ALBION ACTION CENTER CHRISTMAS GIFTS

For the record, the hand that was pictured holding that Albion Chamber of Commerce slogan in last week's article was that of Orlando Harry Gale (1870-1960), owner-operator of the Gale Hardware here.

As we enter the Christmas season, I'm going through my file of Albion Christmas photos and find most of them are of Superior St. decorations, decoration contest photos, Santa coming to town, and some winter scenes, including at Albion College. I always try and look for photographs with identifiable persons in them and have come up with a couple to share with my readers in these next few weeks.

One of Albion's emerging social agencies established here in the 1960s was the Albion Action Center, which opened in 1967 and was located in the old Albion Lumber Company complex at 125 E. Cass St. If that address looks familiar, it is presently the home of this publication, the Morning Star, as well as the Recorder newspaper. The Albion Action Center was part of the Calhoun County Action Agency and served our minority and low-income populations. Consuella Reed served as director, with Virginia Tabb as secretary.

From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph published December 13, 1967 showing local youth making toys for a Center Christmas party at Crowell School. The caption reads, "Preparing for a Party. These youngsters were working at the Albion Action Center the other evening making toys and decorations for the Center's advisory council Christmas party at Crowell School Saturday for children from kindergarten through the sixth grade. From left to right are: Debbie Holt, Richard Gaitan, Neil Jean Reid, Phillip Campbell, Francisco Cordova, Veronica Cardova, and Maria Cordova, with Sandra Reid in back."

How many of our readers remember the Albion Action Center or any of the youth in this photograph?

	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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