Located in the southwestern part of the state of Michigan and a city and seat in Kalamazoo County, the city sits at the south of Grand Rapids that lies along the Kalamazoo River. A fur-trading post was established that came to be called Kalamazoo - Potawatomi name that means “mirage,” “reflecting river” - in 1829. The first known settlement was called Bronson, and it started the emergence of government land office and the arrival of the Michigan Central Railroad which then encouraged the community’s economic growth. The city has established industry in the paper products which then became a dominant economic activity since the 1870s were overtaken by the diversified manufactures that include pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, plastic, and metal products.