News and Events
News
Train Enthusiasts Coming to Albion in October
The 17th Michigan Railroad History Conference will take place in Albion on Saturday, October 12, at the Norris Auditorium of Albion College's Science Complex. The conference will run from 9 am to 5 pm with lunch and breaks in between. A field trip will precede the conference on Friday, October 11, when Norm Krentel will lead an all-day luxury coach tour following the route of the Michigan Railway Interurban line that ran between Battle Creek and Jackson.
The Albion Historical Society will be supporting the efforts of this conference in various ways, particularly by sharing the original timbers from the first railroad to come to Albion as well as showing a multitude of Interurban Railroad photos and maps. These items will be on display at the conference as well as at the Gardner House Museum at an open house to be held Friday, October 11, from 5-9 pm.
Speakers and topics include: Featured speaker Edward A. Burkhardt and “The Wabash in Michigan in its Last Days as an Independent Railroad”; Gary Kadau,“The History of Grosse Ile's Railroad 1873-1929”; Norman Krentel, “How Regulation Affected Michigan's Interurbans”; Mark Worrall, “Exploring the Relationships of Copper Mines and Railroads in the UP”; Martin Hershock, “Booted and Spurred, Railroads, the Open Range, and Rebellion in Antebellum Michigan”; Ronald Bretz, “Rudy Bladel, the Railroad Killer”; and Paul Trap, “The Fennville Train Robbery.” A complete description of the two-day event is available at www.michiganrailroadhistory.org.
Registration is required for all events and includes lunch plus snacks. The Friday bus tour will cost $60. Registration for the Saturday event is $70 if payment is postmarked by October 1 or $75 if postmarked after October 1. Please remit separate checks for each event. Make check or money order payable to Michigan Railroad History Conference and mail to MRHC, P.O. Box 16235, Lansing, MI 48901. Registration on the day of the conference will also be available. Registration for the bus tour will be contingent on the number of seats still available.
Upcoming Events
Need Barber & Beauty Shop Photos for Exhibit
Our new exhibit highlighting the barber and beauty shops of Albion is still under construction. We've had a few nice donations of objects but would love some photos. Do you have a photo of someone's first hair cut? Do you have a photo of your favorite shop? Where did you go to have your hair done in Albion? Please email us, call us, or send us snail mail.
How to Contact Us While We Are Building Our New Web Site...
The Albion Historical Society is currently building a new website. The current one has been around for ten years already, which means it is from the dark ages. In fact, due to its age, the "Contact Us" link had to be removed. In the interim, please know that you may still reach us at info(insert the "at" sign)albionhistoricalsociety.org. We hope to have the new site in operation by late spring.
We're on Facebook
Visit us at www.facebook.com/albionhistoricalsociety. Visit our page for updates on events being held at the museum, special features, recent artifact donations, and much more.