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1916 Map of Kalamazoo

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Kalamazoo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Kalamazoo and its surrounding townships are shown here during a period of significant industrial and institutional growth. The city is a hub for multiple rail lines, including the Michigan Central and the Chicago and Grand Trunk, which parallel major watercourses like the Kalamazoo River. Notable institutional landmarks such as the State Hospital and Nazareth Academy are established, while the river's power is harnessed by the Otsego Dam to the northwest.

The landscape is dotted with small rural crossroads and schools, such as Jug Corners, Daugherty Corners, and the Honeysette School. The map captures the early 20th-century transition of the region, featuring burgeoning suburbs like Parchment and Oakwood Heights alongside established paper-mill towns like Otsego and Plainwell. Numerous small glacial lakes, including Asylum Lake and Bonnie Castle Lake, define the local topography between the river valleys.