Was Kalamazoo Named After A Potawatomi Marathon Racer?

When it comes to the city of Kalamazoo and the origins of its name, there are many different takes and theories as to how the city went from being named Bronson to Kalamazoo in the 1800s.

But one theory dating back to the Kalamazoo Gazette 103 years ago claims it could’ve been because of a long-distance running native American called Fleet Foot, who won a race in 1803 that determined the fate of the city.

According to a post from Vanished Kalamazoo, Fleet Foot was said to have won a heat and race which had a jug of elderberry wine as the prize, and after draining the jug of alcohol in celebration, was seen swaying back and forth on his way home, mumbling to himself, "Kala-ma-zoo, Kala-ma-zoo," which means “the boiling pot, the boiling pot."

But the Gazette also gives a more realistic version of the legend, one that I think makes more sense than calling a Native American a drunk:

Of course, there are various other legends regarding the etymology of the name Kalamazoo. One claims the same tribes of Potawatomi residing along the Highlands surrounding the valley named it the boiling pot because of the dense volume of vapor that arose from the lowlands during the early morning hours.

 

That seems like the most realistic answer, but it’s still open to interpretation and theory.

Considering the Gazette referred to the peaceful people who lived here is savages, I’m not really going to take their hot take on a story too seriously.