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Revision as of 23:05, 22 May 2012
City in Michigan, United States| Albion, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Albion, Michigan | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km) |
| • Land | 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km) |
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.1 km) |
| Elevation | 951 ft (290 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 8,616 |
| • Density | 1,914.6/sq mi (742.7/km) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 49224 |
| Area code | 517 |
| FIPS code | 26-00980Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619906Template:GR |
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. The population was 8,616 at the 2010 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area. From the time that the earliest English-speaking settlers arrived, the area has also been known 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.
The presence of several major manufacturers since the 19th century has given Albion the reputation of a factory town. This has changed with the closure of several manufacturers, and Albion's culture is changing to that of a college town with a strong interest in technology and sustainability issues. Albion College is a private liberal arts college with a student population of about 1,750. Albion is a sister city with Noisy-le-Roi, France.
Albion is the birthplace of food writer M. F. K. Fisher.
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 visits Albion on January 25, 1964.
- 1960s: Ann Landers was presented with a key upon her visit to Starr Commonwealth for Boys.
Law and government
Albion has a Council-Manager form of government. City residents elect a Mayor and City Council members from six districts. The council in turn selects a City Manager to handle day-to-day affairs of the city. The mayor presides over and is a voting member of the council. Council members are elected to four-year terms, staggered every two years. A mayor is elected every two years.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (12 km), of which, 4.5 square miles (12 km) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km) of it (0.89%) 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 |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.6 (0.9) |
31.8 (−0.1) |
41.6 (5.3) |
55.5 (13.1) |
70 (21) |
79.8 (26.6) |
85.6 (29.8) |
82.3 (27.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
60.5 (15.8) |
44 (7) |
36.5 (2.5) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °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 (6) |
31 (−1) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
40.8 (4.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (cm) | 2 (5.1) |
1.7 (4.3) |
2.4 (6.1) |
3.2 (8.1) |
3.7 (9.4) |
3.7 (9.4) |
3.3 (8.4) |
3.1 (7.9) |
3.3 (8.4) |
2.7 (6.9) |
2.6 (6.6) |
2.3 (5.8) |
34 (86.4) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Demographics
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 and over | 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% |
Rail transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Albion, operating its Wolverine both directions between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan via Detroit.
See also
Notable residents
- Richard Blatti, Director of the School of Music at Ohio State University, former Director of Bands at Albion College, Director of Albion Community Band.
- Bill Laswell, Jazz bassist, record producer and record label owner grew up in Albion graduating from Albion High School.
- Gary Lee Nelson, Composer, pioneer in electronic and computer music grew up in Albion. Gary Lee Nelson's home page
- Floyd E. Starr, American social work pioneer, graduated Albion College 1910, founded Starr Commonwealth for Boys at Albion in 1913, originator of phrase "There's no such thing as a bad boy", died Albion 1980.
- Jack Vaughn, Assistant Secretary of State, Ambassador to Panama and Colombia, and Director of the Peace Corps from 1966 to 1969 grew up in Albion.
References
- "2010 Census Interactive Population Search: Albion, MI"
- "Festival of the Forks", Frank Passic, Morning Star, September 10, 2000, pg. 9
- "The Passing Scene", Frank Passic, Morning Star, September 9, 2001, pg. 3
- ^ The Key To The City
- "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Albion, Michigan". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
Internal links
External links
- Albion District Library
- Albion Michigan Home Page
- Historical Albion Michigan
- Official City of Albion Government Home Page
- Albion E-News – Local News, Obituaries, Classifieds
- Albion E-Calendar – Community Calendar of Events
- Albion E-Directory – Business and Nonprofit Organization Directory
- Albion Mi Community
- Albion Biz Expo – Albion Mich. Online Virtual Tradeshow
- Albion Artists – Albion Michigan Artists showing and selling works of art
- Albion Character – Albion MI Character Education, teaching the 6 Pillars of Character
- Festival of the Forks – Albion's annual music and food festival by the forks of the Kalamazoo River
- Holy Ascension Orthodox Church on Austin Avenue
- The Greater Albion Chamber of Commerce
- Albion Michigan Community Foundation – For Good. For Ever.
- Ismon House – Community Meeting Place in Albion Mich.
- Albion Youth Theatre – Children's theater group in Albion
- Building a sustainable community
- ialbion.org Local Blog/Rebuilding Albion/community input for positive change
| Municipalities and communities of Calhoun County, Michigan, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| County seat: Marshall | ||
| Cities |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Charter townships | ||
| General law townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Indian reservation | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |