Kalamazoo, Michigan

49001

Kalamazoo, located in southwestern Michigan at the crossroads of US-131 and Interstate 94, is the county seat for Kalamazoo County and is the fifth largest metropolitan area in Michigan. It has a broad-based, diverse economy, ranging from small businesses to corporate headquarters for some of the Fortune 500 companies. It is also a major educational center in Michigan; home to Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University. Major attractions include downtown shopping, the old depot, (now bus station) and Milham Park - to name just a few.

Kalamazoo is derived from the Indian name: Kikalamazoo, which stands for "Reflecting River" or "mirage," an apt description of the lazy waters of the river flowing through the area. Titus Bronson was the first to settle here in 1829 among the chiefly Pottawatomi Indians inhabiting the area. In 1831, General Justice Burdick came here with a group of settlers, providing stability to the area. The village of "Bronson" was officially platted and registered shortly afterwards, with the first house built a year later. The Michigan Legislature renamed the town in 1836 after the Township, organized under US Ordinance nationwide a few years earlier. It was quickly incorporated as a village in 1838 and reorganized as a city in 1883.