| Albion, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Location of Albion, Michigan | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Calhoun |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km2) |
| • Land | 4.5 sq mi (11.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 951 ft (290 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,616 |
| • Density | 1,914.6/sq mi (742.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 49224 |
| Area code(s) | 517 |
| FIPS code | 26-00980[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619906[2] |
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[3] 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.
Contents |
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.[4][5]
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:
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.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5 square miles (12 km2), of which, 4.5 square miles (12 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) 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 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 (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) |
57.95 (14.42) |
| 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 (6) |
31 (−1) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
40.82 (4.90) |
| Precipitation inches (cm) | 2 (5) |
1.7 (4) |
2.4 (6) |
3.2 (8) |
3.7 (9) |
3.7 (9) |
3.3 (8) |
3.1 (8) |
3.3 (8) |
2.7 (7) |
2.6 (7) |
2.3 (6) |
34 (86) |
| Source: Weatherbase [7] | |||||||||||||
| 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% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 500 | 5.8% |
| Non Hispanic or Latino | 8,116 | 94.2% |
| 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% |
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Albion, operating its Wolverine both directions between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan via Detroit.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||