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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 21, 2025, pg. 5 It was in 1888 that William A. Foote of Jackson came to Albion and attached an electric generator (dynamo) to the water wheel of the Stone Mill (later the Commercial & Savings Bank building) in downtown Albion. It was used to power one electric light on S. Superior St. Thus began Albion's electrical service, which eventually resulted in the Consumer's Power Company coming to town. A history of those early times, published in the Centennial Edition of the Albion Evening Recorder June 29, 1935 "Consumers Power Service Here Dates Back 30 Years," gives us the details. We are reprinting a portion of that here. Enjoy! The history states: "This [dynamo] produced the first power which supplied an arc light on Superior St. The light was not installed for street lighting, but rather for demonstration purposes. Later a group of enterprising Jackson and Albion men decided to organize the Albion Electric Light Company. A power plant was erected at the northeast corner of Cass and Monroe streets, where the city was supplied with electric current for many years." "Thirty-one years ago [1904] Arthur G. Noble became manager of the local concern, then serving many homes but only three business establishments, namely: Bullen's Big Busy Store, C. S. Tucker's Dry Goods store, and George Mitchell's Confectionery. The Albion company at this time bought some of its power from the Kalamazoo Valley Electric Company. Soon after 1904, 236 customers were served and 7 ½ horsepower of the 9 ½ horsepower total used for motors in the city was used by the J.W. Brant Company, manufacturers of patent medicines." "In 1905 the Commonwealth Power Corporation purchased the Albion Electric Light Company, with. Mr. Noble remaining with the company as manager. From this time on the electrical industry took rapid strides in Albion. The company was founded by the late William A. Foote and J. B. Foote of Jackson, pioneers in the electrical industry. In 1910 the Consumers Power Company took over the properties." Here is some additional information I'd like to share: It was in 1903 that the Albion Electric Light Company installed electric generating equipment in the old water-powered Red Mill on E. Erie St., the water coming from behind the now-Victory Park dam. Two years later in 1905, the Commonwealth Power Company approached local contractor George E. Dean to erect a replacement dam to increase the local water-powered electric generating capacity. The upper water level by the waterfall and raceway was raised two feet, the tail race was widened, and the falling level below the electric plant was lowered two feet. This made the water flow faster and thus better turn the generator in the power plant. That concrete Victory Park dam erected by George E. Dean in 1905 is the same one still standing there today here in 2025! It definitely is showing signs of age and decay. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a 1909 colorized post card photo of the power house on E. Erie St. This scene looks south from below the powerhouse, and was shot from the footbridge over the tail raceway behind the plant. This is the same location where the Stoffer Plaza was recently demolished in the fall of 2024 due to significant water problems there. The pictured powerhouse burned on June 30, 1913, and a replacement was erected on the site. Water generated electric power ended here in 1950, and the raceway was abandoned and filled in the next few years. The building on the right with the tower is the Methodist Episcopal Church on E. Erie St., demolished in 1960.  The Power House on E. Erie St., in 1909
All text copyright, 2025 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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