The Kalamazoo Paper Company was the first paper mill to establish itself in the Kalamazoo region, being founded in 1866 on the south side of town. The mill prospered and gave genesis to many of the other mills in the region, becoming the roots of the paper mill family tree. By 1899 the company had outgrown its original facility and built a new complex east of downtown, which is the subject of this study. From this new site the Kalamazoo Paper Company became one of the premier producers of coated and book paper in the nation and one of the largest mills in Kalamazoo. The company was merged into Georgia-Pacific in 1966 and the Kalamazoo facility was closed in 2001.
