Historical Albion Michigan
By Frank Passic

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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.

ALBION 100 YEARS AGO - OCTOBER 1922, Part 1

Morning Star, October 2, 2022, pg. 3

We continue with our theme of "Albion, 100 Years Ago." October 2, 1922: "Miss Audrey Wilder, assistant to Dr. Philip H. Hembt, head of the department of English in Albion College, who has just taken a place on the Albion faculty, succeeding Miss Mary B. Baldwin, comes to her new work with a wide experience both in Albion College and the teaching profession. Miss Wilder is of an unusual literary turn of mind and during the War period had the unique distinction of being chosen by the faculty as one of the few co-eds ever selected to edit the Pleiad, the Albion College weekly publication."

City officers staged a raid Saturday night at the home of Steve Denichuk, 720 N. Albion St. where they secured as evidence a jug containing liquor, the coil of a still hidden in the cellar, and a quantity of mash in the barn. Mrs. Denachuk resisted the officers and succeeded in breaking one jug of Liquor."

October 4, 1922: "Officers Put Big Still Out of Commission. A part of local officers made a liquor raid at the extreme north end of Albion St. last night about 8:45 pm and in a barn found a liquor still, right in operation. Warrants were issued this morning for John Harry, who lives in the house on the premises, and for Fred Samoluk and Fred Dzlfka, members of the firm operating the grocery at the corner of Austin Ave. and Albion St."

"Ben Miller of this city started suit today in circuit court against John Trim, who recently bought out Mr. Miller's meat market on Michigan Ave, for the purchase price, over which there is said to have been a misunderstanding between the two men."

October 6, 1922: "Liquor Found Twice in Same Home in Month. The activity shown recently by the city police department in ferreting out liquor stills and places where liquor are sold resulted last evening in the discovery of a quantity of liquor in the residence of Wasil Okolantka, 1209 Mallory St. for the second time within the past month."

"Former Slave Dies Today. Mrs. Mary Jordan, colored, passed away this morning at 11 o'clock at her home, 316 Washington St. She was said to have been one of the few Albion residents of her race who had been a slave in the South before Civil War days. As far as is known, she has no relatives. Her age is thought to have been 85 years. No arrangements have yet been made for the funeral but burial will be in Riverside Cemetery." [NOTE: Here in 2022, her grave in Section of 129, Grave 308 in Riverside Cemetery is bare with no tombstone. Couldn't some local group raise funds to see that she gets a tombstone on her grave to remember her by?]

October 7, 1922: "Samuel and Forest Ladd, arrested yesterday and taken to Jackson for arraignment on a charge of assault and battery on complaint of G. T. Gaskill, farmer living east of Albion, the offense being committed upon Mr. Gaskell after the latter had tried to warn them away from his apple trees, pled guilty before Justice Simpson, it was stated this morning, and were given sentences of 30 days each in the Jackson County jail."

October 9, 1922: "Dogs Kill Sheep, One Dog is Shot. Two dogs, an Atredale and a hound, were found chasing the flock of 60 sheep owned by George Heisler, farmer living southwest of Albion on the River Road, on the old Belcher place Sunday morning about 9 o’clock. The two dogs had killed one sheep and had badly chewed two others."

October 10, 1922: Financial Notice "advertisement" text: "The Eagles Building Association Bonds. The Eagles Building Association Bonds fell due on October 1, 1922, and are payable at this time at this Bank. Interest ceased on this issue of Bonds on the above date. Please present your Bonds promptly for payment. The Commercial & Savings Bank, Albion, Mich. Federal Reserve System, the bank of strength and service."

October 12, 1922. "City to Have New Pavement on M-17 Road. A splendid improvement whereby all of the state trunk line M-17 which lies within the limits of the city of Albion will be paved is to be installed next year, starting as early as possible in the spring. Michigan Avenue from Mingo St. to Clark St. will have a new pavement, probably of the concrete type. A similar improvement will be constructed on Austin Ave. starting at the end of the present pavement at the Eaton St. intersection."

City Council minutes: "A communication was received from the Union Steel Products Co. requesting the city to close N. Huron St. from the New York Central tracks north to Pine St., so that the company, which is in very cramped quarters, can utilize this added space."

Read more Albion 100 Years Ago articles.

Next week: ALBION, 100 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 1922, Part 2


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All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic  |  Artwork copyright Maggie LaNoue © 2026

Frank Passic Albion Historian 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.

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