There are some incredible photos of the Kalamazoo area that live within the Kalamazoo Public Library, which can turn into a walk right into Southwest Michigan's humble beginnings.

I’ve always appreciated when you get a snapshot of the past to see just how much things have changed in the long history of the city with assembled a group of photos below that show colorized pictures of Kalamazoo that seem almost alien compared to the way the city looks now. Among those photos, we’ve discovered what could be the oldest photo ever taken in Southwest Michigan.

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The photo seems to have come from what may be either Kalamazoo Avenue or West Michigan in downtown Kalamazoo and shows horse and buggy cart parking on the side of the road. What is mind-blowing about the photo is that it was taken only four years after the Civil War ended in 1969.

Although modern-day technology can only do so much. The resolution of the photo is pretty impressive. Take a journey through Kalamazoo's past below and wrap it up with what could be the oldest photo taken in southwest Michigan ever.

Colorized Pictures of Early Kalamazoo That Will Blow Your Mind