Mother’s Day History
Albion’s Mother’s Day Founder, Juliette Calhoun Blakeley is described on a historical marker near the library, on S. Ionia St and E. Erie. Few people
The first known observance of Mother’s Day occurred on May 13, 1877, and was held in Albion, Michigan over a dispute related to the temperance movement.
According to local legend, Albion pioneer Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped up to complete the sermon of the Rev. Myron Daughterty who was distraught because an anti-temperance group had forced his son and two other temperance advocates at gunpoint to spend the night in a saloon and become publicly drunk.
From the pulpit, Blakeley called on other mothers to join her. Blakeley’s two sons, both traveling salesmen, were so moved that they vowed to return each year to pay tribute to her and embarked on a campaign to urge their business contacts to do likewise.
At their urging, in the early 1880s, the Methodist Episcopal Church in Albion set aside the second Sunday in May to recognize the special contributions of mothers.
See articles about Juliet Calhoun Blakeley by Frank Passic on AlbionMich.COM.
Juliet was also active in the Underground Railroad. Other Posts about Mother’s Day in Albion
Mother’s Day in Albion
This portrait of Juliette Calhoun Blakeley is in the Gardner House Museum. On May 13, 1877, the second Sunday of the month, Juliet Calhoun Blakeley
A Short Walking Tour from the year 2000
This timeless brochure was developed at the turn of the century and features a numbered pictorial tour. There are images and descriptions of the Molder
Riverside Cemetery Walking Tour
Riverside Cemetery has been the final resting place for the men and women of Albion since 1837. Take a tour of Riverside and learn about
Historical Marker Tour
Albion has a number of very interesting claims to fame, including the first known observance of Mother’s Day. Two songs written in Albion have historical