Since this blog is called The Family Kalamazoo, I’d like to introduce you to the Kalamazoo, Michigan, downtown as it was 100 years ago. Here are some photographs taken by my great-grandmother’s brother Joseph DeKorn.
The information I have on the location of these photos was shared by Mark Johnson:
The first downtown photo: Looking west on East Michigan Ave. from Edwards St… Michigan Ave. jogs to the right at Portage St. The building furthest in the distance is the Kalamazoo Bldg. To it’s right in the foreground is the Haymarket Bldg. and further to the right is what became Shau Powell Sporting Goods.
Mark Johnson says:
The second downtown photo: Looking west on East/West Michigan from Portage St. The tallest building is the Kalamazoo Building (see window detail) and one of the buildings foreground right is what would become Stanwoods [Luggage and Leather].
My favorite thing about these photos are the wires in the sky!
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This post is a combination/revision of the first original post and a later reblog in 2014.
The Family Kalamazoo 
I love the wires too!
It’s so exciting to see how different it looked before I was a kid looking up at the sky when I was downtown.
Dear Currentdescendent and other descendents of Kalamazoo parentage:
My email address is rmm@murdot.net. One of my grandfathers way back was Bazel Harrison a judge in Kalamazoo. They helped pioneer Kalamazoo, MI. One of his sons, Nathan, was a ferry boat operator. Nathan had a daughter by the name of Edna who moved from Michigan to Indiana who is a great great grandmother. Her son was an early engineer who liked photography. Funny one of my sons is an engineer and I like creating paintings and video art. Do you know if any of your relatives interacted with these Harrison relatives? Perhaps you have some of the glass pictures you mentioned you would like to download and share with me is that possible?
My dad died, when I was extremely young so I don’t have many pictures of these grandfathers’ families. If you have anything you would like to share that would be ever so kind! I loved looking at these old historic town pictures.
I live in Brevard Florida close to the Space Center, so it is hard to get up to Kalamazoo to do old town research. I would love to hear more about Kalamazoo and this is such an interesting link to learn about it with the pictures and history this website expands on.
Cheers and best wishes,
Rose
Tram lines, I assume?
Yes, I believe they are for streetcars/trams. Here is a good description of the difference between them and cable cars. http://www.streetcar.org/difference.html
Yes, when we lived in Boston in the 70s, there were still overhead wires and street cars. I don’t know if they still exist.
Friends who live on the east side of Kzoo visited me in town this weekend. We talked a lot about how downtown has revitalized since we were in college in the early 90s. perhaps one day downtown will look as vibrant as they do in these pictures. and maybe they’ll bring the cable cars back too!
That would be fabulous! I have a soft spot for downtown Kalamazoo in all its phases haha!
A good reminder for us to take pictures of the towns in which we live as they appear today.
Laura, excellent point. I hope it’s heeded by many!!!
I love the awnings over the shop windows. It is time to bring awnings back. They’d be a great help on hot, bright days and might lessen the need to keep the A/C on for a long time. Awnings and ceiling fans always remind me of the 1900s. These photos are great.
Yes, the wires carry the electricity for the street cars. There were still a few of these in operation in Cincinnati when I was growing up.
I have a set of glass negatives my father took in 1912, http://greiderclan.wordpress.com/photos/topeka-1912/. Although not technically perfect, they are also a wonderful look at the times.
Your blog is beautifully organized.
The photographs you made from the glass negatives are just gorgeous. How were the negatives preserved in such good condition? Mine are NOT.
What was it like to look up and see the wires in the sky? I keep trying to imagine that!
Luanne I found these two little tidbits, did know if you’ve seen these so thought I would share them with you.. enjoy Paula
KALAMAZOO TELEGRAPH — PRESS
AUGUST 25, 1914
Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Harmens and
children were the week-end guests
of Mr. and Mrs. Richard DeKorn at
“Seldom Inn” Long lake.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard DeKorn have
returned from an outing at Long
lake.
Oh, this is amazing. Thank you, Paula!! I will try to find a copy of the article. “Seldom Inn”–I love that!!!