Kalamazoo is the largest city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of
Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city
had a total population of 77,145. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. It is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI MSA.
Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University, a nationally recognized
research institution that has benefited from the local presence of Pfizer, Eaton Corporation and Stryker Corporation. This has enabled the
school to offer strong programs in both its College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Haworth College of Business.
The city is also home to Kalamazoo College (often referred to as "K College"), a
liberal arts school located adjacent to WMU's campus.
Name origin
-
The city is named for the Kalamazoo River, but there is debate as to where the name
Kalamazoo actually comes from. It is generally thought that the name originates in the language of either the Potawatomi or Odawa peoples who were native to the area at the time
of European settlement.
The common phrase "from Timbuktu to Kalamazoo" resulted from the strange name, and has
served to enter it into pop culture. Today, t-shirts are sold in Kalamazoo that feature the phrase "Yes, there really is a
Kalamazoo". There are numerous songs that reference the city name in lyrics and title, including "Down on the Corner" by
Creedence Clearwater Revival, "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash, "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" by Glenn Miller,
"Kalamazoo" by Ben Folds, "Kalamazoo" by Primus,
"Kalamazoo" by Dr. Freeman and the Defenders of the Universe and "Kalamazoo" by Luna. The
word also features in the opera "Einstein on the Beach" by Philip Glass. In addition an
indie film, "Kalamazoo?", featured the city as a backdrop [1].
History
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native
Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before
the first millenium. Evidence of their early residency still remains in the form of a
small mound downtown in Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to decline at some point
after the eighth century and was replaced by other groups.[1] The Pottawatomi culture was resident in the
area at the time the first European explorers arrived.
René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle is recorded as having
passed through the area, just southeast of the present city, in late March, 1680. The first
Europeans to reside in the area were itinerant fur traders in the late 18th and early 19th
century. There are records of several traders wintering in the area, and by the 1820s at least one trading post had been
established.[2][3]
During the War of 1812, the British established a smithy and a prison camp in the
area.[4]
The 1821 Treaty of Chicago ceded all the territory south of the Grand River to the United States federal government. However, the area around present-day
Kalamazoo was reserved as the village of Chief Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish. Six
years later, as a result of the 1827 Treaty of St. Joseph, the tract that became
the city was also ceded.
In 1829, Titus Bronson, originally from Connecticut, was the first white settler to build a cabin within the present city limits.[5] He platted the
town in 1831 and named it the village of Bronson (not to be confused with the much-smaller Bronson, Michigan about fifty miles (80 km) to the south-southeast).
Bronson was frequently described as "eccentric" and argumentative and was later run out of town. The village of Bronson was
renamed Kalamazoo in 1836 (due in part to an incident resulting in Bronson's being fined for
stealing a cherry tree).[6] Today, a hospital and a park,
among other things, are named after Titus Bronson.
Kalamazoo legally incorporated as a village in 1838 and as a city in 1883.
On August 27, 1856, Abraham
Lincoln spoke at a rally in Kalamazoo's Bronson Park, promoting the presidential candidacy of John C. Fremont, who was running on the ticket of the newly formed Republican Party. The occasion marks Lincoln's only visit or public address within the
State.
In 1959, Kalamazoo designed the first pedestrian mall in the U.S., lending it the nickname "Mall
City".[7] Having not fully lived up to the
expectation of revitalizing downtown, most of the pedestrian mall was reconstructed in the fall of 1998, reopening Burdick Street to limited automobile traffic.
Downtown Kalamazoo was struck by an F3 tornado on May 13, 1980, killing 5 and injuring 79.[8]
Geography
The Arcadia Creek winds through the western part of Kalamazoo and through the downtown area.
The city is situated mainly on the southwest bank of a major bend in the Kalamazoo
River, with a small portion, approximately 7.3 km² (2.8 sq mi), on the opposite bank. Several small tributaries of
the river, including Arcadia Creek and Portage Creek, wind through the city. The terrain in the eastern portions of the city,
nearest to the river, is generally low and flat, whilst in the western portions it becomes a series of low hills spreading out to
the west and south. Several small lakes are found throughout the area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 65.2 km² (25.2 sq mi). 63.9 km² (24.7
sq mi) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 sq mi) of it (1.99%) is water.
The city's suburban population is located primarily to the south, in the city of Portage, and to the west in Oshtemo Township.
Kalamazoo is located approximately halfway between Detroit and Chicago.
At least part of the municipal water supply for Kalamazoo is provided by the watershed contained within the Al Sabo Preserve[2] in Texas Charter Township,
Michigan, immediately southwest of Kalamazoo.
Another watershed, Kleinstuck Marsh[3], is very popular with hikers and birdwatchers. Kleinstuck Marsh is located south of
Maple Street, between Westnedge Avenue (Kalamazoo's major north-south artery) and Oakland Drive.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were
77,145 people, 29,413 households, and 14,353 families residing in the city. The population
density was 1,206.9/km² (3,125.4/sq mi). There were 31,798 housing units at an average density of 497.5/km²
(1,288.2/sq mi). The racial makeup of the city was 70.77% White, 20.64% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 2.38% from other races, and 3.18% from two or more races. 4.28% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 29,413 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.6% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.2% were
non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 27.6% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 15.2% from
45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,189, and the median income for a family was $42,438. Males had a median
income of $32,160 versus $25,532 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$16,897. About 13.6% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Kalamazoo government is administered under a Commission-Manager style of
government. The City Commission is the representative body of the city, and
consists of seven members, elected on a non-partisan basis every two years. Whomever
receives the most number of votes during an election becomes the council president and ceremonial mayor of the city. The member that receives the second highest number of votes becomes vice mayor.[9] The current mayor, Hannah
McKinney, was elected November 8, 2005, beating Bobby J.
Hopewell, who automatically became vice mayor, by just 27 votes.[10]
The City Manager is the city's chief administrative officer. The manager is hired by,
and answers to, the City Commission.
Neighborhoods
-
The city of Kalamazoo is commonly divided into twenty-two neighborhoods, many of which are served by a neighborhood association. The Neighborhood Development Division of the city's government works
with these associations to invest federal, state, and local funds, including those from the Community Development Block Grant program, in community improvements and economic
growth.
There is a great diversity in the character of the neighborhoods. Closer to the city center are historical residential areas
such as Stuart, full of Victorian and Queen Anne homes. Neighborhoods in the south west corner of the city are home to the
wealthier inhabitants and contain modern developments with more open spaces. The Central Business District and the neighborhoods
to the south along Westnedge Avenue (Westnedge Hill, Southside, Vine, and South Westnedge) contain much of the area's retail
shopping, mixed with a residential populace. Just west of downtown are the campuses of Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan
University, surrounded by several blocks of student housing. Neighborhoods north and east of the city center tend to be
lower income. The city's Hispanic population is focused on the east side, in the Edison neighborhood. The Edison neighborhood is
also becoming a center for the city's gay and lesbian community.
Education
Waldo Library and the University Computing Center, joined by the Stewart Clocktower, on Western Michigan University's
campus.
The campus of Kalamazoo College.
Kalamazoo is home to Western Michigan University. The college has four
campuses in Kalamazoo, (West Campus, East Campus, Parkview
Campus and Oakland Drive Campus) as well as several satellite campuses
throughout Michigan. West Campus, located just west of downtown, has by far the largest concentration of university students,
programs and school services. The school is one of the 50 largest universities in the nation, and one of the top 100 public
universities in the country. In 2005, the university had over 26,000 students and employed over
1,200 faculty. Also in 2005, Western Michigan ranked #2 Wireless Campus in the U.S. in a national
survey done by the Intel Corporation.
Western Michigan University is also the home of the International
Congress on Medieval Studies, held each year in May, and organized by the Medieval Institute. The Congress brings some
3,000 professors and students from around the globe to present and discuss a variety of topics on the Middle Ages. Graduate students play an important role in its organization.
Kalamazoo College, one of the first educational institutions in the state of
Michigan and a pioneer in the field of coeducation, resides next door to WMU. The school was
ranked #1 in Study Abroad programs by US News & World Report 2003
Edition America's Best Colleges, with 80% of students spending at least one term abroad. It was
also the #1 school in 2005 for recruitment into the Peace
Corps (per capita).
Kalamazoo is home to Kalamazoo Valley Community College and
Davenport University. It had also been the home of Nazareth College, which closed in 1992.
Because of very generous private donations from several anonymous individuals, every resident graduate of the Kalamazoo Public Schools is provided with a scholarship for up to 100% of tuition and mandatory
fee costs for four years at any public university or community college in Michigan, starting with the class of 2006. This program is known as the Kalamazoo Promise. Books and room and
board are not included.[11]
To receive any assistance, a student must live within the Kalamazoo Public School District boundaries and would have had to
attend since at least ninth grade. Sixty-five percent of that student's tuition would be paid.
The scale goes up from there, with eighth graders receiving 70 percent of their tuition paid, 75 percent for seventh graders,
80 percent for sixth, 85 percent for fifth, 90 percent for fourth, and 95 for first through third graders. Resident students
attending schools in the district from kindergarten through high school graduation will have 100 percent of their tuition and
fees paid.
Economy
Breweries
Kalamazoo has four popular local breweries and brewpubs
producing a variety of beer styles, from light bodied wheat ales to stouts and barley wines.
The most well known is Bell's, originally established as the Kalamazoo Brewing Company
in 1985 by its flamboyant founder, Larry Bell.[4] The brewery has expanded from its original Kalamazoo location, which houses the Eccentric Cafe, to a modern,
state-of–the-art brewery located in nearby Comstock.
The craft brewery, Kraftbrau Brewery[5], is across the street and a few feet east from Bell's downtown site, compliments Bell's Eccentric Cafe as another
local entertainment venue in a brewery atmosphere. Olde Peninsula is a downtown brewpub featuring a small selection of craft
beers to accompany its diverse menu. Bilbo's Pizza, located near Western Michigan's campus, also features a microbrewery.
Flavorings
The A.M. Todd Company, one of the lead producers of peppermint oil and other flavorings, is headquartered in Kalamazoo. [6] Its founder, Albert M. Todd, was
elected to the United States House of Representatives for the
55th Congress.
Kalamazoo is also home to Kalsec, another flavorings company, which was founded by
Paul H. Todd, Jr., Albert Todd's grandson and U.S. Representative in the
89th Congress. Founded as the Kalamazoo Spice Extraction Company, Kalsec is
owned and managed by Todd family descendants. [7]
Historical
In the past, Kalamazoo was known for its production of windmills, mandolins, buggies, automobiles, cigars, stoves, paper, and paper products. Agriculturally, it once was noted for celery and bedding plants. Although much has become suburbanized, the countryside still continues to produce
significant quantities of farm crops.
One notable business founded in Kalamazoo was the Gibson Guitar Corporation
(which spawned the still-local Heritage Guitars). The company was incorporated
originally as "Gibson Mandolin - Guitar Co., Ltd" on October 11, 1902, by the craftsman Orville Gibson. Gibson originally produced some of
the finest hand-crafted mandolins. This quality and attention to detail followed into the guitars the company began making later.
The Gibson guitar is known for its quality and sought after world-wide by professional musicians and collectors alike. Operations
were moved gradually from Kalamazoo to Nashville, Tennessee, (Electric Division)
and Bozeman, Montana, (Acoustic Division) in the
1980s. Some workers from the original factory stayed in Kalamazoo to create the Heritage Guitar company.[8]
Other notable businesses founded in the city include the Shakespeare Company, a fishing and tackle manufacturer; and the
Checker Motors Company, an automobile manufacturer, best known for the
Checker Cab, now stamps sheet metal parts for other auto manufacturers.
The eponymous Kalamazoo Stove Company used to have such slogans as "A
Kalamazoo direct to you."
Life Sciences
Kalamazoo was home to The Upjohn Company, a pharmaceutical manufacturer which, after a series
of mergers beginning in 1995, is now a part of Pfizer. Many of
Upjohn's complexes remain, most centered in downtown Kalamazoo and neighboring Portage, and Pfizer remains a rather large employer in the area. The presence of Upjohn and its
successor companies has helped lead to the diversification of the chemistry and biotechnology sector of the area's economy. Among
others, Kalamazoo is home to Kalexsyn, PharmOptima,
Ceetox, Metabolic Solutions Development, KAR Labs, Jasper Clinical Research and Development, Innovative Analytics and NephRx corporation. Other related businesses within
the Kalamazoo metropolitan area include Eurofins AvTech Laboratories (Portage, Michigan), Bridge Organics (Vicksburg, Michigan), AureoGen Biosciences (Oshtemo Township, Michigan), and MPI Research
(Mattawan, Michigan). These firms primarily focus on drug discovery and synthesis,
clinical support, and finished pharmaceutical testing. KAR Labs also specializes in environmental testing, in addition to
bioanalysis.
Many of these companies were founded by alumni of Upjohn and its successors, especially after Pfizer eliminated thousands of
jobs at its Kalamazoo and Portage facilities. The presence of these smaller biotechnology
firms has helped mitigate the economic effects of the Pfizer downsizing. Several have received startup support from Southwest
Michigan First's Innovation Center and grants from the State of Michigan through its Technology Tri-Corridor program.
Michigan State University has a branch of its medical school and several
post-doctoral residency training programs in Kalamazoo. Resident training programs in Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics, General Surgery, Family Medicine, Orthopedic surgery, Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, and sports medicine are centered at The Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies (KCMS) founded by
Michigan State University.
The city is also home to the Stryker Corporation, a surgical and medical devices
manufacturer.
Kalamazoo has two hospitals, Bronson Methodist Hospital, and Borgess Medical Center.
Research
The W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a
nonpartisan, not-for-profit research organization, has operated in Kalamazoo since its establishment in 1945. The Institute conducts research into the causes and effects of unemployment and measures for the alleviation
of unemployment. The Institute also publishes Business Outlook for West Michigan [9], a quarterly journal that
provides economic analysis and forecasts on the West Michigan economy.
Other
Other notable Kalamazoo businesses include:
- National City (Kalamazoo was formerly the corporate HQ of First of America Bank,
which merged with National City Bank in 1997),
National City still maintains a large corporate building in Oshtemo Township,
and several downtown along with branches in the area.
- Pro Co, audio equipment
- The Farmer's Market, located on Bank Street, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays, May through November. A wide variety of
fruits, vegetables, and flowers are sold from stalls by area growers.
Culture
Spad WWI Fighter in the Kalamazoo Air Zoo
Largely due to its college-town influence, Kalamazoo has always been notable as a center for the arts. Celebrating local
artists, the city's Arts Council [10] holds
an Art Hop every first Friday of the month, circulating among many local businesses in the downtown area. Big-name stars and
groups often perform at the State Theatre, Miller Auditorium at Western Michigan
University, and Wings Stadium.
An annual event is "Eccentric Day" at Bell's Eccentric Cafe which celebrates the brewery's Eccentric Ale. The celebration is
in December on the Friday marking the end of finals at Western Michigan
University.[11]
Despite the name and a Woody Woodpecker cartoon, there is no zoo in Kalamazoo, besides the mentioned aviation museum called the Kalamazoo Air
Zoo. The city closed its only zoo in 1974 when the Milham Park Zoo, located within the
large city-owned park of the same name, was closed.
Adjacent to Milham Park is the Milham Park golf course, which is rated among the best municipal golf courses in the country. Completed in
1936, the 18-hole, par 72 course features a pro-shop and restaurant, and is located entirely within
the city limits of Kalamazoo.
In 2002, the Kalamazoo Public Library was awarded "Library of the Year" by
Library Journal. The city's library system is comprised of four branch libraries in addition to its central location, as
well as the bookmobile system.[12]
Kalamazoo is also the birthplace of the Moped Army.
Museums
The city is home to a number of art galleries, with the largest and most prominent being the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, which houses over 3,600 works with a focus on 20th-century
American art. The KIA regularly houses temporary exhibitions, some of which have drawn tens of thousands of visitors from all
over the world.
The Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, generally called the Air Zoo, is just down the street
from the airport. It is the first museum of its kind in the
world with its "museum-meets-indoor-amusement-park" theme. It boasts many historical and rare aircraft, including the world's
only remaining SR-71B Blackbird.[12] Many of its antique planes are airworthy.
Downtown is the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, a "hands-on" museum aimed largely at
children which also has a planetarium and a nationally recognized Challenger Learning Center. It also features a mural painted by renowned
artist James "Jungle" Powell.
Northeast of town is the Gilmore Car Museum, which includes cars used in
Walt Disney movies.
Theater
Kalamazoo is home to a number of local theater groups, including the Kalamazoo Civic
Players, New Vic Theatre [13], The
Whole Art Theatre [14], and the Barn Theatre
[15] in nearby Augusta. Plays are also performed at Kalamazoo College and
Western Michigan University.
There is a small local improv scene, centered mainly around the group
Crawlspace Eviction [16] and its
sibling production, Bed, Breakfast, and Beyond. Monkapult, a student improv group at Kalamazoo College, also has regular
performances.
The All Ears Theatre [17], which
invites listeners to return to "the thrilling days of live radio," performs a mix of new and classic works before a live
audience. Twelve performances are recorded per year, all of which are later broadcast locally on WMUK.
Music
Kalamazoo has always had a diverse and vibrant music scene. The Gibson Guitar
Corporation, originally founded in Kalamazoo in 1902, spurred the musical interests of many
local musicians specializing in everything from classical genera, to folk, to modern-rock. The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, [18] founded in 1921, is now a well known world-class
orchestra under the direction of Raymond Harvey. The city also plays host to the renowned Irving S.
Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, as well as a Bach Festival.
The local and indie music scene has produced pop stars such as The Verve Pipe, Knee Deep Shag, and Blue Dahlia [19], among others. The bluegrass and folk scene has
developed a great following partly influenced by local bands like Sweet Corn, folk stars like Joel Mabus [20], and the local NPR show Grass Roots. Recent
manifestations of this interest in acoustic, folk, and
bluegrass is the recent success of groups like Greensky Bluegrass [21], and individuals like Seth Bernard [22] and Daisy May. The Cooper Glen Music Festival is
also a popular outdoor music event held annually at the Kalamazoo Nature Center [23]. The city, with its diverse and multi-ethnic
population also has burgeoning world music, hip hop, and blues scenes. Local musicians proud of their city have also written
tributes featuring the name Kalamazoo, bringing about greater national recognition of the city, such as "Flypaper" by Micaela
Kingslight [24].
Sports
Kalamazoo plays host to three non-collegiate teams:
The Western Michigan University Broncos, who compete in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference, play at various venues throughout the city:
Kalamazoo College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College also have several collegiate athletic teams.
Kalamazoo is also the hometown of the New York Yankees all-star shortstop,
Derek Jeter. Florida Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen was also born in Kalamazoo.
Hyames Field played host to the first two College World Series held in
1947 and 1948.
The United States Tennis Association Boys 18 and 16 National Tennis
Championships are hosted every summer by Kalamazoo College.
Local media
Kalamazoo is served by one main newspaper, the Kalamazoo Gazette, published daily.
WWMT, a CBS affiliate, has its studio in and is licensed to Kalamazoo.
Transportation
The
Wolverine, eastbound, crosses Academy Street in Kalamazoo. The campus of
Kalamazoo
College lies to the right.
The train station component of the Kalamazoo Transportation Center.
Highways
Kalamazoo is served by highways I-94, US 131,
M-43 and M-96. It was on the
original Territorial Road in Michigan of the 1800s, which started in Detroit and ran to Lake Michigan. Much of that, but not all,
later became Old U.S. 12—the "old" designation came about when I-94 was built parallel to it—and also was called Red Arrow Highway after a World War I army division. The name "U.S. 12" was shifted south to what once was U.S. 112 between Detroit
and Chicago. Some parts of Old U.S. 12 outside of town, especially in Van Buren
County and Berrien County to the west, are still called Red Arrow
Highway. The term "Old U.S. 12" has faded from use.
Rail, bus, and air
-
Kalamazoo has rail service provided by Amtrak, with the station located downtown and combined
with a newly renovated bus terminal. Bus service to and through the city is provided by Greyhound and Indian Trails. Public bus services within the city are
provided by Kalamazoo Metro Transit. On the southern end of the city is the
Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport, where flights
on American Eagle, Northwest Airlines,
Delta Connection (Comair, Atlantic Southeast
Airlines), Northwest Airlink (Mesaba Airlines, Pinnacle Airlines), and United Express connect people to many
cities in the USA, including Atlanta, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Minneapolis and Memphis
Other
The Kal-Haven Trail, heavily used by bicyclists and snowmobilers, extends nearly to
downtown Kalamazoo. It runs 34 miles (55 km) between South Haven, Michigan, to a
point just west of Kalamazoo, though there are plans to extend it into the city.
Sister cities
The city of Kalamazoo, Michigan has three sister cities.
See also
- People from Kalamazoo, Michigan
Notes
External links
