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

Parks

Bronson Park

A New England-style commons in the center of Kalamazoo? Bronson Park has been just that since the 1850’s. Over time, the park has provided a meeting place for entertainment and public gatherings, a setting for monuments significant to the...

Crane Park

Once the jewel of the city park system, Crane Park must have commanded a superb view of the city when the trees on the north side of Westnedge Hill were younger. The park is situated on South Westnedge Avenue, and lies on land that originally...

Fountain of the Pioneers

In common with many pieces of public art, the fountain is no stranger to controversy. Before it was even formally dedicated, B. L. Gilbert, then City Parks Superintendent, wrote to Iannelli that public opinion was “not generally complimentary...

Jo-Lo Park and Rowe’s Island

From an ancient Native American ceremonial site to a 1920s roadside stand, a swing era picnic park, a nightclub, a horse racing facility, and a postwar airfield, historic Rowe's Island and “Jo-Lo Park” vanished forever with the coming of Morrow Lake.

LaCrone, William L.

William L. Lacrone William L. LaCrone’s influential tenure as the superintendent of the city’s parks and forestry division (1911-1935) was marked by a significant increase in number of parks developed,…

Milham Park

John Milham arrived in Kalamazoo from New York state in 1845 and purchased a tract of wild land two and a half miles south of the village. Only three years later he had improved that land so much that he was awarded a prize by the Kalamazoo County...

Oakwood Amusement Park

In 1893 Kalamazoo’s horse-drawn street railway system was converted to electric power. Looking to expand evening and weekend trade, the Citizens Street Railway Company extended its Asylum Avenue line two-and-one-half miles to the southwest along...

Red Arrow Golf Course

The municipal-run Red Arrow Golf Course (1041 King Highway) was built along the Kalamazoo River in 1937. Its construction represents one of several notable Works Progress Administration-funded projects developed with…

South Westnedge Park (Pioneer Cemetery)

Pioneer Cemetery (South West Street) (Westnedge Park) Location: East side of South Westnedge between Ranney Street and Park Place. Status: Inactive, converted to a park in 1884    Photos: Beth Timmerman, 2010…

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