Vintage Photos: Albion, Michigan from 1900 Thru the 1920s

Albion's first settlers (aside from the original tenants, the Potawatomi tribe) included Tenney Peabody, who arrived in 1833.

In 1835, the village was platted. What to name it? Why not name it “Peabodyville” as suggested by Tenney Peabody's wife. In the end, “Albion” was chosen, named after the former residence of another original settler, Jesse Crowell. Crowell was appointed in 1838 as Albion's first postmaster.

FAST FACTS:
1835: Methodists establish Albion College
1838: Jesse Crowell appointed first postmaster
1843: First college classes were held
1852: Railroad is constructed though town
1855: Albion is incorporated as a village
1861: The name 'Albion College' is official
1885: Albion becomes a city
1908: The Great Flood causes severe property damage

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What caused the flood? The previous February, there were massive amounts of snow fall. The following month, heavy rain and warm spring weather thawed the ice and melted the snow, making the Kalamazoo River rise to dangerous proportions. The dam broke, and the river flooded almost the entire city of Albion. Bridges were underwater and structures could not withstand the high, rushing water and collapsed.

Albion survived and is doing quite well in the 2020s.....but this wasn't meant to be a history lesson...it's just a preface to the photo gallery below, which features many images of what Albion looked like from 1900 thru the early 1920s.