SNUG BARBER SHOP HAD LONG HISTORY

At the beginning of this year one of Albion’s oldest business establishments closed, the Snug Barber Shop at 101 W. Porter St. There had been a barber shop at this location for over 125 years. The 1885 Albion City Directory lists A. W. Harrison as being the barber here. Claude Long operated the establishment in the 1890s. The 1897 directory lists him as a "tonsorial artist; ladies’ and children’s haircutting a specialty; bath rooms in connection.” It was then taken over by L.C. Campbell who barbered there until 1911.

Mr. Campbell sold his barber shop to Chester L. Robinson (1882-1961) on July 13, 1911. Chester named his shop the "Snug,” and barbered there for 50 years. He was a well-known fixture in downtown Albion for many years. A native of Portland, Michigan, Chester came to Albion in 1908 and barbered at local shops before purchasing his own business. Chester sold the Snug to Marvin Deuel of Springport in 1960 and went into semi-retirement before his death in August of 1961.

From our this week we present a 1911 angled photo of the Snug. Notice the ornate barber pole out front. Why, there is even a dog in the photo making his rounds between those two fire hydrants and the barber pole. How many of our readers had their hair cut at the Snug?

	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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