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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 30, 2021, pg. 9 Please support our Albion Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 31. Remember, the time has been moved back to now start at 9 a.m. instead of 10 am. In the time leading up to the Civil War, political alliances were strong, and newspapers were often the "right arm" of propaganda for political parties. Back in 1855 the Albion Mirror newspaper was founded, and expressed the views of the Democratic party which leaned against the coming Civil War and our participation in it. Albion had several prominent "Copperheads" (as they were called) living here, such as William V. Morrison, Augustus Porter Gardner, Rev. William Farley, Rev. Andrew M. Fitch, and Mayor George M. Cady whom were quite vocal in their opposition to the War. To counter that viewpoint, the Albion Union Herald newspaper was founded in 1861 to reflect the views of the Union and the Republican Party. Its motto was "The Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws." The Herald office was located on the second floor of the "Hannahs’ Block," a wooden structure which once stood on the southwest corner of S. Superior and W. Center Streets. Today this is part of the site of the Marriott hotel in downtown Albion. The Herald was edited by Frederick A. Wheelock (1833-1902), who came to Albion with his parents at the age of three in 1836. Educated here in the "Little Red Schoolhouse," Frederick also attended Albion Seminary (later, College). In the early 1850s he went with his father Dr. Frederick Wheelock to California to participate in the "gold rush," and returned in 1856 after four years of mining. He began studying law, was admitted to the bar in 1859, and opened his law practice here. He operated the newspaper concurrently with his law practice. In partnership with Wheelock was his brother-in-law William L. Case (1836-1880), a printer by trade who handled the printing aspect of the newspaper. Their newspaper firm was called Wheelock & Case. The Albion Union-Herald was published on Saturdays. The subscription cost was $1.50 per year. The firm also did job printing of various types. Unfortunately, the Hannahs block was destroyed by fire in 1867 and with it went the Albion Union-Herald newspaper which also was destroyed. Also gone was the Comstock Brothers Druggists store located downstairs on the main floor of the Hannahs Block. Several months after the fire, the Albion Weekly Recorder was established in May, 1868 to take the place of the Herald. It was established by William C. Harrison. Its motto was "A Government established in the hearts of the People; Founded Upon the rights of all men of whatever condition or maturity." After the fire, Wheelock then went into partnership in a dry goods store with Wellington Bidwell under the name of Bidwell & Wheelock which operated for fifteen years. Case moved to Denver, Colorado where he died in 1880. Both men are interred in Riverside Cemetery in Albion. Only two issues of the Albion Union-Herald newspaper are known to have survived. From our Historical Notebook this week we present the masthead of the April 2, 1864 edition (Volume 3, No. 25). This particular issue is filled with news about the War, as well as the advertisements of local Albion merchants. It is unfortunate that only a few Albion Civil War newspapers (all titles) have survived. The missing issues could have given us much information about our Albion’s boys in the War and other important local history news.  Albion Union-Herald April 2, 1864
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