First of all, the name appealed to me!
But, realize, the city has not had a zoo since 1974!! One of the closest is in Battle Creek, Mich. and is the Binder Park Zoo.
Originally known as Bronson, after founder Titus Bronson, the city and township were changed to Kalamazoo in 1836 and 1837. Titus was described as eccentric and argumentative and was later run out of town. Titus was fined for stealing a cherry tree.
That name Kalamazoo comes from a Potawatomi word first found in a British report in 1772. French Canadian traders, missionaries and military personnel were familiar with the area. The Kalamazoo River was later known as La rivieree Kikannamaso.
That name meant “boiling water” and referenced a footrace by local Native Americans in which participants had to run to the river and back before a pot boiled. The fertile farmlands attracted prosperous Yankee farmers who settled the area.
The Kalamazoo Mall opened in 1959 as the first outdoor pedestrian shopping mall in the United States. The city has been known for its production of windmills, mandolins, buggies, automobiles, cigars, stoves, paper and paper products. Several mills employed 1,300 persons during the 1960s. As the forests of West Michigan were logged out, the paper mills closed.
Today the city population is 75,,634 residents. Its sister cities are Kingston, Jamaica, Namazu, Japan, and Pushkin, St. Petersburg, Russia.
It was Summer in the Midwest and time for an adventure.
Easy route by U.S. 94 and under three hours so it was an advantageous trip. Dozens upon dozens of libraries in the metro area and now many have copies of my children’s books. Those include South Haven, Benton Harbor, Battle Creek, Coldwater, and Grand Rapids.
The main Library in downtown Kalamazoo has a book store. The library was organized in 1860 and opened to the public in 1872. The Library has received nationwide recognition for its innovative services and dedicated community support. In 2002 it received the prestigious National Library of the Year award by Library Journal. The Library received the 2011 State History Award and was honored in 2012 with a Michigan’s State Librarian’s Citation of Excellence Award.
Property tax revenues provide for funds of 94% of the Kalamazoo library budget.
There are 23 used book stores in the city, including Kazoo Books, Bicentennial Bookshop, Unique Books, Fanfare and Book Bug. The Friends of the Library has book sales. Western Michigan University is in the very heart of the city and has an impressive library and bookstore..
Four great lakes touch the state, Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie. The state has 103 state parks, 138 state forests campgrounds, and 1,000 miles of trails within the state parks. There are 11,000 inland lakes and 120 major rivers which means a visitor is no more than 30 minutes to a body of water. The Upper Peninsula has 300 waterfalls.
As luck would have it, I happened to come upon Kalamazoo’s “Art on the Mall” downtown event which was delightful. It was the downtown Summer kickoff weekend. En route I saw 20 state license plates, including California, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. Americans are once again on the move!
Almost no masks were worn, but restaurants are still mandated by law not to have indoor dining. The absurdity of the entire scene astounds! But, then, like all of life, this too shall pass.