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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, May 8, 2026, pg. 5 During the month of May, I always like to feature some information about Albion's Riverside Cemetery in this column, as well as a Civil War veteran. At Riverside there are some fantastic monuments that have been erected through the years to mark the graves of our earlier citizens. One of these is the majestic stone of Squire Calhoun Bryant (1838-1870) and his wife Hannah M. (Willis) (1838-1919) Bryant. It sits in Block 68, Lot 3 in the shadow of a large pine tree. Squire was the brother of a prominent Albion builder/contractor, G. Washington Bryant (1833-1903). Hannah purchased the huge granite monument in 1892, twenty-two years after her husband died, and its installation attracted the attention of the Albion Recorder. An article published May 7, 1892 entitled "The Bryant Monument: A Poem in Granite" and full of commas stated, "For among the evidences of progress in art is the character and style of our cemetery work, which is not less gratifying to cultured taste, than the architectural beauty of the homes of the living." "This structure is a fine expression of the monumental art, being novel and unique in design, and of massive and commanding proportions. The style, unlike any other in central Michigan, has a character peculiar to itself, and thus adds a decidedly new feature to our beautiful cemetery." "It is composed of a triple base work, the lower one being seven feet square, and rising about these is a die with a polished column on each of its four corners, with carved capitals for finish, with a relief cap above, of the most artistic design, from which rises a pyramidal structure with section finish, with four polished tablets therein, all being finished with an elaborate and richly designed Corinthian finial." "The striking feature of this monument is its perfect figure, with its graceful outlines, its exact proportions, in detail, its elegant finish, and being made from the richest shade of dark Barre granite, it stands for the highest ideal of this art, without which such a structure is hot in keeping with the growing culture along other lines and art. It is a fitting memorial, tasty [Note: Is your tombstone tasty?] and artistic in design. and well-wrought in enduring granite, which will make a lasting record, that will remain true to its purpose, amid the destructive changes that time will invite." The article concludes by informing the reader that this artistic masterpiece was inscribed, designed, and placed by Hill's Granite Works in Jackson. I wonder how much it weighs, how they got it here, and how they were able to assemble all the parts? In addition, the family must have had a lot of money in order to afford this size and style of tombstone. I suspect that because Hannah's parents are featured on the opposite side of the stone, that their estate had something financially to do with its erection, as the 1894 Plat Map shows Hannah as the owner of their farm property to the tune of 413 acres (Section 18 Albion Township west of Babcock). From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of the Bryant monument in Riverside Cemetery. Have you seen it? The east side is labeled "BRYANT," with the "tablet" portion stating "Squire C. Bryant 1838-1870, Hannah M. His Wife 1838-1919." The west side is for Hannah' parents, and is labeled "WILLIS" with the "tablet" stating "Stephen H. Willis 1805-1888" and "Thankful His Wife." [Note: I'm sure he was, but that was the actual first name of his wife!] 1802-1881." Many of Albion's older tombstones in Riverside Cemetery are now damaged, and/or tilted due to no concrete base underneath. It is too bad there couldn't be a restoration project undertaken for some of these. Take a visit to the north side of the Cemetery for a look-see yourself, and enjoy the various styles of tombstones you come across.  The Bryant monument in Riverside Cemetery
All text copyright, 2026 © all rights reserved Frank Passic | Artwork copyright Maggie LaNoue © 2026
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