Western Michigan University Parent and Family Guide
Welcome to Kalamazoo!
Strategically located midway between Chicago and Detroit, Kalamazoo County began as a small fur-trading post founded by Titus Bronson in the late 1700s. Like many Michigan cities, Kalamazoo’s name was adapted from a Native American word, “kikalamazoo”, meaning boiling water. Water has long been a vital component in Kalamazoo’s major industries including papermaking and agriculture, which have helped the area grow and prosper.
One of the original “safe houses”, the Underground Railroad Home was built in 1835 by Kalamazoo County’s first doctor, Nathan Thomas. This small Greek Revival home hid former slaves en-route to freedom in Canada.
