A discussion of Albion symbols would not be complete without a review of “The Forks.” There is the Festival of the Forks, The Forks Senior Center, the Forks of the River. Albion was founded at the Forks of the Kalamazoo River, and there was a discussion of naming the city “The Forks,” and Peabodyville, before we settled on “Albion,” named after a place in England near the White Cliffs of Dover.
Festival of the Forks button 2003This is the Festival of the Forks button design for 2003. This one shows both the Forks and the brick roads.
Festival of the ForksThe Festival of the Forks is the biggest Festival in Albion. Each year there was a contest for students to design a theme for the button.
City of Albion Michigan SealThe seal for the City of Albion Michigan depicts three central images embedded into a tri shaped formed by the Forks of the Kalamazoo River. The steeple on the far left shows Goodrich Chapel at Albion College, the image at the top shows the American Molder, symbolizing Albion's industries, and below is the Old White Mill, symbolizing Albion's agricultural roots.
Unity and Diversity Banner AlbionThe Unity and Diversity banners for Albion Michigan fly every year before the Festival of the Forks, and sometimes at other times when there is a call for unity, and understanding our diversity at the same time. The words are overlaying the forks of the river. Where the river is merged, is the word Unity. Where the river is divided, there is diversity. But it is all the same river and reminds us of how life can be complex.
Sister City logoThis logo of the Sister Cities, Albion Michigan and Noisy-le-Roi in France is built around the forks of the river and the trilogy theme. In this logo, the arch is one of the original gates in leading in and out of Versailles’ hunting grounds. The water tower sits on top of a hill overlooking Albion's downtown and symbolizes the importance of water as a founding place for Albion. The observatory at the bottom symbolizes Albion College.
Map of Albion showing the forksThe forks of the Kalamazoo River are shown in this map.
Forks Senior Center Albion MichiganEven the Senior Center in Albion is named after the Forks.
Albion YouthThis logo was for the Community Partners for Albion Youth that planned activities for Albion young people during "Gap" times. These would be after school while parents were still working and summers during the day. The Forks in this symbol also represented the Y for Youth.
In this collection of Forks images, we have two Festival of the Forks buttons with designs by Albion Youth (recreated digitally by a professional artist,) the Unity and Diversity Banner, a map of Albion, the Forks Senior Center, and the Sister City logo.