UNION STEEL PRODUCTS 1948 OPEN HOUSE - Historical Albion Michigan

As we approach the holidays, let me remind our readers that my Albion history books and materials are available at the Albion Chamber of Commerce. These make great lasting gifts. My book “Albion in the 20th Century” has been reprinted and is again available. My Riverside Cemetery tour program booklets are “all there” at the Chamber. Is your collection complete? These are filled with local history information and tidbits of information you won’t find anywhere else. These make wonderful “stocking stuffers” which everyone will talk about, or as gifts at employee Christmas parties. Is your set complete?

On Monday April 5, 1948, Union Steel Products held an open house to show the public its “peacetime” plant production operations. Tours of the plant facilities were given at various times throughout the day, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending 12 hours later at 9 pm. Tour guides explained about the products made at USP, and the machinery used to produce those products. Each tour lasted about an hour and twenty minutes. A total of 1,000 persons visited the plant that day, including 60 Washington Gardner High School students who were excused from class to attend.

From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of that tour. In this scene, guide Herbert Kreger (far left) points to the Jones & Lambson turret lathe being operated by Robert Clark in department 10. Left to right: Herbert Kreger; then students: Marvin Wood in checkered coat, James Bommarito, Joe Campo, William McGormley, Bob Hunt; USP employee Robert Clark operating the lathe; Larry Snyder, Ben Lark, and class advisor-teacher Mrs. Ruth Hallman.

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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