts through downtown Kalamazoo. Todd established the mint industry in this area in 1869 and was so successful at it that he became known as "The Peppermint King."

America's Pansy Capital

A headline from the Kalamazoo Gazette in 1954 amplified what many Kalamazooans had known for the previous two decades: “Kalamazoo Fields Produce 6,000,000 Pansy Plants, 4th of Nation’s Supply.”

Atlas Press Co.

Founded in 1911, the Atlas Press Company once symbolized the rich assortment of industries headquartered in Kalamazoo, that drove both the local and national economy during the first half of the 20th century.

Be-Mo Potato Chip Company

One of the city’s most treasured food manufacturers was the Be-Mo Potato Chip Company. The firm’s 20,000-square-foot concrete and brick factory still stands along the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail at…

Beecher, Kymer & Patterson

One might adopt the notion that once affixed with the moniker Paper City, that Kalamazoo might have had a disproportionate number of booksellers situated along its bustling downtown streets. But,…

Bennett, Chauncey Z.

Chauncey Z. Bennett Today, the United Kennel Club, the second oldest and largest register of pure bred dogs, operates out of its 100 East Kilgore Road building, but its humble…

Bos, Arend & Sons

When Arend Bos retired in 1928 after 45 years in the trade, he was said to be Kalamazoo’s longest serving blacksmith. Unbowed by the changing times, two of Arend’s four sons followed in their father’s footsteps and carried on the family business.

Breweries of Early Kalamazoo

The First Round (1830s-1840s) : A five-part series about the history of commercial brewing in Kalamazoo, where local brewers and malsters have been crafting fine beers and ales since our city’s earliest days as a frontier village.

Breweries of Early Kalamazoo (1850s)

The Second Round (1850s) : A five-part series about the history of commercial brewing in Kalamazoo, where local brewers and malsters have been crafting fine beers and ales since our city’s earliest days as a frontier village.

Breweries of Early Kalamazoo (1860s-1880s)

The Third Round (1860s-1880s) : A five-part series about the history of commercial brewing in Kalamazoo, where local brewers and malsters have been crafting fine beers and ales since our city’s earliest days as a frontier village.

Breweries of Early Kalamazoo (1890s-1915)

The Fourth Round and Last Call (1890s-1915) : A five-part series about the history of commercial brewing in Kalamazoo, where local brewers and malsters have been crafting fine beers and ales since our city’s earliest days as a frontier village.

Breweries of Early Kalamazoo (1915-1933)

Prohibition Years (1915-1933) : A five-part series about the history of commercial brewing in Kalamazoo, where local brewers and malsters have been crafting fine beers and ales since our city’s earliest days as a frontier village.

Brunswick Corporation

A newspaper article published in the Kalamazoo Gazette on 18 April 1960 announced that the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company would be officially shortening their name to the Brunswick Corporation. That same year,…

Burdick Hotel

The origins of hospitality on the present site of the Radisson Plaza Hotel date to August 1850 when construction of an imposing four-story brick structure began. Built by Frank Dennison and initially known simply as Dennison’s brick block, the new...

Burrell Brothers

Warren Burrell and his sons were among Kalamazoo’s earliest manufacturers. Their shops at the corner of Main and Park streets turned out hand-crafted buggies and wagons for nearly 60 years,; their award-winning work received areawide recognition.

Bush & Paterson

Arguably one of the most impactful businesses in Kalamazoo from the 1860s until the 1890s was the contractor duo of Frederick Bush and Thomas Paterson. Their sway upon the city’s…

Checker Motors

27 July 1999 was a bittersweet day in the history of New York City. It was the last day of operation for the only remaining legal Checker cab in that city. The cab’s driver, Earl Johnson, found himself at the center of a media circus as he took...

Cigars in Kalamazoo

Cigars and Labor Unions Cigar manufacturing in Kalamazoo wasn’t as significant as major industries like celery production or paper-making, but its colorful contribution did make an impact on the local…

Columbia Hotel

In 1870 the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad began service through Kalamazoo with a passenger station on the southeast corner of Pitcher Street and East Main, today’s East Michigan Avenue. The presence of this station, and the countless...

Distilleries of Early Kalamazoo

One of the first products made in the village, and the first to bring national attention to Kalamazoo, was of all things, whiskey. From “Enniskillen” to “Luke’s Best,” these are the stories behind Kalamazoo's pioneer distilleries.