The Dam & Waterfall Restoration

A public-private partnership between The Mill Group, Kalamazoo County, and the Village of Vicksburg

In 1831, John Vickers built a brush dam over Portage Creek, harnessing an eight-foot waterfall—one of the most remarkable natural features in the flat terrain of southwest Michigan. That single act created Sunset Lake, drew settlers, and laid the foundation for everything that followed. The Village that grew around it took his name. The paper mill that defined it for a century drew its power and its pure water from the same creek. The dam and waterfall were not just the beginning of Vicksburg’s story; they were the reason there was a story to tell.

For generations, the waterfall has remained a beloved landmark on The Mill at Vicksburg campus—a place where the town’s origins are still visible and still felt. Chris Moore’s mother, Sue Clark Moore, understood this as well as anyone. She dedicated years to researching and writing Water Over the Dam, Vicksburg’s own history book, preserving the story of the community the waterfall made possible.

Today, through a public-private partnership, that history is being honored and secured for the future. The Mill Group, alongside Kalamazoo County and the Village of Vicksburg, is committed to restoring and preserving the historic dam and waterfall, ensuring this defining landmark remains part of Vicksburg’s story for generations to come.