Haunted History of Kalamazoo

Haunted America

by Nicole Bray, Robert DuShane

Kalamazoo’s violent and often anguished history has given way to myriad ghostly tales surrounding some of the town’s most prominent places. From the tortured souls roaming the Asylum Lake Preserve to the infamous suicide of the amateur actress Thelma, who reputedly haunts the Civic Auditorium to this day, it is no small wonder that the town is fi lled with apparitions longing to make their stories and their presence known. In this startlingly spooky collection of tales, ghost hunters Bray and DuShane gather stories from legend, lore and residents alike that bring new meaning to the age-old adage “seeing is believing.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal

174 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Emily Lorié · Rating 3 out of 5]

👻👻👻

📖The Haunted History of Kalamazoo by Nicole Bray and Robert DuShane.

🔎This book explores not only the paranormal activity witnessed around Kalamazoo, but the historical happenings that may have sparked such bizarre encounters, as well as a few wild and weird people/creatures known to roam the streets.

✨Some of these accounts were familiar to me, and some blew my mind. Having lived in and around the general Kalamazoo area my whole life, I enjoyed learning more about my hometown’s past.

🖤The nostalgia alone provided much entertainment.

✍🏻 While each story was brief and a few are on my radar for more in-depth research, I view this book as a valuable stepping stone toward learning about Kalamazoo’s rich and twisted history.

🏚️ If you’re familiar with Kalamazoo, Michigan and are fascinated by paranormal stories and historical hoopla, I encourage you to give this a peek. There are photos inside as well!

[William Walker]

Excellent blend of history, personal experience, and methodology in this narrative exploration of Kalamazoo's past. The author balances both scientific methodology, skepticism, and paranormal belief in a way that leaves you wondering what exactly is still there up on the old hill, in the old park. More than that, it leaves me wondering what used to be there; who used to be there.

Like all good mythology, it opens up a wide world of the past that is no longer, leaving the reader in awe of who and what has passed.

[Cheryl L.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little book. As a native of Kalamazoo, it was fun to read about my hometown. I enjoyed the history, much of which I am embarrassed to say I did not know. The ghost stories are always fun. A few of the places I'd heard about, others I hadn't. My only complaint is there were a lot of typos, like more than the usual amount which was extra noticeable in such a short book. Still, a great read for anyone at all familiar with Kalamazoo, or who likes to read stories of the paranormal.

[lyonel Lamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was Alright!

It was alright, it was fun, spooky, and one of the stories really made my hair stand on end. Didn’t like the crying basement demon haha. I also loved learning about the Devils Couch.

[Liz Healy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was poorly written and overall quite bad. I was expecting to read a little bit about Kalamazoo history and folklore, rather than mostly the author’s opinion. There were numerous inaccuracies throughout the book as well. This was so disappointing.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cool to read about some of the historical facts about the area. I went to WMU and did not know there were 3 bodies still interred in the walls of buildings on campus. Reading about the poor farms and asylums and grave yards here was so interesting.

[Sami Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little book full of interesting stories. I do want to visit some of the places mentioned. Very easy read as well.

[Whitney Rahrig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Kzoo and found this book to be intriguing. I also must say the amount of times kzoo has made a park out of a cemetery or other place surrounding death is astounding.

[Kazoofifi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should be placed in non fiction for the amount of factual falsehoods in the book alone. that the author gave it five stars and had to self publish is enough to turn someone away. I am not going to review based on the paranormal experiences of the authors. That is not necessary.

[Grivante Grivante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed these tales of the haunted history of Kalamazoo.