Local History

General Topics

Michigan Historical Markers

The Michigan Historical Marker Program was established by the legislature and governor in 1955. Since then, more than 1,700 Michigan Historical Markers have been placed all across the state—and in…

Names on the Land

Colorful names alone often indicate the history and early settlement of a place. "Jug Corners," "Wakeshma," "Bonnie Castle Lake," "Schoolcraft," "Climax," or for that matter, "Kalamazoo" itself. We're adding new names to the list as we find them.

New Years Day

New Year’s Day is a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the (hopefully) better days ahead, especially this year. But today seems like an especially good time for a look back at life in Kalamazoo one hundred years ago.

Prohibition Hits Kalamazoo

In 1910, there were around 55 saloons located in the city. But in 1915, Kalamazoo County residents voted in favor of prohibition.

Sister Cities

Conceived after the destructive upheaval of World War II, sister city programs developed from the simple idea that sharing information and experiences between people from different cultural backgrounds could nurture…

That Gal in Kalamazoo

It was during World War II that a song helped immortalize Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Glenn Miller Orchestra introduced “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo” in the 1942 musical Orchestra Wives (20th Century-Fox Pictures) starring George Montgomery, Ann...

The 'Silver Annie'

In October of 1909, a quarter century after Kalamazoo moved from a village to an incorporated city, town leaders organized a celebratory party to recognize it’s successes and to promote…

The Great Blizzard of 1978

Two years before Kalamazoo’s devastating 1980 tornado, a storm of a different sort brought much of the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions to a standstill. People still refer to this historic winter storm as the Great Blizzard of 1978.

TWISTER!

On Tuesday, 13 May 1980, a tornado struck the heart of Kalamazoo, Michigan. First touching down at 4 pm eight miles west of the city limits, it rapidly moved eastward through downtown until it dissipated east of the city at 4:25 pm...

Underground Railroad in Kalamazoo

More than three million African-Americans lived as slaves in the Southern United States in the mid-1800s. They had few human rights and were regularly bought and sold at auction. Whole families were torn apart, never to be reunited. This bleak...

USS Kalamazoo

The name “Kalamazoo” has graced U.S. Navy ships in several eras. The most recent was the USS KALAMAZOO (AOR6), a U.S. Navy replenishment oiler, one of seven of that class named in honor of U.S. cities or rivers with names of Native American...

Vietnam War and Kalamazoo

Antiwar demonstration at Miller Auditorium, October 17, 1969. Kalamazoo Valley Museum Collection, 80.487. The Vietnam War was fought in a faraway southeast Asian country, but like all large-scale conflicts involving…

War of 1812 Forge

Scholars of history would probably prefer for there to never be a question or a hint of wrongness regarding the facts of history that cannot be resolved with unassailable research,…