News and Events
News
Mark Twain Comes to Albion District Library October 14
Mark Twain will be at the Albion District Library on Tuesday, October 14, at 6:30 p.m., ready to regale guests with amusing tales of the Mississippi River, Virginia City’s silver boom, and San Francisco in the 1860’s in a one-act, one-man show, "Mark Twain's American West." John L. Daly, the show's writer and performer, recently performed a five-night run at The Players in Detroit. His material is sourced from Twain’s books Life on the Mississippi and Roughing It. The Albion Historical Society has partnered with the Albion District Library for this event.
John L. Daly, MBA, CPA, CMA, CPIM, is a Chelsea–based management consultant specializing in costing, pricing strategy and pricing model development. He has spent much of his career training corporate financial professionals. He is the author of Pricing for Profitability, a novel, Tool & Die, eight one-act plays, and numerous professional articles. He has had a lifelong interest in history. With ties still in the area, Mr. Daly grew up in Albion and was president of the Albion High School Class of 1971. He is the son of Drs. Miriam and Harold Daly who practiced medicine in Albion for many years. This event is free and open to the public. The library is located at 501 S. Superior Street, Albion, just north of the Gardner House Museum.
Trailblazing Women, Aviation Heros, and Tuskegee Airmen Subject of Talk October 22
Imagine waking at 4 a.m., donning a wool and leather flight suit, and ascending in an open cockpit to 20,000 feet on fragile wings of spruce and silk. You volunteered for this deadly mission, knowing your life expectancy was less than six weeks. How did America’s WWI aviators overcome impossible odds, shortening the war and saving countless lives?
We invite you to join us for Wendy Zielen's talk, "Bravery and Innovation: Early Aviation Heroes," on Wednesday, October 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Stirling Books and Brew, 119 N. Superior Street, Albion. Ms. Zielen was fascinated to learn about Albion’s connection to the Tuskegee Airmen. “I found this writeup, Albion's Tuskegee Airmen, which notes that Albion was home to four men who served—Robert Chandler, Grover Crumsby, Finis Holt, and Richard Weatherford. It’s remarkable that a community of Albion’s size contributed so significantly to that history.” Her talk will feature these men, along with some trailblazing women aviators such as WWII WASPs Ruth Westheimer (Jackson) and Sue Parish (Portage), and Harriet Quimby of Coldwater, the first U.S. woman to earn a pilot’s license (1912) and to fly the English Channel.
Ms. Zielen holds a BA from the University of Michigan and has an extensive background in marketing, administration, and management with a specialty in small to midsized
businesses and nonprofit organizations. This talk is free and open to the public.
Annual Membership Meeting to be held November 1
The Annual Membership Meeting will be held at the Ismon House on Saturday, November 1, from 1-3 pm. Author and podcaster Michael Delaware will be presenting the story of "The Rise and Fall of Old Stark" from his book "Victorian Southwest Michigan True Crimes." This important meeting will also feature elections to the board of directors and light refreshments.
Mr. Delaware's story covers the downfall of Leonard Starkweather, owner of the Battle Creek House, a popular stagecoach stop along the territorial road. This true crime story has a connection to Albion as Starkweather was a well-known figure across Calhoun County, and citizens of Albion were selected for the jury trial in this case. Michael will have copies of his books available for sale and will be signing them at this event.
The Ismon House is located at 300 S. Clinton Street, Albion. You must be a member to attend this meeting. If you are not yet a member but want to attend the talk, you may purchase a membership at the door.
Upcoming Events
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.