THE INTERURBAN - Historical Albion Michigan

Old-timers in Albion will recall the days of the electric Interurban, which ran through Albion from 1903 until passenger service ended on November 30, 1928 and freight service ended June 1, 1930. If you look closely at the bricks on E. Erie St., you will notice a double line in the center, which curves northwards as it nears Superior St. This is the remains of the old interurban, which ran down the center of Erie and Superior Streets, Cass St., and Austin Avenue. The Interurban station was located on E. Erie St. at the site of the former Consumers Power Company building, vacated a year ago.

Just west of town on Austin Avenue past 27 Mile Road (then known as Hall’s Lake Road) was the Interurban repair barns, known as “Taylorville” named after the superintendent, Robert Taylor. The repair shops employed about 300 men, and specialized in maintaining the interurban cars in such areas as carpentry, electricity, machinery, painting, upholstery, etc.

The building which served as the headquarters for the interurban car barns is still standing, although it is vacant today. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of this building, as it appeared in 1913. Notice the double set of tracks which passed in front of it, and the water tower to the rear.

There are so many things which could be written about the history of the interurban, that it would fill many pages of a book. It certainly was a major means of transportation in the early 20th century, but its downfall was the rise of the automobile. The interurban was a convenient way to travel to Jackson, Marshall, Montcalm Lake, Bath Mills, and other places. Visitors to Albion College’s Nature Center might like to know that the main center path is the old roadbed of the interurban.

	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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