Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Kalamazoo County’s name is derived from "kikalamazoo", Indian for: "mirage," or "reflecting river." This truly describes the mirror-like waters of the Kalamazoo River, which Bazal Harrison, (nephew to Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence), found when he formed an agricultural settlement here in 1828. Around the same time, Titus Bronson settled in and developed the region on which Kalamazoo sits today, which included locating a US land office there. This caused rapid settlement, including the development of the largest paper producing area in the US during the 1880’s. (The city of Parchment, aptly named, continues this tradition today). The Upjohn Pill and Granule Company was organized around the turn of the century at what is now the city of Portage creating the county’s reputation for pharmaceutical production.

Today, Kalamazoo County remains on the grow, with a wide variety of good places to live and visit. It remains one of the leading educational centers in Michigan, as home to Kalamazoo and Nazareth Colleges, and Western Michigan University. There are also many recreational opportunities available, from community sports to swimming and fishing, (including beautiful Gull Lake to the northeast, near Richland). For hiking or biking, , try the Kal-Haven Trail, a paved pathway from Kalamazoo to South Haven, part of Michigan’s Rails-to-Trails State Park. Whatever your preference, you’ll be sure to find it here, any season of the year.

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