![Was The First Pioneer of Kalamazoo Run Out Town in the 1800s?](https://townsquare.media/site/689/files/2022/03/attachment-larry-costales-IHUSxUm-xRQ-unsplash.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Was The First Pioneer of Kalamazoo Run Out Town in the 1800s?
Was this man disliked so much that locals ran him out of town and changed the name to Kalamazoo?
Many Southwest Michigan residents already know that the city we know as Kalamazoo went by a different name when it was originally settled in the 1800s. Kalamazoo was first named Bronson, a man named Titus Bronson. However, his time in Southwest Michigan was short-lived as he allegedly ruffled man feathers in his time here. Titus was considered one of the very first pioneers of the city we now call Kalamazoo, as brought his family to the area in 1830 and began city planning. Bronson is likely responsible for the building of the first churches, school and courthouse in the area before things turned sour according to a Michigan History website hosted by MSU,
In March of 1836 Bronson was at odds with many members of the village. He was an outspoken man and was once fined for stealing a cherry tree.
![WKMI logo](https://townsquare.media/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/WKMIAM.png?w=100)
A large number of villagers demanded the Bronson name removed from their city. It was 186 years ago this month that Bronson was renamed after the Kalamazoo River. It's unclear if Titus Bronson picked up his family and moved to Iowa before or after the city name change. However, it appears he left in 1836, which is the same year as the name change. So, what does the word Kalamazoo mean? Get that full story by clicking here.
Bronson's name lives on as the name of a small town with just over 2,000 residents in Branch County.
Colorized Pictures of Early Kalamazoo That Will Blow Your Mind
Vintage Newspaper Reveals How "Cheap" Things Used to Be in Kalamazoo
More From WKMI
![Did You Know This Building In Downtown Kalamazoo Was Once A Brothel?](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2022/09/attachment-Untitled-design-2022-09-26T060338.138.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Mark Twain Was Apparently Not A Fan Of Michigan’s Wooden Highways](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2022/08/attachment-fix-the-damn-roads.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Detroit’s Ford Field Turns 20; Some Great Events but 92 Losses](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2022/08/attachment-GettyImages-1431357.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![An MGM Movie Short from 1949 Shows a Very Different Michigan](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2022/08/attachment-Screenshotter-YouTube-0%2525E2%252580%25259949%2525E2%252580%25259D.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Michigan Has Banned the Death Penalty for Nearly 180 Years, Yet Its Last Execution Was Only 84 Years Ago](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2022/07/attachment-Untitled-design-22.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Several Battle Creek Area Track Athletes Participating in Saturday’s State Finals](http://townsquare.media/site/656/files/2021/06/Track-Spikes-Michael-Steele-GettyImages-72324388-June-2-2021.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![HS Football Preview – SMAC Title on the Line at Lakeview](http://townsquare.media/site/656/files/2019/10/20191025_100935.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Day Six Of Lingering Power Outages From Last Week’s Big Storm](http://townsquare.media/site/656/files/2020/06/Consumers-06.16.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![15th Annual Operation Scribble – Get Details Here](http://townsquare.media/site/690/files/2019/11/Children-with-Toys-diego_cervo.jpg?w=980&q=75)