The name for the county featured this week is pretty easy because it is named for the river that runs through, The " Kalamazoo ".   The name is said to be derived from an Indian word or saying that means, "mirage," "reflecting river," or "Boiling Water". There have been many theories to the name but it most likely refers to the water swirling at rapids or the morning mist rising, steam-like from its surface. The first White Settler and pioneer to the area was a potato farmer by the name of "Titus Bronson" who arrived in June of 1829, developed the region and named it after himself.   Bronson was eccentric and very outspoken and 2 years after founding the town he was convicted of stealing a neighbors cherry tree and was convicted and settlers moved to have the name changed to Kalamazoo .   Legend has it that Soon after Titus Bronson arrived, a visitor remarked to him that in twenty years, only his hut would mark the location of his village. Bronson is said to have replied "that in thirty years, a thriving city would exist." He was right because the US government placed a US Land office here and the area was also designated the county seat, this caused settlement to happen rapidly.   In 1856 before he became President, Abraham Lincoln made his only speech outside of Springfield Illinios to 10,000 republicans. By 1880 the area was called "The Paper City" because it was the largest paper producer in the United States . Beginning in the 1860s Dutch Immigrants converted swampland into choice fields for celery production.. Celery grown here is touted as "fresh as dew from Kalamazoo " and at one time Kalamazoo County was known as the "Celery Capital of the World". In 1999 Michigan still ranked second in celery production with most grown in Kalamazoo County however production has decreased annually over the past several years.   Kalamazoo was also home to the Kalamazoo Stove Company that manufactured several million wood and coal burning stoves and furnaces from 1902-1952. The company originally only sold products directly to the consumer by mail order and In 1937, its peak production year, the company made 100,000 stoves, using over 300,000 pounds of iron and steel daily. The company was to slow to adopt the new gas and electric models and competition eliminated them. Kalamazoo county at one time was home to the founder of the Gibson Guitar Company.   Orville Gibson who in 1902 founded The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd. The company was unable to meet rising demand so 5 Kalamazoo businessmen buy the name and patent for $2,500, and hire Gibson as a consultant. However within six months, Gibson was picking fights with the board of managers and sold his stock to a local bar owner.   Many people driving through Kalamazoo County on I-94 notice the sign for "Climax".   The town was originally named Climax Prairie, by a group of settlers in 1835 that decided to "climax" as they put it, meaning it was the end to their search for a place to live.  On December 3, 1986, mail carriers from the general store post office in the community of Climax started out with a hourse-drawn carts to serve the state's first experimental RFD routes. A memorial from stones collected from each of the 230 farms along the route and from the historic sites stands next to the post office.

Kalamazoo County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.infomi.com/county/kalamazoo/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalamazoo_County%2C_Michigan

www.michiganhistorymagazine.com