CIVIL WAR VETERAN HURLEY S. AUSTIN

Because Memorial Day has its origins as the result of the Civil War of the 1860s, each year at this time we feature one of Albion’s Civil War veterans. Hurley S. Austin (1838-1919) enlisted as a private in Company H of the 33rd regiment of the New York Infantry in 1862. His brother Smith J. Austin also served in the same unit. Hurley was born in Green County, NY, moved to Monroe County NY at the age of three, and lived there into adulthood. He married Maria Holmes on December 27, 1860 in Rochester, N.Y. The couple had two daughters. Unfortunately, his wife passed away early as did the couple’s two daughters. Hurley served his country in the Civil War for eighteen months, until illness resulted in his discharge.

Following the War, Hurley came to Albion in December, 1867 where he married Mary Huffman (1851-1926) in July, 1868. The couple had ten children; his daughters included: Etta Porr, Jennie Slaughter, Blanche Jenkins, and Georgia Eckmyre. There are still descendants around today. Hurley led an active life and worked a succession of jobs after coming to Albion. He worked for Albion baker R. F. Davis for seven years, for the Howard Meat Company for six years, for the Knickerbocker Milling Company and the William Loder Lumber Company for two years each. He finally settled on a career with the Gale Manufacturing Company where he labored for thirty-two consecutive years, including during the 1910s when he was in his ‘70s.

Mr. Austin lived at 614 W. Michigan Avenue with his wife Mary. The August 15, 1907 edition of the Albion Recorder reported, "An alarm was sent in from Hurley Austin’s property on Albion St. this morning and the department made a fast run to the scene of the blaze. A bucket brigade of the Italian Band which plays for the Carnival this week, had the fire under control and the department did not throw water. This is the second alarm from the house this year."

He passed away on December 18, 1919 at the age of 81, and was interred in Riverside Cemetery in Albion. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a 1913 photograph of Hurley S. Austin. His name is included on the plaque on the monument in Riverside Cemetery of Post No. 210 of the Grand Army of the Republic. How many of our readers have ancestors who fought in the Civil War?

	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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