Kalamazoo Guide » More About Kalamazoo: Overview
Overview
Kalamazoo started out as a wilderness settlement called "Bronson" in honor of Titus Bronson, a New Englander who purchased nearby land in the 1820s. Just a few years after the town was platted, settlers grew weary of Bronson's eccentric behavior and bizarre antics and dismissed him from town for, among other things, stealing a cherry tree. In 1837, when Michigan was accepted into the Union, settlers voted overwhelmingly to change the village's name to Kalamazoo, a nod to the Potawatomi Indians who had lived in the region for centuries. By the start of the 20th century, Kalamazoo had transformed into a unique town with a character all its own, supported by one of the state's largest public universities (Western Michigan), a fine liberal arts school (Kalamazoo College), and a bustling downtown. As the 1950s rolled around and people began to relocate to the suburbs, city leaders and merchants made a concerted effort to preserve the downtown district by creating Kalamazoo Mall, a charming, pedestrian-only section of Burdick Street reminiscent of areas found in English towns of similar size. The plan worked, and, today, residents and visitors are drawn to the downtown area shops, restaurants, and bars. Big business, too, has found its way to this tidy little corner of Michigan, particularly by way of the Fortune 500-listed Pharmacia Corporation. In keeping with its agricultural roots, Kalamazoo County proudly maintains the title of "Bedding Plant Capital of the World," a name that, alongside "Celery City," illustrates the area's abundance of dark, fertile soil.
