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A+History
History · Albion

Albion dates to 1835, and 49% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #11 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it

2 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 75 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1850.

1835founded
2on the National Register
49%homes built before 1940
5old photos & papers
11famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Albion’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Albion began

When was Albion founded?

1835

Albion dates its founding to 1835 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 881 in 18502020 census: 7,700191 years

How historic is Albion?

A+

More historic than 98% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1838.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Albion’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Albion is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #11 of 701 in Michigan. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its age lowest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Albion’s overall grade.
Founding era1835, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194049.0% of homes (±5.2) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register2 listings, 76 historic buildings, 101 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 98%
NewerOlder
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)#11 of 701

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Albion’s 101 sits above most of its state (94% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 76 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 points). Two sources give 1835.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Albion’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Superior Street Commercial Historic District takes in 75 historic buildings.Mapped building by building6 fire insurance maps, 1888 to 1918, drew every building in Albion.Boom and bustPeaked at 12,749 in 1960; 7,700 people lived here in 2020.Old housesHalf of Albion’s homes were built before 1942.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

2 listings protect 76 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
76
each building in a district counts
first listed
1988
Eugene P. Robertson House
Eugene P. Robertson House, built 1875Superior Street Commercial Historic District
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Italianate2
Late Victorian1
Second Empire1
Classical Revival1
Eugene P. Robertson HouseLate Victorian · Built 1875
Superior Street Commercial Historic DistrictItalianate

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Every building

Albion, building by building, 1888–1918

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Albion fire insurance map, 1888, sheet 11888Sheet 1 of 5
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Albion, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,0001850190019502000Peak: 12,749

Peaked at 12,749 in 1960; 7,700 people lived here in 2020.

16 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Albion’s Wikipedia page.

The story

How Albion came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Albion.

Read it all →

The first European-American settler, Tenney Peabody, arrived in 1833 along with his brother-in-law, Charles Blanchard, and another young man, Clark Dowling. Peabody's family followed soon after. In 1835, the Albion Company, a land development company formed by Jesse Crowell, platted a village. Peabody's wife was asked to name the settlement. She considered the name "Peabodyville", but selected "Albion" instead, after the former residence of Jesse Crowell. Crowell was appointed in 1838 as the first US postmaster there.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Albion in 1913

Passages that mention Albion, cut from the printed page as they were published.

He has been president of the village of Albion and mayor and treasurer of the city of Albion, served upon the school board, director and treasurer of several industrial companies and at present he is treasurer of Albion College. From IS!)! to 1S!I2. lie was li'wisurer o\' tlu' .Michipin Bankers" As…
History of Calhoun county, Michigan1913 · page 445Read the page →
Read the text

He has been president of the village of Albion and mayor and treasurer of the city of Albion, served upon the school board, director and treasurer of several industrial companies and at present he is treasurer of Albion College. From IS!)! to 1S!I2. lie was li'wisurer o\' tlu' .Michipin Bankers" Association.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
He came to Albion in 1848 and began his service as presiding elder of Indian missions for lower Michigan, as pastor at South Albion, and at the same time as agent for the college. He was also an active business man, building houses and stores in Albion and superintending the grading of the branch o…
History of Calhoun county, Michigan1913 · page 126Read the page →
Read the text

He came to Albion in 1848 and began his service as presiding elder of Indian missions for lower Michigan, as pastor at South Albion, and at the same time as agent for the college. He was also an active business man, building houses and stores in Albion and superintending the grading of the branch of the Lake Shore railroad from Jonesville to Lansing. He was active in public affairs, member of the state house of representatives, state senator, a trustee and president of the village.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Albion, 1835 to 1980

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1835
    FoundingAlbion is established
  3. 1838Post officeThe Albion post office opens
  4. 1875BuiltEugene P. Robertson House is built
  5. 20th century
  6. 1901Born hereLeonard Peter Schultz is born here
  7. 1905In the archiveAlbion MI Dec 26 1905
  8. 1908Born hereM. F. K. Fisher is born here
  9. 1915In the archiveAlbion, Mich
  10. 1955Born hereKim Cascone is born here
  11. 1960CensusPopulation peaks at 12,749
  12. 1967Born hereBrian Tyler is born here
  13. 1980On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

Albion, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1900s–1910s5 items
Albion MI Dec 26 19051905Albion MI Dec 26 1905Albion, Mich1915Albion, MichAlbion, Mich1915Albion, MichIndustries of War - Barbed Wire - WEAVING WIRE FOR ARMY. Automatic crimping machines. Union Steel Products Co., Albino,…1917Industries of War - Barbed Wire - WEAVING WIRE FOR AR…Industries of War - Barbed Wire - WEAVING WIRE FOR ARMY. One room of Union Steel Products Co., Albino, Michigan. All we…1917Industries of War - Barbed Wire - WEAVING WIRE FOR AR…
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today18 recent
Honors Sunny2024Honors SunnyHonors Plaque2024Honors PlaqueHonors Front door2024Honors Front doorSt. John the Evangelist-Albion2021St. John the Evangelist-AlbionThe First Home2019The First HomeHoly Ascension Church2018Holy Ascension ChurchGale Manufacturing2018Gale ManufacturingAlbion Senior High2018Albion Senior HighSmith-Gillespie House2016Smith-Gillespie HouseRiverside Cemetery2016Riverside CemeteryOrlando Gale House2016Orlando Gale HouseOld Rugged Cross sign2016Old Rugged Cross signMothers Day sign2016Mothers Day signFirst Presbyterian Church2016First Presbyterian ChurchEugene Robertson House2014Eugene Robertson HouseGreetings from Albion, Michigan - Large Letter Postcard2012Greetings from Albion, Michigan - Large Letter Postca…DocumentAlbion Grain and Feed Producers2011Albion Grain and Feed ProducersSuperior Street Commercial Historic District2010Superior Street Commercial Historic District
On the map

Albion on the map in 1980

The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Albion.

Albion on the 1980 USGS map1980Southwest Albion sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Albion.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Albion MI Dec 26 1905
Retake this viewAlbion MI Dec 26 1905, 1905

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Albion’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

11 famous people were born in Albion

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
M
M. F. K. FisherAmerican writer · b. 1908
L
Leonard Peter SchultzU.S. ichthyologist · b. 1901
K
Kim CasconeAmerican composer · b. 1955
Brian TylerAmerican auto racing driver · b. 1967
K
Karl WilliamsAmerican football player · b. 1971
LaVall JordanAmerican basketball coach · b. 1979
Help out

Finish Albion’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewAlbion MI Dec 26 1905: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Sheridan TownshipIts storyC+Albion TownshipIts storyB

Questions about Albion’s history

What year was Albion founded?

In 1835, according to Wikidata. Albion’s post office opened in 1838, and the census of 1850 counted 881 people here.

How does Albion rank for history?

Albion is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #11 of 701 in Michigan. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Albion?

Two places: the Eugene P. Robertson House (listed 1988) and the Superior Street Commercial Historic District (1997).

How old are the homes in Albion?

49% of Albion’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1942.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (22), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.