Vicksburg

  

Located just 15 miles south from Kalamazoo, the Village of Vicksburg is a small community in southwest Michigan filled with history and hometown pride. The village was named after settler John Vickers, who built a brush dam over the falls of Portage Creek and created a log grist mill in 1831 – believed to be the first mill in Kalamazoo County.

Over the years, Vicksburg continued its legacy of innovation and manufacturing with the Lee Paper Mill, built in 1903 and paper production beginning two years later. The Lee Paper Mill became a key pillar of the community and an economic driver; at its peak, the mill produced over 17 tons of product, turning cotton rags into fine writing paper. The mill closed in 2001 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 – a key first step toward a substantial adaptive reuse effort supported in part by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

In 2019, the Michigan Strategic Fund board approved a Transformational Brownfield Plan to support a multi-site, mixed-use redevelopment of the historic Lee Paper Mill. When completed, The Mill at Vicksburg project will serve as a catalyst for economic activity in the region. As an area of the state already ripe with arts and cultural tourism, The Mill is set to join the ranks of nearby Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids as a must-visit destination.

Learn more about Vicksburg native Chris Moore and how he saved the mill from the wrecking ball.

Vicksburg: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

As the oldest family-owned business in Vicksburg, the Village Hide-A-Way has been a landmark in the town’s downtown scene since 1980.

The Village Hide-A-Way has been a cornerstone of the community for decades, with third-generation general manager Rachel Plankenhorn carrying on the legacy built by her grandfather Jack and father Scott. After building a successful career in Breckenridge, Colorado, Rachel returned to Vicksburg to use her professional experiences out West and Michigan upbringing to shape her approach to the family business.

Learn more about Rachel and the Village Hide-A-Way in our Voices series.

Community Investing in Community

The residents of Vicksburg are also proud to support crowdfunding initiatives like the MEDC’s Public Spaces Community Places (PSCP) program. Since the program’s creation in 2014, the MEDC has helped transform Vicksburg’s downtown area by supporting projects like the redevelopment of Oswalt Park (pictured above), a community gathering space in the heart of downtown, and Liberty Lane East, a project that converted an alleyway into a Victorian garden path.

Vicksburg’s outdoor recreation offerings have also improved thanks to a PSCP campaign for a new trailhead for the Vicksburg Nature Trail, part of a Vicksburg Downtown Authority placemaking effort in 2015. The trailhead provides an entrance from the Vicksburg Recreational Trail into the downtown district, further connecting the community to nature.

Thanks to the support of the MEDC and local community, these various improvements across Vicksburg have enhanced the lifestyle and enjoyment for residents and visitors alike.

 

Celebrating Historic Vicksburg

The Village of Vicksburg has a proud and storied history in the state of Michigan, celebrated by its residents and local officials. That historical significance has also been marked by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which protects and promotes sites in communities across the state.

In addition to the Lee Paper Mill, two other significant sites in Vicksburg history have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places:

• The Vicksburg Union Depot was listed in the National Register in 2024. First opened in 1904 at an important railroad junction where two lines crossed in southern Kalamazoo County, today the site serves as the Vicksburg Historic Village & Depot Museum, providing the greater Vicksburg community with a connection to its past through an extensive collection of documents and artifacts.
  
  
• In 2022, the Vicksburg Historic District was listed in the National Register. This district encompasses the primary commercial and residential neighborhoods and includes two current or former school buildings, approximately 220 contributing properties in total. The district is significant in the areas of commerce, community planning and development, and for its architectural significance, with contributing properties built between 1867 and 1971.