The weather was perfect for the 2021 Labor Day walk on the Albion River Trail. About 45 people met at Victory Park bandshell. A group photo was taken there. Albion gained Trail Town status with the North Country Trail in 2019 due to its activities featuring trails, and one of the activities is the Labor Day Trail walk that has taken place since about 2005. In this photo City Manager Haley Snyder and Albion College President Mathew Johnson hold the Trail Town banner for the group photo.
The Albion Trail walk is designed for people who want to enjoy the trails around Albion, or who would like to do the Mackinac Bridge Labor Day walk but want to do something easy, local and fun. This is the footbridge between Victory Park and Reiger Park.
Reiger Park is the second park the walkers get to enjoy, and the trail hugs the side of the river along this scenic path that is headed toward downtown Albion. This is also the location of the historic “Forks of the Kalamazoo River” that are close to the footbridge here.
Just past Stoffer Plaza, the trail heads toward the newly restored Coca-Cola Mural, the Cass Street Bridge, and a nice view of Albion’s water tower that was also recently repainted.
On the way to Holland Park, the old Railroad bridge is a picturesque and fun part of the walk. There were young people, dog walkers and some community leaders on the walk this year.
At Holland Park the first stop is History Hill. This often called a “hallowed place” due to West Ward school that once stood nearby. The panels tell the story about how the school came to be, why it was segregated at one time, and the efforts to change what was the established way of educating Albion’s youth.
The walkers gathered at Holland Park’s new pavilion, that was completed in time for Juneteenth, but weather prohibited it being used on that day. Labor Day weather was much appreciated after other recent storms.
At the pavilion, there were snacks and water for everyone, even though much of the event was impromptu this year. Councilperson Lenn Reid helped to organize the refreshments.
The speaker for the History Chat section of the walk was retired history Albion College professor Wes Dick. Shown here are Wes, his wife Leslie Dick, Council member Lenn Reid, and Calhoun County Commissioner Gary Tomkins.
Professor Wes Dick spoke of why Holland Park has special memories and stories for so many people who come to Albion. He spoke of how Labor Day came to be, and how some of his earliest memories were of his father’s involvement in the Union Pacific Railroad in Oregon. He said his childhood lessons became the foundation for the classes he later taught at Albion College. He spoke of meeting Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the United Farm Workers. He spoke about Labor in Albion, and how the growing industries could not bring in immigrants during World War I and so they went south to recruit southern workers, many of them Black people, to come north to work, and for a better life. The population of Black people, especially in foundry towns like Albion, grew dramatically about 100 years ago, and this was known as the Great Migration. He talked about how the industries were once downtown, where the Ludington Center is now, and then the offices and industries moved west in Albion, and the Gale Manufacturing office building still stands next to Holland Park.
See the video of Wes Dick’s Labor Day talk here:
For past years of Labor Day Albion, visit this page:
