Description
Since its founding in the early 1800s, Kalamazoo has welcomed a variety of notable characters who have shaped the community’s legacy in their own special way. Some, like Orville Gibson and Derek Jeter, are nationally recognized while others, such as Sue Hubbell or Donald Bonevich, may be lesser known. Some such as Abraham Lincoln and Flora Temple, briefly passed through town. Mary Jackson and Gwen Frostic were among those who came here to attend college. Others, like Darwin and Opal Brown (aka Santa and Mrs. Claus) or Gene Rhodes (aka Gene the Pumpkin Man), were lifetime residents. From founding fathers to early innovators, groundbreakers to entrepreneurs, artists to authors and athletes to entertainers, this title features profiles of 50 notable figures in Kalamazoo area history.