Albion Interactive History / Research Documents
James B. Field, Souvenir of the City of Albion, 1894
Beautiful, healthful, industrial, educational. Albion – city of factories,schools, churches, and happy homes! The history of Albion dates back to a singlelog cabin in 1831. The first frame house – still standing – was built in 1835.The following summer, the town was platted. In 1844, July 4th the M. C. R. R.was opened, insuring the permanency of the town. A village charter was obtainedin 1855, and a city charter in 1885. From the first, Albion has had a constant,healthy, and substantial growth; she now has an area of four square miles, anassessed valuation of about $2,000,000 and about 6,000 people, mostly of Englishdescent, the remainder – with few exceptions – being Irish and German.
Albion is situated on the Kalamazoo River, in the midst of a splendid farmingregion in Calhoun County, Southern Michigan, 95 miles west of Detroit and 189miles east of Chicago on the main line of the Michigan Central and the LansingBranch of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroads; two well managed roadsconnecting with all trunk lines East, West, and South.
Two deep artesian wells, centrally located, furnish the water for the city’ssplendid system of water works. The healthfulness of this water is shown in thefact that not a case of Typhoid Fever has occurred in the families of thoseusing it. Scarlet Fever and Diptheria are exceptionally rare in this city.
The city is well lighted by electricity, and has a well organized and fullyequipped fire department. Not afraid of smoke, the city has encouraged factoriestill she has several of the best and most important in the state. Among these rethe Gale Works, manufacturers of plows, drags, cultivators, rakes, etc.; TheElm’s Buggy Co., manufacturers of buggies, carts, surries, etc.; The AlbionMalleable Iron Co., manufacturers of all kinds of malleable and brass castings,patterns a specialty; The Gray Iron and Brass Works, manufacturers of the patentcompound lever moulding machine, Gray iron and brass castings, hardwarespecialties, etc. Others are the Albion Milling Co., The Union Wind Mill Co.,The K.W. Brant Medicine Co. and the Rousseau Harness Co.
It is said by traveling salesmen that Albion does more business than anyother city of equal size to which they go.
Albion has six newspapers, viz: The Evening Echo, a daily, The Recorder andThe Mirror, weeklies, The Household Treasury, a monthly, the Pleiad and theBoomerang, college papers. Albion has the free delivery mail service.
Albion’s religious interests are guarded by the six churches whose buildingare shown in this book, and her fraternal by more that a score of the best knownsecret societies that have lodges here.
Three blocks east from Superior Street, on Michigan Avenue, stands the fineHigh School Building, costing with the four ward buildings located in thecardinal quarters of the city about $65,000. In these schools over 1,200 pupilshave been enrolled this year. Twenty-one regular teachers are employed, also twospecial teachers – for drawing and music. Four new rooms will be opened inSeptember. Realizing the grave importance attending the results of school life,the twelve grades or years of study are laid out with much care aiming at thetraining of the pupils faculties, instilling a love for study, forming the bestcharacter and preparation for independent thought and investigation. Theteachers are selected with special reference to the grade in which they are toinstruct. Particularly is this true in the Primary Department, where a peculiarquality of skill is needed. The High School prepares for the University ofMichigan as well as for Albion College.
<Albion College, founded in 143 under the direction of the Methodist EpiscopalChurch, occupies a beautiful site in the eastern part of the city. It is not aTheological Seminary, but a college of Liberal Arts. Connected with the collegeproper is a Preparatory School, a Commercial School, a School of Painting, andas fine a Musical Conservatory as can be found anywhere in the West. AlbionCollege is modern in method, progressive in principle and thorough in work. Nodoubt, it is the foremost Christian College in the State. Included among herover 600 students are young people from nearly every State in the Union as wellas several from foreign lands. The success of her graduates speaks the merit ofAlbion College.
Whoever would seek a business location in a thriving city; whoever would seeka beautiful home in a healthy and pleasant city; whoever would seek an educationunder the most favorable conditions; come. We have room for you! We welcome you!
List of Illustrations
3, Superior Street – Looking South from M.C.R.R.
4, East Side of Superior Street – Looking North from Center Street
5, Augustus J. Gale, North Superior Street; Isaac Sibley, North Superior Street
6, West Side Superior Street – Looking South from Center Street
7, Eslow Block
8, Washington Gardner, Michigan Avenue; F.F. Hoaglin, North Superior Street
9, Elevator and Flouring Mills of W.B. Knickerbocker, Daily Capacity, 400 Barrels
10, East Side Superior Street – Looking North from Erie Street
11, Residence of Eugue P. Robertson, Clinton Street; Residence of Mrs. E.P. Burral, Clinton Street
12, Sheldon Block and Clift Block
13, West Side Superior Street – Looking South from Erie Street
14, Isidor Jacobs, South Superior St; A.P. Gardner, South Superior St.
15, Office of the Gale Manufacturing Company
16, Factory of the Gale Manufacturing Company
17, Residences of Mrs. Horatio Gale and Charles Blanchard
18, Groff Brothers Lumber Yard; Factory of the Albion Malleable Iron Co.
19, Gray Iron and Brass Works of the Keenan & Hess M’f’g Co.
20, Residence of Dr. E.L. Parmeter, East Porter Street; Residence of Hon. R.J. Frost, East Porter Street
21, West Mulberry Street, O.B. Wood, E.C. Gale, E.J. Wood
22, Factory and Office of the Elm’s Buggy Co.
23, H.W. Crittenden, North Berrien Street; Mrs. Lovina Leonard, North Ingham Street
24, Residence of H.M. Deering, East Cass Street; Residence of G.E. Hayes and G.H. Kilian, East Cass Street
25, Freight and PAssenger Depots of L.S. & M.S.R.R.
26, Station and Grounds of the M.C.R.R., The Great Niagara Falls Route
27, Residence of M.B. Beal and W.F. Kendrick, Elm Terrace
28, City Engine House, Water Works
29, Residence of V.J. Teft, East Erie Street; Residence of Edward Sutton, East Erie Street
30, Residence of J.E. Perrine, East Erie Street; Residence of S.B. Allen, East Erie Street
31, East Ward School, City High School
32, F.S. Ludlow – Michigan Ave.; Henry D. Smith – Michigan Ave.
33, Residence of Mrs. Rose A. Fox, Michigan Avenue; Residence of A.L. McCutcheon, Michigan Avenue
34, Episcopal Church, Catholic Church, German Lutheran Church
35, Irwin Avenue – Looking West from Superior Street
36, Irwin Block; Albion House
37, Superior Street – Looking North from Irwin Avenue
38, Baptist Church; Presbyterian Church
39, Methodist Episcopal Church and Organ
40, View of Campus, From Laboratory
41, Astronomical Observatory, McMillan Chemical Laboratory, College Gymnasium
42, Residence of President L.R. Fiske, East Cass Street; Residence of Saml. D. Barr, Oswego Street
43, College Chapel Rostrum, with Faculty
44, Eclectic and Atheniaedes Hall, Erosophian Hall
45, A Class in College Gymnasium
46, Residence of Prof. E. Josephine Clark, Jackson Street; Residence of Prof. Delos Fall, Michigan Avenue
47, Views in Delta Gamma Hall
48, Sigma Chi Lodge, with Interior Views
49, View in Kappa Alpha Theata Hall
50, Alpha Tau Omega Chapter House, 1894; Alpha Tau Omega Chapter House, 1891-1894
51, View in Alpha Chi Omega Hall
52, Epsilon-Delta Tau Delta, A Corner of Reception Room