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Local Luminaries, Famous Passersby & Everyone in Between

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. Abraham Lincoln and Flora Temple briefly passed through town, and 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, author Dianna Higgs Stampfler celebrates fifty figures in Kalamazoo-area history.

M is for Michigan is an A-Z tour of The Great Lakes State. From the automobile industry that built Detroit to the sandy dunes of the shores of Western Michigan and Lake Michigan, M is for Michigan will charm children and adults alike. With bright, bold graphics and whimsical rhymes, highlights include Big Red Lighthouse, Michigan Cherries, University of Michigan and Michigan State football, Mackinac Bridge and the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. Perfect for any Michigander, or those that spend their summers on the lakes and beaches of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron or the scores of inland lakes in Michigan. M is for Michigan is a pure delight that celebrates Pure Michigan!