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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, August 11, 2002, pg. 19 For the historical record, the paving bricks in the 100 block of E. Erie St. in downtown Albion were finally removed on Wednesday, July 31. Workers received a big surprise, when it was discovered that the wooden railroad ties of the old electric interurban tracks were left cemented in the street base when the tracks were removed in 1930. There were even a few spikes here and there that were not taken up with the rails. This week the Calhoun County Fair is being held in Marshall, and yours truly would like to invite our readers to visit the fair and especially view the historical display arranged by this writer. Back in 1954 the Albion Malleable Iron Company “Circle-A-Tor” magazine published a special issue devoted to the fair, filled with photographs. Now after 48 years these have come to light again. The original negatives have been developed and the photographs placed on display. There are various fair scenes, including the 4-H parade showing several area township clubs, and advertisement posters from such firms as E.E. Stokoe of Devereaux and Ne-Ru-Bar Orchards of Albion. Included is a photograph of a display arranged by the Albion Manufacturers Association, featuring a Studebaker axle and wheels, and a differential carrier and gear case produced at the Albion Malleable Iron Company. Also in the photo are castings from the Gale Manufacturing Company, a Union Steel rubbish burner, and patterns from the Albion Pattern Company. The display is located in the wooden “annex” building just west of the merchant’s building. There used to be a Calhoun County union labor picnic at the fair, and Albion was always well represented. The picnic was sponsored by the A.F. of L. and the C.I.O. Also in the display is a 1950 photo of Michigan Governor G. Mennan Williams who attended the event, standing next to local Albion union officials Ray Bricker, and Joe Hummel. That year Governor Williams gave a speech pushing for the establishment of the proposed U.S. Air Force Academy in Battle Creek, at Fort Custer. From our Historical Notebook we present a photograph of the Albion Malleable Iron Company float from that picnic. The young women on the float are (left to right): Mary Rundquist, Carol Bricker, and Mildred Dickmeyer. Mildred, who studied art at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, designed and supervised the construction of the float. The driver in the Union parade was Dick Stevens. The float declares, “Albion Malleable Iron, Local 413 Albion, Mich. Union for Liberty.” 
Albion Malleable Iron Company float All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic | Artwork copyright Maggie LaNoue © 2026
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