These resources make great gifts and are excellent mementos of your Albion heritage. Bring back memories of your hometown and share them with others!

Michigan residents please add 6% Michigan Sales tax which includes tax on shipping costs ($8 for each UPS flat envelope).

Check or money order accepted, payable to FRANK PASSIC. When in Albion, stop by the Albion Chamber of Commerce (416 S. Superior St., Albion, MI 49224) and save yourself postage and handling expenses.

Click here to see the Numismatic items from Frank Passic

Click here to return to the Historical Notebook

Here is a quick list of all the items, followed further down by descriptions.

Books by Frank Passic

Books by Other Albion Authors

Cemetery Tour Programs

Local Genealogical Research Resources

Atlases and Maps

Union Steel "Messenger" Magazine

Books

GROWING UP IN ALBION By Frank Passic
A 128-page pictorial book focusing on the 1950s and 1960s in Albion. Cover art. (2007) This book is designed for the "baby boomer" generation which grew up during these special years when Albion was booming. "Growing Up in Albion" features over 240 photographs of people, places, and events, some of which were never published before. Many of the photographs come from original black and white negatives of the old Albion Evening Recorder newspaper. Chapter titles: Around Town; Businesses; Industries; Schools; Recreation and Sports. Read more about it here, with an index. $25 + $5 s & h + $1.80 Michigan sales tax for orders in Michigan for a total of $31.80. Out of state there is no tax and so the total is $30.00

ALBION IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY By Frank Passic
A (2003) 128-page pictorial published by Arcadia Publishing. Cover art.This book features photographs from the personal archives of Albion Historian Frank Passic. “This is a people book, there are lots of group photographs of factory workers, officials, clubs, churches, and other organizations--all identified. Many family names will thus be represented in this book.” It has an index in Word format that you can have for free, available separately on the internet. The cost is $19.99 each plus $4.50 shipping and handling. Michigan residents please add 6% sales tax.

A HISTORY OF THE ALBION PUBLIC SCHOOLS By Frank Passic
(1991). Hard cover, 263 pages. Cover art. A comprehensive history of our local school system, plus the rural country schools that were annexed to the Albion system. Contains over 250 photographs. Every graduate of Albion High School and the Adult Education through 1991 is listed in this book, including YOURS if you graduated! Numerous topics and themes are covered in this book, including the elementary schools, athletics (over 30 pages), faculty, publications, activities, and much more. Must reading for anyone who attended the Albion Public Schools. $20 plus $7 p & h.

PRESENTING 25 YEARS OF THE ALBION CIVIC FOUNDATION By Frank Passic
(1993). Cover art. Founded in 1968, the Albion Civic [now Community] Foundation has funded numerous projects in the Albion area, which has enriched the lives of us all. Learn about its history, and read of some of the projects that it has funded. $7.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

A HISTORY OF RIVERSIDE CEMETERY IN ALBION, MICHIGAN By Frank Passic
(1998). Cover art. This 27-page booklet contains the historical text researched and written by the author which was submitted to the State of Michigan for nominating Riverside Cemetery as a State Historic Site. Did you know that over 20,000 persons are buried here? Learn about the original land owners, how the cemetery came to be, and famous people buried here. $10.00 plus $2.50 p & h.

A SHORT HISTORY OF ALBION, MICHIGAN, By Mary Reed Bobbitt
(1990 revised 3rd edition). Soft cover booklet, 8 pages. Cover art. A great overview of our community's history. The cover depicts an 1869 map of Calhoun County. $1.50 plus 75¢ p & h.

Cemetery Tours

Albion Riverside Cemetery Tour in 2006

These tour booklets contain approximately 30-35 selected interment sites featured in this historian’s annual October tour of Albion's Riverside Cemetery. Learn of the famous, infamous, poor, rich, and interesting interments found here. Lots of "ordinary folks" have been featured in these tours. All portions of the Cemetery have been covered.

These tour programs have proved to be quite popular. Each contains a numbered map you can use to take the tour yourself. These especially make great inexpensive historical gifts.

Price for each tour booklet: $3.00 plus $2.00 p & h.

1994: Southern Section Tour
Covers the southern portion of the cemetery. Cover art. Notable interments included James "Deacon" McGuire, Albion’s major league baseball player; Senator Warren G. Hooper who was murdered in 1945 and subject of the book "Three Bullets Sealed His Lips," and Warren S. Kessler, founder of the Albion Malleable Iron Company.

1995: Old Section Tour
Covers the old section of the cemetery featuring Albion's pioneers, and also the big Riverside Mausoleum. Cover art. Find out about famous people who are buried in the "old grounds."

1996: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside Cemetery
An important tour featuring European immigrants, blacks, and other minorities. 13 pages. Cover art. Excellent for researchers.

1997: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside Cemetery, Part 2
Due to the overwhelming response of the 1996 tour, we again stroll through the southern sections of the cemetery and focus on ethnic nationalities buried here. 18 pages. Cover art. Anyone doing ethnic research about Albion needs copies of my 1996 and 1997 tours.

1998: A Central Tour of Riverside Cemetery
A walk through the "gully" and hilly area overlooking the Kalamazoo River millpond. Cover art. Includes David Duncan, the Albion Hermit.

1999: A Musicians Tour of Riverside Cemetery
Many of the persons remembered on this tour either were musicians, taught music, sang music, or wrote music. Cover art. Interesting theme.

2000: The Millennium Tour of Riverside Cemetery
Take this tour of the south end of Riverside Cemetery as we visit the graves of 30 different people whose interesting biographies are printed in this booklet. Cover art. Includes Albion’s most distinguished citizen, the Hon. Washington Gardner who served in Congress, also as Michigan’s Secretary of State, and national Commander-in-Chief of the G.A.R; several members of the Wochholz family clan who were quite prominent here in the early 20th century; Edgar Steele, the father of Alfred Steele who was CEO of Pepsi Cola and married to movie star Joan Crawford; and Charles Quigg from the "old west," who rode shotgun on a stagecoach at age 16.

2001: German Hill Tour of Riverside Cemetery
The German Hill Tour of Riverside Cemetery. Cover art. One of Albion's major historic ethnic groups are the Germans, and this special tour focuses on two dozen or so German families representative of the hundreds who settled here. Included in the tour program is a map showing the location of the little towns where many of our German families came from, and street listings showing where many German families settled in Albion.

2002: The Other Pioneers of Albion Tour of Riverside Cemetery
This tour focuses on other pioneers of Albion not covered in previous tours. Cover art. The tour area is located in the vicinity of the "Old Grounds." Included are the parents of Ezra Cornell; Frederick Erhardt, Albion's pioneer undertaker; and the Levi Wild family after whom Wild St. is named. 33 stops.

2003: The Flagholder Tour of Riverside Cemetery
18 pages long! Learn about the symbols, markings, and meanings of the numerous flagholders placed next to graves by fraternal, masonic, insurance, military and other organizations. Cover art. Lots of website references in this tour program, which is a reference source in itself!

2004: An Ethnic Tour of Riverside Cemetery, Part 3
This continues the theme of the 1996 and 1997 tours. Cover art. This tour took place in Section 129 in the far southeast corner of the cemetery. This Section contains burials segregated by race, religion, and age. An emphasis is given upon the African-American community which settled in Albion and are interred here. Of special interest is the complete listing by-number and name of every burial in the so-called “Colored” and “Eastern Orthodox” sections here. Those with tombstones are printed with bold print, while those without stones with regular print, meaning you’ll be able to determine the burial location of a person whether or not they have a tombstone. This tour booklet is worth that listing alone!

2005: The Terrace View of Riverside Cemetery
This tour covers the hilly section located to the left of the main entrance road, above the large letters "RIVERSIDE" on the side of the hill. Cover art. We visited the gravesites of such persons as: The inventor of the commercial bread slicing machine; an "Orphan Train" child; an early settler of Spring Arbor whose writings helped inspire the Falling Waters Park there; the grandson of the famous 18th century clergyman Rev. Jonathan Edwards; and, yes, Martha Stuart. The event was sponsored by the Albion Public Schools.

2006: The Magnificent View Tour of Riverside Cemetery
This year’s tour features selected interments found on the hill which overlooks the Kalamazoo River parallel to M-99. Cover art. Many of Albion’s Civil war soldiers are buried in this section of the cemetery. Of special interest will be a rare look inside the Munroe Mausoleum, built in 1876 by Dr. Stephen Munroe (1813-1890), who was instrumental in the development of the north end of Duck Lake. Also interred in the Mausoleum is the Doctor’s brother, James Monroe (1818-1899), who was Albion’s first industrialist, and who served as Mayor and Postmaster of Kalamazoo in the 1890s.

2007: The Catholic Section Tour of Riverside Cemetery
29 selected interments in this special section. The tour begins at the former fishpond located in the center of the cemetery. This landmark was transformed into a garden-like setting in 2005 as the Eagle Scout project of Nick Peltier of Troop 172. The tour will be the first official public event held at this new cemetery landmark. The Catholic Section is owned by the local St. John’s Catholic Church in Albion. The tour features the following persons in Albion’s history: Corporal Patrick Leo Hanlon (1894-1918), Daniel Connors (1865-1912), Leo Mollica (1898-1930), John Callahan (1864-1922), John Klimkiewicz (1883-1953), Frank Calvaruso (1889-1923), Anthony Caminita (1914-1915), Onofrio Imperiale (1881-1916), John Kurpinski (1914-2001), Sophia Skalski (1918-2005), John Kita (1888-1964), Mayor Daniel McAuliffe (1875-1964), Solomon M. Raftery (1867-1919), William Walsh (1836-1896), Charles X. Guyselman (1854-1920), Robert Cascarelli (1856-1932), Bernardo Paniccia (1891-1945), Vincenzo Bommarito (1863-1955), Francesco Domingo (1894-1966), Theodore Ivanski (1877-1956), Mike Kulikowski (Nikodemas Kulikauskas) (1890-1975), Frank Sibal (1915-1997), Lester Blaisdell (1888-1982), Harold Driscoll (1909-1997), Linda Kochinski (1947-1999), Howard Bradley (1906-1981), Vincas Simaskevicius (1920-1992), and Andry Jaskiw (1957-1999). Cover art.

2008: The Veterans Memorial Stage Tour of Riverside Cemetery.
Featuring: milk dealer Philip Humphrey, Baptist minister and organist Rev. Wesley Dissette, Civil War veteran Hurley Austin, murder victim Carrie Twa, optometrist Harvey Sweet, blind man Victor Coulson, Duck Lake boat office manager William Leonard, Concord auto dealer Dwight Landon, Sr., Albion Evening Recorder owner Jack Bedient, Albion Malleable Iron Company executive Raymond H. Gardner, Albion Mayor James Shanley, Albion jeweler Arthur Tuchtenhagen, Albion baker Edwin Mounteer, William Williams who has a sundial on his tombstone, Albion Malleable executive Gardner Lloyd, Albion Public Schools superintendent George Walkotten, Albion Malleable president Benjamin Brown, Albion College dean of women Audrey Wilder, Gale Mfg. Co. executive and model railroad enthusiast Kirke White Comstock, boat manufacturer Frank H. Darrow, druggist Floyd Parks, paint store owner George W. Caines, Albion industrialist Ralph Brooks, auto mechanic Paul Rabakon, furnace manufacturer Titus Russell, Albion mayor Josiah Bean, and candy/ice cream store owner George Mitchell.

2009: The Checkerboard Tour of Riverside Cemetery The following persons and gravesites are featured on this year’s tour: clothing merchant Charles Ashdown (1865-1930); farmer William Bliss (1842-1901); art teacher Sybil Robinson (1873-1944); and her famous reporter-photographer niece, Gwen Dew (1903-1993); Malleable foreman Ross Green (1880-1955); Albion’s first city treasurer Wellington Bidwell Crane (1847-1901); saloonist John Fox (1859-1929); postmaster Frank Irwin (1863-1947); and Saloonist Ernest Boldt (1874-1964); Waldenwoods Conference Center Director Donald Dearing (1894-1990) and his librarian wife Florence Baker (1895-1961); drowning victim Donald Richardson Dungey (1917-1922); pioneer Frederick Belcher (1824-1908); California gold rush success man James Peabody (1829-1903); landscaper Thomas Geal (1872-1937); German patriarch John Wochholz (1838-1903); Albion Recorder printer William Gleason (1855-1935); physician Dr. William Collins (1825-1902); Homestead Savings president L.J. Wolcott (1849-1931); Malleable 61-year employee Charles Kopp (1880-1960); Civil War veteran Willard Durkee (1845-1928); Albion College President Louis Ransom Fiske (1825-1901); and 1940s-1950s J.C. Penney store manager Donald White (1907-1956).

Resources for Albion Area Historical Research

Atlases and Maps

Key to 1866 Bird's Eye View of Albion
By Frank Passic (1993 reprint). Soft cover, 52 pages. Cover art. Want to find out who lived in your house in 1866? This book dissects Albion block by block, and house by house. It is highly illustrated, and makes an excellent reference source to accompany the actual art print. Here are six articles featuring the Bird's Eye View Map. $15.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

1916 Calhoun County Atlas
REPRINT of Map Portions (2004). Soft cover, comb binding, 8½ x 11 size. 62 pages. This was the last of the trilogy of big bound atlases of Calhoun County (1873, 1894, 1916). This plat map atlas is an excellent resource of the early 20th century! All the railroads are there, including the interurban tracks. Two years later the abandonment of many railroads began. This atlas also shows the Rural Free Delivery mail routes the carrier took each day! There are plat maps of each township showing the land owners and various features, and street maps of the communities. This atlas also gives the business names of the farms on the plat maps in addition to the owners, such as “Oak Grove Farm,” etc. $15.00 plus $3.50 p & h.

UNION STEEL MESSENGER Magazine

1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s. Read more about the Union Steel Messenger! This company magazine of Union Steel Products is filled with photographs of employees and their families in various actvities such as bowling, picnics, reunions, weddings, etc. Especially historic are those issues produced during World War II which contain numerous photographs of Albion soldiers/sailors around the world. A great resource! These are $5.00 each, plus $3.00 p & h plus 6% Michigan Sales Tax (sales tax on $8 is 48¢ for a total of $8.48) if sent to an address within Michigan. NOTE: If ordering between 2-20, postage and handling is just $5.00 total as the issues will be placed in 1 prioritiy mail envelope. I have the following issues available. If I have more than one I have the number listed in parentheses.

January, 1942 (mimeographed original)
October, 1942
January, 1943
May, 1943
May, 1943 Army-Navy“E” Award, SPECIAL issue $10.00
January, 1944
February, 1944
March, 1944
April-May 1944
July, 1944
August, 1944
October, 1944
December, 1944
January, 1945
February, 1945
March, 1945
April, 1945
May, 1945
June, 1945
August, 1945
September, 1945
October, 1945
November, 1945
January, 1946
May, 1946
June, 1946
August, 1946 Salute to our Veterans, SPECIAL ISSUE $10.00
September, 1946
October, 1946
December, 1946
January, 1947
February, 1947
March, 1947
April, 1947
June, 1947
July, 1947
August, 1947
September, 1947
October, 1947
November, 1947
December, 1947
January, 1948
March, 1948
April, 1948
May, 1948 (2)
July, 1948
August, 1948
October, 1948
November, 1948
December, 1948
January, 1949
February, 1949
March, 1949
April, 1949
May, 1949
June, 1949
July, 1949
September-October, 1949
December, 1949
January, 1950
February, 1950 (2)
March, 1950
April-May, 1950
June, 1950
July, 1950
August, 1950
September, 1950
October, 1950
November, 1950
December, 1950
January, 1951
February, 1951
March, 1951
April, 1951
May, 1951
August, 1951
September, 1951
October, 1951
November-December 1951
January, 1952
February, 1952
March, 1952
April, 1952
May, 1952
June, 1952
July, 1952
September, 1952
October, 1952
November, 1952
January, 1953
March, 1953
April, 1953
May, 1953
July, 1953
August-September, 1953
October, 1953
November, 1953
December, 1953
1953 Annual Report
January, 1954
February, 1954
March, 1954
April, 1954
May, 1954
June, 1954
July, 1954
August-September, 1954
October, 1954
November, 1954
January-February, 1955
March, 1955
April, 1955
May, 1955
August-September, 1955
October, 1955
November, 1955
December, 1955
January, 1956
February, 1956
March, 1956
April, 1956
May, 1956
June, 1956
July, 1956
August-September, 1956
October, 1956
November, 1956
December, 1956
January, 1957
February, 1957
March, 1957
April, 1957
May, 1957
June, 1957
July, 1957
August-September, 1957
October, 1957
November, 1957
December, 1957
January, 1958
February, 1958
March, 1958
April, 1958
May, 1958
June, 1958
July, 1958
August-September, 1958
October, 1958
November, 1958
December, 1958
January, 1959
February, 1959
March, 1959
April-May, 1959
June, 1959
July, 1959
August, 1959
September, 1959
October, 1959
November, 1959
December, 1959
January, 1960
March, 1960
April-May, 1960
August-September, 1960
October-November, 1960
March-April 1961
May-June 1961
July-August 1961
September-October, 1961
November-December, 1961
January-February, 1962
March-April, 1962
May-June, 1962
July-August, 1962
September-October, 1962
November-December, 1962
January-February, 1963
March-April, 1963
May-June, 1963
July-August, 1963
September-October, 1963
November-December, 1963
January-February, 1964
March-April, 1964
May-June, 1964
July-August, 1964
September-October, 1964
December, 1964
January-February, 1965
March-April, 1965
May-June, 1965
September-October, 1965
November-December, 1965
January-February, 1966 (2)
March-April, 1966
July-August, 1966 (2)
September-October, 1966
November-December, 1966
January-February, 1967
March-April, 1967 (2)
June-August, 1967 (2)
September-October, 1967
November-December, 1967
March-April, 1968
May-June-July, 1968
August-September-October, 1968
November-December, 1968
January-February-March, 1971
April-May, 1971
June-July-August, 1971
September-October, 1971
November-December, 1971
January-February-March, 1972
April-May, 1972
June-July-August, 1972
September-October, 1972
November-December, 1972
January-March, 1973
April-June, 1973
July-August-September, 1973
October-December, 1973
January-March, 1974
April-June, 1974
Autumn, 1974
December, 1974
January-February, 1975
April, 1975
May-June, 1975
Summer, 1975
Fall, 1975
December, 1975
January-February, 1976
March-April, 1976
May-June, 1976
July-August, 1976
September-October, 1976
November-December, 1976
January-February, 1977
Spring, 1977
Summer, 1977
Winter, 1977
Spring, 1978 (2)
Summer, 1978
Fall, 1978
Winter, 1978
Spring, 1979
Summer, 1979
Fall, 1979
Winter, 1979