"KALAMAZOO, a county in the S. W. part of Michigan, contains 576 square miles. It is intersected by the Kalamazoo, and drained by the Portage river of the Kalamazoo, and the Portage river of the St. Joseph, and by Bear and Gull creeks. The surface is nearly level, and is diversified by prairies, tracts of heavy timber, and plains, which are covered with scattered oak-trees. The soil is uniformly and extremely fertile. The chief productions are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, hay, and wool.  In 1850 the county produced 225,855 bushels of wheat; 366,578 of corn; 97,325 of oats; 106,913 of potatoes, and 11,736 tons of hay. It contained 15 churches, and 2 newspaper offices. The streams furnish extensive water-power. The county is intersected by the Central railroad. Organized in 1830. Capital, Kalamazoo. Pop., 13,179."

"KALAMAZOO, a thriving town, capital of Kalamazoo co., Michigan, on the left bank of the river of its own name, and on the Central railroad, 140 miles W. from Detroit, and 140 miles E. N. E. from Chicago, It is scarcely eighteen years since the place was first settled; the population is now (1853) estimated at 4500. It contains a United States land-office, a branch of the university, a number of churches, and 2 newspaper offices. Manufactories of various kinds have recently been established; plank-roads have been made, and every element of prosperity which nature has given, has been developed with surprising rapidity. The surrounding country is well timbered, and the soil is uniformly productive. The Michigan Asylum for the insane has recently been located here.*

Kalamazoo,

An important post city and the capital of the county of the same name situated on the west bank of the Kalamazoo river, and on the Michigan Central Railroad, 143 miles from Detroit (fare $4.20), 141 miles from Chicago (fare $4.20), and by stage routes, (daily lines) 50 miles from Grand Rapids (fare $2.50), 25 miles from Allegan (fare $1.50) and (tri-weekly) 27 miles from Three Rivers (fare $1.50) and 40 miles from Hastings, (fare $2.00).

Despite all of the economic progress of Kalamazoo in the 1850's underneath was the seething problem of the county, slavery.  Kalamazoo was involved in the anti slavery movement.  In 1856 Abraham Lincoln made an important anti slavery speech in Bronson Park - see the Historical Marker page .  The Kalamazoo area had "stations" of the underground railroad in Schoolcraft and Climax.   Dr. Nathan Thomas of Schoolcraft operated that "station" and was recognized after the Civil War in the following obituary:

"The funeral of Dr. Thomas who died April 7, 1887, took place in the afternoon and was largely attended, and mostly by old pioneers who had been intimately acquainted with him for 40 to over 50 years, and who entertained for him the highest respect. He was a man of positive convictions, a relative of the late Secretary Stanton (Edwin M.  Stanton Secretary of War under Lincoln), and partook largely of Mr. Stanton's determined will to never yield a position after he was satisfied he was in the right. But few men in Michigan did more to
abolish slavery than Dr. Thomas; he talked about it, he wrote about it, he distributed documents pleading the black man's cause, he furnished those escaping from slavery food and shelter, and counseled them how best to proceed on their way to freedom; he was amongst the first to assist in organizing the republican party, which caused its final overthrow, and it has been one of the most gratifying episodes of his later years to not only live to see slavery abolished, but to know that those
once in slavery are fast becoming self sustaining, intelligent citizens. He was of Mr. Lincoln's opinion that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other man's consent, and although his position in the early stage of the abolition discussions caused him to almost stand alone
in that community, he lived to gain the friendship of all, and died very much respected by both young and old."

Kalamazoo Telegraph, April 11, 1887.

Grand Army of the Republic Cannon in Bronson Park

Van Duesen Hospital, Kalamazoo Asylum, 1910 named after Dr. Edwin Van Duesen, first superintendent of the Asylum.

In the early 1870's, an additional asylum was built at Kalamazoo, adjacent to the original main building and of similar design, the new becoming the male department, and the former becoming the female department.