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1916 Map of Kalamazoo

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Kalamazoo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Kalamazoo River anchors this regional landscape, winding northwest from the city of Kalamazoo through the paper-mill industrial corridor at Parchment toward Plainwell and Otsego. At the time of this 1916 survey, the area was a dense network of early 20th-century transportation, featuring the New York Central RR, Michigan Central RR, and Grand Trunk RR alongside historic corridors like the Chicago Road and Territorial Road.

Institutional landmarks are prominent, including the State Hospital, Nazareth Academy, and a Fish Hatchery near Cooper. The rural landscape between these industrial hubs is marked by dozens of small schoolhouses, such as Hooper School and Bellingham School, and small crossroads like Alamo and Oshtemo. These features reveal a transition from the heavy manufacturing of the city to the fertile agricultural districts of the Gun Plains.