The quintessential American breakfast originated right here in Battle Creek. In 1894, a batch of boiled wheat was left out overnight and became stale. It was rolled, started to flake, and became crispy when toasted in the oven. This accidental invention was the beginning of a nearly 130-year…
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Home Tour travels back in time Anyone who drives through Marshall instantly notices the architecture. Not only the Victorian houses that have been preserved, but also the quirky home designs and centennial farms. The Home Tour gives you a chance to see behind doors and learn the stories Sept. 6-7…
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There’s a larger-than-life Lincoln on display in Battle Creek. A. Lincoln is a portrait made entirely out of pennies. It’s in the Lincoln Room, found at 32 W. Michigan Ave. By the numbers It took 24,500 pennies to create the portrait, which is 12 feet high and eight feet wide. Abraham Lincoln was…
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In 1978, magician Donald Kill hung upside down in a straitjacket on Marshall’s main street. He managed to escape, climbed down the fire truck and opened the doors to the American Museum of Magic for the first time. That straitjacket is among hundreds of memorabilia now at the two-story museum…
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Sojourner Truth’s story comes alive in Battle Creek Sojourner Truth was a dynamic voice for abolition and suffrage. She was able to escape slavery, went to court to save her son and spent time helping African Americans transition into a free life after the Civil War. She was born into slavery…
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[gallery columns="6" size="medium" link="file" ids="5054,5055,5056,5057,5058,5059"] Car shows are ready to roar back to life at Gilmore Car Museum. Check out the schedule for a new feature every weekend, from traditional hot rods to a motorcycle gathering. There are rules for social…
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Perry Sanford escaped from a Kentucky plantation, avoided slave catchers and ended up in Battle Creek. He was one of the African-American pioneers to begin a long, rich history in this city that was a major station on the Underground Railroad and home to activist Sojourner Truth. There are a number…
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Sojourner Truth was a dynamic voice for abolition and suffrage. She was able to escape slavery, went to court to save her son and spent time helping African Americans transistion into post-slavery life after the Civil War. She was born into slavery and given the name Isabella in about 1797. It…
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Calhoun County was an important stop on the Underground Railroad, as African Americans made their way to Canada. Marshall and Battle Creek were known to be welcoming places and a number of African Americans decided to settle here instead of leaving the country. They still had to contend with slave…
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Oak Hill Cemetery (255 South Ave.) contains many voices from Battle Creek’s past, including Sojourner Truth and the Kellogg brothers. But some of the most interesting stories come from ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times. Perry Sanford escaped slavery in 1847 and made it to a safe…
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