Most of Kalamazoo County’s early white settlers were fur traders from England or New York. The remainder came from Pennsylvania and Maryland. After 1845 the number of foreign immigrants increased rapidly especially with the coming of the Hollanders in 1850. The growth rate of the county’s population reached its height between 1845-1860, when almost 8,000 newcomers settled there. That growth rate was not exceeded for 50 years when, between 1904-1920, the population grew to 214,000, quite an increase over the 1860 figure. Increased immigration, better transportation, and the appearance of diversified industries all played a role in Kalamazoo County’s growth. “Every community has its roots in the past. Its people live in the present and look to the future, but their way of life and their patterns of thought are conditioned by their heritage. A widespread understanding of that heritage is essential in order that progress may be planned wisely. “Hence, it has seemed desirable to gather into a single volume the story of Kalamazoo’s growth from a tiny fur-trading post in the wilderness to a modern metropolitan center.”—Willis F. Dunbar

Since the arrival of its first settler in 1829, the story of Kalamazoo has been an interesting one. Out of the southwest Michigan wilderness, a small 19th century village quickly blossomed into a 20th century city. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a wide variety of industries made Kalamazoo a boomtown. Everything from paper, corsets, taxicabs, and pharmaceuticals allowed Kalamazoo to develop into a major center of manufacturing. At the same time, several colleges that would establish the area as a center for education were organized and expanded. Fortunately, much of Kalamazoo's development has been well-documented through photographs and other visual illustrations. These images are the subjects of this volume, which is organized to show the varied elements of Kalamazoo's history. Gathered from local archives and private collections, most of these rare photographs have never before been published.

Michigan’s city with a strange name has an even stranger—and spirited—past. The authors of Ghosts of Grand Rapids share its chilling tales. Kalamazoo’s violent and often anguished history has given way to myriad ghostly tales surrounding some of the town’s most prominent places. From the tortured souls roaming the Asylum Lake Preserve to the infamous suicide of the amateur actress Thelma, who reputedly haunts the Civic Auditorium to this day, it is no small wonder that the town is filled with apparitions longing to make their stories and their presence known. In this startlingly spooky collection of tales, ghost hunters Bray and DuShane gather stories from legend, lore and residents alike that bring new meaning to the age-old adage “seeing is believing.” Includes photos! “Highlight[s] over 30 different haunted locations in Kalamazoo including the Asylum Lake preserve, the Civic Auditorium, an abused grave marker that is supposedly responsible for demonic activity, and the gravesite of a deceased minister that oozes.” —Morning Sun

Perhaps you thought it was fantasy. Perhaps you thought it was a ruse. Perhaps you thought it was the actions of an immature heart and love that had yet to be "educated" by reality. Wrong! Actually your first answer was right. Now you have to be unschooled and learn love all over again, and you might want to start here at that foundation of love. But you forgot, after all it only lasted a couple of seconds, a couple of days and then that place that those eyes took you disappeared like a mirage. You no longer have what it takes to graduate to love's stage seven. Don't worry, Illuminations will take you back. If infatuation is oft the cornerstone with which we set the foundation of love, why do we throw away that foundation when we build the school of our convictions as to what love is? But remember when we thought a love was perfect and we thought that love was supreme? Remember when we thought love would find ourselves in a perfect plot and we could reside there forever? Remember when love was the most beautiful thing in existence and so was our love? Might I ask, what is wrong with that? And if there is nothing wrong with that, why isn't it considered right? If the school of love in which the world learns fails, and we are unable to graduate to love's better vision. If indeed, we fail to take our love to a higher grade, perhaps we aught to find a better school. Love instinctively knows better, and the new foundation upon which love will be reschooled goes back to our original convictions when we thought love was perfect, that love was supreme, that love would deliver and that love is perfect. There is a reason for that original conviction and it is because, love is.

Fully-illustrated history of the growth of an American community -- its numerous diverse industries, the ingenuity of its leaders and the stories of the average workers behind the products. Larry B. Massie and Peter J. Schmitt detail the area's many distinguished persons -- ranging from Peppermint King Albert Todd and S.J. Dunkley, inventor of the cherry pitter, to author Edna Ferber.

I met Neil Berry in October 2013 when he was 91. I had recently met his daughter, Linda, and when she mentioned that her father was the "oldest living Detroit Tiger" I had no qualms about asking to meet him. In preparation for this first meeting, I combed eBay for any memorabilia suitable for this former Tiger player to sign. To my surprise, when I handed over my vintage photograph of a play at the plate, Neil was immediately able to recognize the team and face of the catcher he had played against 65 years ago. Neil remembered his life in amazing detail and his anecdotes were colorful and razor sharp. Neil Berry was a star athlete for Kalamazoo Central and made the majors in 1948. Berry is not a household name even among the most ardent Tiger fans, but Neil played with or against many of the greatest players in the game; Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Hal Newhouser, and Don Larsen, to name a few. Through the ups and downs of his seven year Major League career, Neil Berry witnessed many unique or one time events in the history of the sport. Neil was playing shortstop when the shortest player in the history of the Major Leagues made the only plate appearance of his short (pun intended) career. Neil witnessed a teammate throw a no hitter in his first major league start and another teammate set a record with 12 consecutive hits. Neil's favorite game forced the first playoff game in the history of the American League. From that first meeting, he shared his stories and his scrapbooks with me almost weekly until he passed away in 2016. These scrapbooks had been dutifully and lovingly compiled by Neil's wife Gloria. She collected every word the press wrote about him starting with his high school days until his final days playing ball. From the perspective of the sportswriters of the time to the hours of recorded conversations from the "oldest living Detroit Tiger," here is the life and times of the shortstop from Kalamazoo.