By Keith Howard, Digital Preservation Specialist, Kalamazoo Public Library
7:00 pm in person at Scott Club
To attend by Zoom, request an invite by email to info@scottclub.org

The story of the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore & Chicago Railway, otherwise known as the “Fruit Belt Line,” is a rather long and twisted tale of “wishful thinking and hoped-for wealth.” The short-lived railroad originally was planned to be an efficient electric interurban train connecting Kalamazoo and South Haven. Instead, it became a ramshackle steam train that meandered through Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties toward the Lake Michigan shoreline. Join us as we learn how the “Fruit Belt Line” came to be and what became of it while we trace its route through the West Michigan countryside.

Keith Howard is a Digital Preservation Specialist at the Kalamazoo Public Library and a former instructor of business communication and information technology at WMU’s Haworth College of Business. He has a true passion for exploring and documenting local history. Keith has authored or contributed to more than one hundred articles on the KPL website, and his work has appeared in several leading publications, including Michigan History Magazine, SW Michigan Spark, Brewery History journal, and others. Keith lives in Oshtemo with his dog, Benson.

By Tim Moore, History Instructor, Lake Michigan College

From a log lodge to an opulent hotel under different names, the Whitcomb has a long and rich history. The Whitcomb recalls mineral baths enjoyed by scores of people, a moving sidewalk, a breath-taking view of Lake Michigan, more than 200 hotel rooms, a dining room for 800 guests, a Marine Bar resembling a ship, and visits from such notables as Eleanor Roosevelt, Ann Landers, and Duncan Hines. And let’s not forget “Polly Whitcomb,” the talkative parrot. Please join us for a look at the history of the Whitcomb, the “Crown Jewel” that made the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

Since 2003, Tim Moore has been a history instructor at Lake Michigan College. His courses include American History, including the Civil War and Reconstruction, the History of Modern East Asia, and Western Civilization