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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, February 6, 2022, pg. 4 One vibrant early 20th century business in Albion, Michigan was the Star Bakery, located at 620 Austin Avenue during the 1910s and 1920s. It was located in the vicinity of the so-called "Foreign Settlement" of European immigrants who worked at the nearby Albion Malleable Iron Company. The owner/operator was immigrant Trayan Branoff (1889-1965). Trayan was a native of Bouf (now called Akritas) West Macedonia, Greece, who came to America in 1914. A May, 1924 article stated, "Trayan Branoff Has Full Line of Goods at the Star Bakery. In 1914, Trayn Branoff, a local man, realizing the big field for a bakery located in the northwest section of Albion, started what is known as the Star Bakery, occupying its own building at 620 Austin Avenue. A complete line of bread and other baked goods is put out by Mr. Branoff, whose customers are located in every part of Albion and surrounding country, and the success of his business is attested to by the fact that last year his turnover was more than $11,000. Mr. Branoff is a loyal Albionite and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce." One employee at the Star Bakery was Ernest Baskevich (1906-19??) an immigrant from Zagare, Lithuania who lived with his parents and family at 210 N. Gale St. Ernie later baked in Grand Rapids, and then in Chicago where he spent the remainder of his life. In those days, numerous foreign European languages were fluently spoken on the "west end" of Albion, also known as "hunkytown." The Star Bakery was a location in common to everyone, no matter what nationality. Trayan, his wife Elinka "Lena" (1890-1963) and children, lived adjacent to the bakery. Trayan became a naturalized U.S. citizen in June, 1925. Mr. Branoff closed the business around 1933, and subsequently moved to the Detroit area with his family. After their deaths, the Branoffs were interred in Woodmere Cemetery in Detroit. The bakery remained vacant until 1935, when it was reopened as the Vienna Bakery, operated by Joseph Giluk. He lived at the residence there with his wife Stella and son Edward. The bakery operated until just before World War II when it was closed and the Giluk’s moved to Jackson. The building was subsequently demolished. Unfortunately, there are no known photographs of the bakery building. From our Historical Notebook we present an aluminum Star Bakery bread token, measuring 30 mm. in diameter. The obverse text states "STAR/BAKERY." The reverse states: "GOOD FOR/ONE/LOAF." It has a www.tokencatalog.com catalog number of TC-623486. By the way, you may view other Albion merchant tokens (which I collect) on that site. In those days, bakers had delivery routes, and the tokens were purchased by customers in advance. Tokens were left in the "bread box" as payment, instead of cash which could be easily stolen. Mounteer’s Bakery in the Peabody Block in downtown Albion also utilized a bakery token of its own during this time. Does anyone have a photograph of the Star Bakery or the Vienna Bakery in Albion?  Star Bakery bread token, Obverse View
 Star Bakery bread token, Reverse View
All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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