Albion, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Albion
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City
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Location of Albion, Michigan
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 Albion, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Albion, Michigan
Location in the United States
Albion, Michigan
Location in North America
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.50 sq mi (11.66 km2) |
| • Land | 4.41 sq mi (11.42 km2) |
| • Water | 0.09 sq mi (0.24 km2) |
| Elevation | 951 ft (290 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 8,616 |
| • Estimate
(2019)
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8,402 |
| • Density | 1,905.65/sq mi (735.85/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
49224
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| Area code(s) | 517 |
| FIPS code | 26-00980 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619906 |
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,616 at the 2010 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area. The earliest English-speaking settlers also referred to this area as The Forks, because it is situated at the confluence of the north and south branches of the Kalamazoo River. The Festival of the Forks has been held annually since 1967 to celebrate Albion's ethnic heritage.
Since the 19th century, several major manufacturers gave Albion the reputation of a factory town. This has changed with the closure of several manufacturers. In the 21st century, Albion's culture is changing to that of a college town whose residents have a strong interest in technology and sustainability issues. Albion College is a private liberal arts college with a student population of about 1,250. Albion is a sister city with Noisy-le-Roi, France.
Contents
History
The first European-American settler, Tenney Peabody, arrived in 1833 along with his brother-in-law Charles Blanchard, and a young man named Clark Dowling. Peabody's family followed soon after. In 1835, the Albion Company, a land development company formed by Jesse Crowell, platted a village and Peabody's wife was asked to name the settlement. She considered the name "Peabodyville", but "Albion" was selected instead, after the former residence of Jesse Crowell. Crowell became the first postmaster in 1838. Albion incorporated as a village in 1855 and as a city in 1885.
In 1835, Methodist Episcopal settlers established Albion College, which was known by a few other names before 1861 when the college was fully authorized to confer four-year degrees on both men and women. The first classes were held in Albion in 1843.
The forks of the Kalamazoo River provided power for mills, and Albion quickly became a mill town as well as an agricultural market. A railroad line arrived in 1852, fostering the development of other industries.
In 1973 Albion was named an All-America City by the National Civic League. It celebrated winning the award on May 15, 1974 when the Governor of Michigan, William Milliken, and many dignitaries came to town. However, in 1975 the closure of a major factory cut the celebration short and new challenges were created overnight.
Since that time citizens have mobilized, with support from the Albion Community Foundation founded in 1968, and the Albion Volunteer Service Organization, founded in the 1980s with support from Albion College, to address the challenge of diminishing economic opportunity.
Key to the City Honor Bestowed:
- 1964: Aunt Jemima visited Albion on January 25.
- 1960s: Ann Landers was presented with a key upon her visit to Starr Commonwealth for Boys.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.51 square miles (11.68 km2), of which 4.41 square miles (11.42 km2) is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km2) is water. Albion is positioned 42.24 degrees north of the equator and 84.75 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Climate
| Climate data for Albion | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 33.6 (0.9) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
55.5 (13.1) |
70.0 (21.1) |
79.8 (26.6) |
85.6 (29.8) |
82.3 (27.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
44.0 (6.7) |
36.5 (2.5) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 19.8 (−6.8) |
17.2 (−8.2) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
38.3 (3.5) |
49.8 (9.9) |
59.6 (15.3) |
63.8 (17.7) |
61.3 (16.3) |
54.6 (12.6) |
43.0 (6.1) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
40.8 (4.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.0 (51) |
1.7 (43) |
2.4 (61) |
3.2 (81) |
3.7 (94) |
3.7 (94) |
3.3 (84) |
3.1 (79) |
3.3 (84) |
2.7 (69) |
2.6 (66) |
2.3 (58) |
33.9 (860) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 881 | — | |
| 1880 | 2,716 | — | |
| 1890 | 3,763 | 38.5% | |
| 1900 | 4,519 | 20.1% | |
| 1910 | 5,833 | 29.1% | |
| 1920 | 8,354 | 43.2% | |
| 1930 | 8,324 | −0.4% | |
| 1940 | 8,345 | 0.3% | |
| 1950 | 10,406 | 24.7% | |
| 1960 | 12,749 | 22.5% | |
| 1970 | 12,112 | −5.0% | |
| 1980 | 11,059 | −8.7% | |
| 1990 | 10,066 | −9.0% | |
| 2000 | 9,144 | −9.2% | |
| 2010 | 8,616 | −5.8% | |
| 2019 (est.) | 8,402 | −2.5% | |
| Source: Census Bureau. Census 1960- 2000, 2010. | |||
2010 population by gender/age
| Male | 4,013 | 46.6% |
| Female | 4,603 | 53.4% |
| Under 18 | 1,872 | 21.7% |
| 18 and over | 6,744 | 78.3% |
| 20-24 | 1,364 | 15.8% |
| 25-34 | 842 | 9.8% |
| 35-49 | 1,251 | 14.5% |
| 50-64 | 1,368 | 15.9% |
| 65+ | 1,124 | 13.0% |
2010 population by ethnicity
| Hispanic or Latino | 500 | 5.8% |
| Non Hispanic or Latino | 8,116 | 94.2% |
2010 population by race
| White | 5,477 | 63.6% |
| African American | 2,579 | 29.9% |
| Asian | 91 | 1.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 29 | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 17 | 0.2% |
| Other | 90 | 1.0% |
| Identified by two or more | 333 | 3.9% |
Transportation
Major highways
I-94
M-99
Rail
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Albion, operating its Wolverine both directions between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan, via Detroit.
Bus
Greyhound Lines provides daily intercity city bus service to Albion between Chicago, Illinois and Detroit.
Notable people
- Kim Cascone, musician, composer, owner of Silent Records; born in Albion
- M. F. K. Fisher, food writer, born in Albion
- Ada Iddings Gale, author, lived and buried in Albion
- Frank Joranko, football player and coach for Albion College
- LaVall Jordan, head men's basketball coach for Butler University, born in Albion
- Martin Wells Knapp, American Methodist evangelist who founded the Pilgrim Holiness Church and God's Bible School and College, born in Albion.
- Bill Laswell, jazz bassist, record producer and record label owner; born in Albion
- Jerome D. Mack, banker, director of Las Vegas hotels Riviera and Dunes, founder of University of Nevada, Las Vegas; born in Albion
- Deacon McGuire, professional baseball player for 26 seasons, lived in Albion
- Gary Lee Nelson, composer, pioneer in electronic and computer music; grew up in Albion
- Jack Vaughn, Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador to Panama and Colombia, and Director of the Peace Corps (1966-1969); grew up in Albion
- The War and Treaty, musical duo
Images for kids
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Albion's historic brick main street was first laid in 1903. It was reconstructed in 1993 with hand-laid, kiln-fired clay bricks.
See also
In Spanish: Albion (Míchigan) para niños
