Albion is a city with an interesting and vibrant history. Albion’s geography has always made it a desirable location because of its proximity to the forks of the north and south branches of the Kalamazoo River. Originally populated by Native Americans mainly from the Potawatomi tribe, European settlers began building in the area in the 1830s. Native Americans and early settlers hunted for deer and wild turkeys, fished in the river, gathered honey, and picked huckleberries and cranberries.
In 1821, Potawatomi Chiefs gathered to sign the Treaty of Chicago, ceding much land to the U.S. government, including southern Michigan. As more European settlers moved into the Albion area, they used the power of the river to build mills that produced flour and wood. A railroad line in 1844 increased the opportunities for growth, and Albion became a city of industry, drawing workers from Europe and the American South. All the while, Albion College, which began as a Wesleyan Seminary, became a well-respected four-year college.
Albion’s industrial and economic success was followed by factory closures and economic hard times, but the city has prevailed as a diverse and dynamic city and at the same time a college town with a small-town appeal. There are several beautiful parks along the banks of the Kalamazoo River. The Festival of the Forks, the city’s largest annual street festival, is a joyous celebration of all that makes Albion unique. An early timeline, up to the 2000s, traces some of the developments that forged the development of Albion. For more information about Albion’s history, the Albion Historical Society and Albion’s own historian Frank Passic are excellent sources.
1820s
In 1821, Potawatomi Chiefs gathered to sign the Treaty of Chicago, ceding much land to the U.S. government, including southern Michigan.
1830s
In spring of 1833, Paul Tenney Peabody and his wife Eleanor, Albion’s first permanent settlers, built a shack near the forks of the north and south branches of the Kalamazoo River. The river provided power for mills, and Albion became known as a mill town (producing flour and wood) and also as an agriculture center.
In 1835, Albion College was awarded a charter by the Michigan Territorial Legislature. It began as a Wesleyan Seminary.
In 1838, Jesse Crowell was appointed as the first U.S. postmaster for Albion.
1840s
In 1844, the Central Railroad of Michigan reached Albion’s town limits. By December of that year, it allowed for regular passenger service to Detroit.
In 1845, Jesse Crowell built a large stone mill for grinding grain. It ran day and night for over thirty years.
In 1846, James Monroe started a foundry that produced stoves, thrashers, and other farm implements.
1850s
In 1850, the Albion Female College Institute was founded.
In 1855, Albion was incorporated as a village.
1860s
In 1861, Albion College was fully authorized by the state legislature to award four-year college degrees to both men and women.
In 1862, Gale Manufacturing opened in Albion, producing farm implements and drew immigrants to work there.
1880s
Legend has it that the first U.S. Mother’s Day happened in Albion. In 1877, Juliet Calhoun Blakely stepped into the pulpit of the Albion Methodist church to finish a sermon that the minister was too distraught to complete. In order to honor their mother in this powerful act, Mrs. Blakely’s sons initiated the beginning of the tradition of Mother’s Day in order to honor their mother and all mothers. Legend also has it that the Blakely family helped slaves escape through the Underground Railroad, and the sons wanted to honor their mother for that as well.
In 1885, Albion was incorporated as a City and the city water system began.
In 1888 the Albion Malleable Iron Company was established, bringing hundreds of new residents from many countries and also African Americans from the South to the town. The company was a major part of Albion’s economy.
1900-1910
In 1903, the first pavement was laid in the city. Union Steel, which would become one of the city’s biggest employers, came to Albion.
In 1908 the Kalamazoo River flooded, the worst flood in Albion’s history, damaging several bridges and many buildings.
In 1908, famous food writer M.F.K. Fisher was born in Albion.
In 1909, the Albion City Hospital opened.
1910-1920
In 1911, Byron D. Stokes and Dudleigh Vernor wrote the famous fraternity song, “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” while in class at Albion College. This song went on to become famous throughout the world.
In 1912, the world-famous Christian hymn “The Old Rugged Cross” was composed in Albion by Reverend George Bennard.
In 1913, Starr Commonwealth, one of the nation’s most respected child and family charities, was founded by Floyd Starr.
In 1917 the Carnegie Library was built.
In 1925, the first city hospital opened.
In 1929, on Christmas Day, the Bohm Theatre opened its doors.
1930s
In the 1930s and 1940s, various members of Detroit’s infamous ‘Purple Gang’, a notorious organized crime ring, spent time in Albion.
In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, some workers at the Malleable would receive aluminum tokens as evidence of their piece-rate for the day. They were called “chips” by the workers.
1940s
In the 1940s, Albion’s Roller Rink was a popular spot.
1950s
In 1950, Corning Glass Works came to Albion, a major factor in Albion’s economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1955, the Albion Historical Society was founded to preserve the rich history of this community.
1960s
In 1967, Albion held its first Festival of the Forks, a well-known multi-day street festival, named after the confluence of the north and south branches of the Kalamazoo River.
In 1967, Albion Senior High School was built.
In 1967, Albion Malleable merged with Hayes Industries, striking a blow to Albion’s economy.
In 1968, Gale Manufacturing declared bankruptcy and closed.
1970s
In 1973, Albion was named an All-America City by the National Civic League.
In 1975, Corning Glass Works closed.
In 1977, after factory closures and economic hardships, the Economic Development Corporation was founded with the purpose “to strengthen and revitalize the local economy by alleviating and preventing conditions of unemployment.”
1980s
In 1988, the Downtown Development Authority was founded, with a purpose similar to the EDC’s.
1990s
Union Steel closed its doors in 1995.
In 1998, Albion College President Peter T. Mitchell decided to tie the community and the college together. The Greater Albion Alliance was formed in 1998 to encourage resurgence of the city, similar to the visioning process for Albion College.
2000s
In 2000, the Roland M. Gerstacker Foundation award was announced. This $2 million grant is aimed at investing in programs that will aid Albion as a small college town. Some of the investment ideas include a children’s museum, a gallery for fine arts, and a cybercafe.
Also in 2000, the Brooks Foundry was demolished, and in 2001, the Union Steel Products site was demolished. The demolition of these closed factories signals a time when Albion became a smaller community with less industry.
In 2002, Albion’s hospital, then called Trillium Hospital, closed its doors.
In 2008, the historic Bohm Theater closed its doors.
In 2014, the Bohm Theatre opened back up, thanks to community support and the Friends of the Bohm Theatre. Because of the great job of revitalization, the Bohm was one of the recipients of the prestigious Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in May 2015.
Sources:
http://www.cityofalbionmi.gov/residents/city_at_a_glance/history.php
http://albionmich.net/history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion,_Michigan
https://www.wmuk.org/arts-more/2013-11-07/outlaws-immigrants-a-hymn-and-a-big-flood-albions-history
http://isaackremer.com/albion/story/story11/
http://isaackremer.com/albion/library/1966_bobbitt/
https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/albion-mi-ali/