REMEMBERING PARCHMENT
A call for Parchment memorabilia and histories
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The KVP paper mill, which was the center of Parchment life for over 75 years, will be coming down soon and a new era in our community will begin. The library wants to collect and archive as much Parchment history as possible this year, and we need your help!If you have any Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment paper company (or its successors) materials -- whether letters, photos, postcards, calendars, samples of products the company made, newsletters, film, video, etc., and would like to donate them to the library, we'd be delighted to have them!
We are also interested in obtaining materials which capture the essence of life in Parchment -- the schools, churches, businesses, clubs and people who helped make this such a very special city. If you have something that sheds light on Parchment history, bring it in!
You can't catch time in a bottle -- but you can preserve it in a library! Help make history -- share your Parchment memories with the library, and pass the word to all your friends. For more information, call Teresa at 269 343-7747 or e-mail teresa@parchmentlibrary.org.
Click on the following links to read full-text documents outlining Parchment history. You'll need a PDF reader (like Adobe Acrobat, which is a free download) installed on your computer to read them.
- The History of the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company by Jacob Kindleberger (1934)
- History of Parchment (1933)
- History of Parchment by Beulah McKee (1949)
- KVP 50th Anniversary (newsletter) (1959)
- KVP 75th Anniversary (newsletter) (1984)
- KVP Papers (product catalog) (circa 1930)
- KVP Papers (product catalog) (circa 1940)
- Parchment - The Paper City (1976)
- The Life of Jacob Kindleberger (1875-1947) by Carroll Honess (1949)
- The Story of KVP (1927)
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While the library has collected quite a bit of material about the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company (KVP) and Parchment City history, we'd like more! If you decide to donate your materials to the library, we will have you fill out a donation form. If we cannot accept your donation (because of duplication, lack of space or proper storage, etc.), we can suggest other archives in the area who might be able to take your materials.
If you are unwilling to part with your treasures, please see Teresa Stannard, the library director, who will work with you to copy the materials (whether paper, film, video, or audio) or photograph them for our collection. (Many thanks to Steve and Julie Gibson of People Power Productions here in town for assisting with this project!)
High School Yearbooks: We still need: 1959, 1961, 1962, 1998, 2003, 2006 and 2008.
Middle School Yearbooks: We need 1976, and 1992-2005.
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Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company products, samples, and advertisementsKalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company newsletters, calendars, stock certificates, office memos, blueprints, lab equipment, etc. Anything from KVP!
Postcards of Parchment and/or KVP
Letters, family histories (print or oral), photographs, slides, films (any format) that concern life in Parchment.
Monetary donations are always welcome, to help defray the expense of copying items, and purchasing special archival storage supplies. Please make your check out to: Parchment Community Library.
The library has two digital recorders to lend to anyone who wishes to record an oral history interview. We'll include instructions (these recorders are very easy to use) and a script of sample questions to get you started.
You don't need to be a professional interviewer to capture a great oral history! Just chat with family, friends and neighbors who remember what Parchment was like in days gone by, and keep the recorder on. We'll archive your oral history both digitally and on CD, and can make a copy on CD for you, if you would like one. Imagine how wonderful it would be to listen to a recording of your great great grandmother talking about her daily life -- you can give this gift to future generations!
Each digital recorder is loaned for two weeks. (Though you may request a longer loan period if you're going on a trip to visit a former Parchment resident.) You'll need to have a Parchment library card, as well. Questions? Contact Teresa at 343-7747 or teresa@parchmentlibrary.org.
Click HERE to go to a photo album of Parchment historical artifacts, including KVP products. Click on any thumbnail photo to see a full-size image, and use the "zoom" tool (looks like magnifying glass) to enlarge the image.
