Parchment, Michigan is adjacent to Kalamazoo, which is to the south and southeast. Cooper Township borders Parchment to the north. Otherwise, the city is mostly surrounded by Kalamazoo Township, in Kalamazoo County.
The Kalamazoo River forms the city's western boundaries.
Besides Kalamazoo, other cities and villages within twenty miles of Parchment include Richland, Galesburg, Plainwell, Portage, Augusta, Otsego, Vicksburg, Martin, Schoolcraft, Mattawan, Springfield, and Climax. Riverview drive transverses the city north to south, connecting it to the city of Kalamazoo.
One of Michigan's newer cities, Parchment was founded as a planned paper company town in 1909 after Jacob (Uncle Jake) Kindleberger opened the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company in an abandoned sugar beet factory on the banks of the Kalamazoo River. When the KVP Company first opened, mill workers lived in tents, while the Kindleberger family occupied the old office section of the plant.
Acquiring most of the land that currently makes up the city, the KVP Company sold lots to mill workers and their families at low prices, with Kindleberger personally assisting in most of the building projects within the community.
Parchment was incorporated as a village in 1931. Throughout most of the 1930s, the KVP Company bore most of the expenses for the village. In the latter part of the 1930s, however, largely due to the depression, it became necessary for the village to incorporate as a city in order to find additional sources of revenue. Parchment became a city in 1939, after which the municipal government began taking over many of the services previously provided by the mill.
During the 1940s and 1950s, the KVP Company employed more than 1,700 people, and other businesses also opened in Parchment, such as Hercules Powder Company, which produced chemicals used by the paper industry.
In 1960, the KVP Company merged with the Sutherland Paper Company, which was acquired by the Brown Company in 1966, and the James River Corporation in 1980. The last company to manufacture paper in Parchment was Crown-Vantage, which owned the mill from 1995 to 2000.
The closure of the paper mill was a major blow to the city's economy and things didn't improve when fluorosurfactant (PFAS) contamination was detected in the city's drinking water. Samples found that the PFAS contamination was more than twenty times the EPA limit. Bottled water was furnished to residents, while the city connected its water system to that of neighboring Kalamazoo. It is believed that the source of the contamination was an 80-acre landfill along the Kalamazoo River, which was the former home of the paper mill, as PFAS was used in the paper manufacturing process.
The Parchment Public School system currently includes a high school (9-12), a middle school (6-8), two K-3 elementary schools, a 4-5 elementary school, a PK facility, and an alternative school (6-12). Until 1959, Parchment high school students attended Kalamazoo Central High School, but Parchment built its own high school after the Kalamazoo Public School District began taking steps to annex Parchment to its district.
Parchment currently has a population of approximately 1,800. Its peak population was 2,027 in 1970.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the city of Parchment, Michigan. Online resources for the city government and any other government entities located within the city are appropriate for this category, along with local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, and recreational opportunities.
Recommended Resources
Situated in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, the city is just northeast of the city of Kalamazoo. The official municipal website includes notices of the city commission, planning commission, and zoning board of appeals meetings, agendas, and minutes, as well as master plans for the city and its Parks & Recreation Department, the city charter, and ordinances. A welcome packet may be downloaded from the site, and a calendar of events, an overview of city services, and contacts.
https://www.parchment.org/
Based in Parchment, Michigan, the experienced chimney sweeps have served the region for more than thirty years, ensuring that chimneys and fireplaces are in good working condition. Contacts and hours of operation for the family business are posted, with an overview of its sweeps, repair, and maintenance services and products, which include rain caps, dampers, fireplace screens, and other accessories. Client reviews and a gallery of photographs are included on the site, along with a contact form.
https://parchmentchimney.com/
The Parchment, Michigan public school system provides a PK-12th-grade curriculum through its Early Learning Center, Northwood Elementary School, North Elementary School, Central Elementary School, Parchment Middle School, Parchment High School, and Parchment Innovation Center, each of which is highlighted here, with schedules, policy information, faculty and staff contacts, and an overview of the district's athletics programs. Menus, and resources for parents, students, and staff are included.
https://www.parchmentschools.org/
Parchment United Methodist Church
Part of the Kalamazoo District of the Michigan Area Conference of the United Methodist Church, the congregation meets at its facilities on Glendale Boulevard in Parchment, Michigan. Its address, telephone number, email address, and office are published on the site, along with service schedules, a calendar of upcoming programs and events, community outreach activities, past video messages, prayer requests, and an online contact form is provided, and contributions may be made online.
http://www.parchmentumc.org/
Parchment Water Contamination Lawsuit
Maintained by KCC Class Action Services, the site highlights a class-action lawsuit filed against the 3M Company, Georgia-Pacific LLC, and Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP to resolve claims relating to the contamination of Parchment, Michigan's municipal water system with PFAS chemicals. The legal rights and options in a proposed settlement are defined, case documents may be downloaded in PDF, and the mailing address, phone number, and email address of the administrator are posted.
http://www.parchmentwatercontaminationlawsuit.com/
