Each year at this time we feature the Albion High School class of 100 years ago. The Class of 1923 was the first to use the new high school wing addition to the Central School complex.

The site of today’s “Molder Statue Park” on the southwest corner of N. Superior St. and Michigan Avenue used to be the site of Cannon Park, where a Civil War cannon was displayed from 1896 until 1961.

Each year at this time we feature one of Albion’s Civil War veterans. Solomon Porter Brockway (1837-1924) was the son of Rev. William Hadley Brockway (1813-1891), one of Albion’s prominent 19th century citizens.

It’s been over twenty years now since Albion had a hospital of its own, as Trillium Hospital closed on February 5, 2002. For many years however, it was the Sheldon Memorial Hospital that reigned as the premiere place for hospital health care in town.

We continue with our theme of “Albion, 100 Years Ago.” May 1, 1923: “Thirty years ago tomorrow on May 2, 1893, the Commercial & Savings Bank of this city received its charter from the State banking department.”

How would you like to become the town’s Dog Warden? No, that’s not an elected position for some demoted politician. Rather, it’s just a fancy way of saying “dog catcher.” Albion once had a Dog Warden that took care of canine problems in our community during the 1960s.

In recent years we’ve seen corner sidewalks and curbing in town upgraded with modern handicapped-accessible ramps. In the process of upgrading, the sidewalk “square” let’s call it, where the walks on two streets intersect, were removed and replaced.

Remember when we had a Justice of the Peace? That was a civil officer who had the power to handle minor criminal and/or legal cases in town, and had the power to officiate at weddings without being an ordained minister.

We continued with our theme of: “Albion, 100 Years Ago,” with a reminder that any date given is the date the article appeared in the newspaper, not necessarily the day the event happened.

Occasionally in this column I like to feature an Albion collectible item, such as an old Albion milk bottle, an Albion merchant token, or an Albion banknote or scrip.

It was on Thursday, March 5, 1868 that the body of the “Albion Hermit,” David Duncan, was found frozen to death in his abode on his 80-acres of land just southwest of Albion.

We continue with our theme of “Albion—100 Years Ago.” March 3, 1923. “Deputy Sheriff George U. McCarty and Chief of Police Clyde Stoddard pulled off a successful liquor raid early this afternoon at the home of Kosie Kowack, at the corner of Charles and Williams Sts.

Normally for upcoming March in this column I’d feature an article and photo about the Great Flood of March, 1908. We’ve all seen the numerous postcard photos of the horrific damage done to downtown Albion when all the buildings over the Kalamazoo River collapsed into the raging waters below.

Albion’s Fire Department operations date back to 1856, when the “Alert Fire Engine No. 1” was organized.

At 119 E. Cass St. sits an old brick building that sits a way back from the street, which once had a prominent significance in our community. This is the Albion Water Works building, erected around 1889 to provide water to our community