David S. Walbridge

David S. Walbridge is a Michigan historical marker in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, dedicated 1976.

202 South Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo

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Born in Vermont in 1802, David S. Walbridge became one of Kalamazoo’s most distinguished citizens. He moved here in the early 1840s and was a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church. Active in the business community, Walbridge set up a general store, bought a large flourmill, and invested in flat boats and plank road construction to transport his goods. His deep interest in Whig politics led to his participation in the first state Republican convention in Jackson, where he was named permanent chairman of the meeting. Elected to Congress in 1855, he served until 1858. His other offices included terms as postmaster and state legislator. After years of service to his party and to Michigan, David S. Walbridge died in Kalamazoo in 1868.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1796 · N. W. Territory. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1819 · Ohio & Indiana (H. S. Tanner, 1819) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1853 · Map of the surveyed part of Michigan (Digital Commonwealth, Boston Public Library)
1854 · A map of the surveyed part of Michigan / by John Farmer ; engraved by S. Stiles & Co. (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
1918 · Kalamazoo, Michigan (USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection)

N. W. Territory, 1796, covering the location of David S. Walbridge, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — N. W. Territory, 1796, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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What that marker records spans 1777 to 1789, overlapping William Gabby's years there.

From one family's 77-marker roster

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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