Situated in the south-central part of the Lower Peninsula, Battle Creek, Michigan is in western Calhoun County. Portions of the city extend into Bedford, Emmett, Newton, and Pennfield townships, although it is administered separately from any of the townships.
The City of Springfield is an enclave in northern Battle Creek, completely surrounded by the larger city. Nearby cities include Galesburg (16.6 miles west-southwest), Marshall (16.8 miles east), Kalamazoo (24.2 miles west), Portage (26.3 miles west-southwest), and Olivet (27.4 miles northeast). The village of Augusta is 9.7 miles west, and Climax is 13.1 miles southwest.
The chief routes through Battle Creek include I-94, BL I-94, I-194, M-37, M-66, M-89, and m-96.
Fort Custer National Cemetery and the Fort Custer Recreation area are just west of Battle Creek, and Binder Park Zoo southeast of the city.
Battle Creek includes several community parks (Bailey Park, Fell Park, Festival Park, Friendship Park, Irving Park, Leila Arboretum, McCamly Park, Mill Race Park, Monument Park, Wave Park, Williard Beach, and Woodland Park), mini-parks (Cliff Street Park, Hamblin Avenue Park, Horseshoe Bend Park, Julie V. Milner Park, and Prospect Park), neighborhood parks (Claude Evans Park, Greenwood Park, Hamilton Park, McCrea Park, Meachem Park, Piper Park, Post Park, Quaker Park, and Sam J. Stellrecht Park), school parks (Minges Brook Elementary Park, Prairieview Elementary Park, Riverside Elementary Park, and Westlake Elementary Park), specialty parks (Bailey Park, Binder Park, Leila Arboretum, and Willard Beach Park), and trails (Linear Park, Riverside Park, and Woodland Park & Nature Preserve).
In 1774, the Potawatomi and Ottawa tribes formed a joint village near the current site of Battle Creek. On March 14, 1824, a government land survey crew led by Colonel John Mullett was approached by two Potawatomi Indians, who were asking for food. Refused, after a long discussion, the Potawatomis attempted to steal food, and one of them was shot and seriously wounded by one of the surveyors. As the encounter took place near a stream, it became known as Battle Creek, and this was the origin of the city's name.
By 1831, the Native Americans had been forced off of their land and onto a reservation somewhere, and the first permanent European-American settlement of the region began. The construction of the Erie Canal in 1824 had brought more immigration to Michigan from New England and New York. The first government land purchase in the area that was to become Battle Creek was by J.J. Garnsey in 1831, who soon transferred his claim to Ezekiel B. Garnsey and Phineas P. Sackett. However, it was Samuel Convis who built the first house in the area in 1832.
A post office was established in May of 1832, with D.G. Garnsey as postmaster. The name of the post office was originally Garnsey, but it was changed to Battle Creek on May 8, 1834. General Ezra Convis surveyed the town 1835, and it was platted by Samuel D. Moore in 1836.
In 1837, Asa Langley built a sawmill, and a brick manufacturing plant was opened in 1840 by Simon Carr. By the 1840s, the village was thriving. Still part of Milton Township, it was growing steadily as an agricultural and commercial center, with grain, flour, and sawmills, as well as retail businesses supplying area farms and concerns. In 1850, Battle Creek was incorporated as a village, and it became a city in 1859.
Battle Creek was a significant stop on the Underground Railroad during the antebellum era, in which escaped slaves were transported to freedom in Michigan and Canada.
The city played a prominent role in the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the site of its founding convention in 1863. The first Adventist hospital, college, and publishing office were established in Battle Creek, and the first Adventist church is still in operation, although the building was rebuilt in the 1920s.
Battle Creek became known as a health center during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. John Harvey Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1866. Kellogg also funded eugenics programs, including The Better Race, which promoted a separate but equal philosophy.
W.K. Kellogg worked with his brother at the Sanitarium for several years. While working in the sanitarium's laboratory, he spilled liquified cornmeal onto a heating device, which cooked the produce and rendered it into flakes. He tasted them, added milk, and became convinced that it was a healthy and tasty product, particularly that it would clean the intestines.
Testing his corn flakes on patients at the sanitarium, he secured investors and built a factory to manufacture Corn Flakes. Thus began the Kellogg Company, still headquartered in Battle Creek.
Inspired by Kellogg's product, C.W. Post invented Grape-Nuts, and founded the Postum Cereal Company, now known as Post Consumer Brands.
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Recommended Resources
Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce
The business membership organization serves to assist member businesses by providing networking and marketing opportunities, serving as a business advocate, and creating a climate that is friendly to business and employer growth. The benefits of membership are outlined, and its areas of service are defined, board and committee members are introduced, and a calendar of meetings and events are published to the site. The Chamber’s paid internship program is also highlighted.
http://www.battlecreek.org/
Owned by Gannett, the Battle Creek Enquirer is the only daily newspaper serving Calhoun County, Michigan. Its electronic edition is a digital replica of its print edition, although full access to the e-edition requires a subscription, which includes mobile news alerts, local videos, photo galleries, and other content. Subscriptions may be purchased online. Otherwise, select news, sports, life, and opinion articles may be viewed on the site, along with advertising opportunities.
https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/
The medical facility offers a large variety of services, including preventative care, physicals, diabetes care, sports physicals, stress management, immunizations, osteopathic manipulation, dermatology and skin care, management of injuries, and nerve block technique, each of which is outlined here, along with an introduction and biographies of the doctors, nurses, and staff. Appointments may be scheduled by phone or by fax, and its hours of operation are posted.
http://www.battlecreekfamilycare.com/
Battle Creek Metropolitan Area Moustache Society
BCMAMS is a volunteer non-profit, membership organization that raises money for local people and organizations in need, largely through the coordination and organization of events at local establishments or venues. The moustache is a gimmick, and having a moustache is not a requirement for membership. Membership information is put forward, its board of directors is introduced, and sponsorship opportunities are defined, including annual sponsorship packages or per-even sponsorships.
https://bcmams.com/
Offering a preschool-12th-grade public school curriculum, as well as an adult education program, the school district operates seven elementary schools, three middle schools, two high schools, and an adult education program, each of which are highlighted here. District offices, office hours, and a staff directory are posted, with information about district athletics programs, student services, privacy guidelines, data and reporting services, and career opportunities.
https://www.battlecreekpublicschools.org/
Battle Creek VA Medical Center
Completed in 1924, the Battle Creek, Michigan Veteran’s Administration hospital was the 100th one built in the United States. Situated on two hundred and six acres, the VA hospital has about thirty buildings used for patient care and administrative offices, including 276 beds, including 55 in-patient mental health beds, 11 in-patient medical beds, 109 community living center beds, and 101 residential rehabilitation treatment program beds. Services and providers are identified.
https://www.battlecreek.va.gov/
The official municipal website posts notices and schedules of upcoming elections, census information, official notices, and news relating to the city or city government. Information about the city’s railroad quiet zone, neighborhood planning councils, and priority-based budgeting policies are put forward, and the city’s mayor, commission, boards, committees, councils, and departments are included, with office hours and contacts. Residents may create an account.
https://www.battlecreekmi.gov/
Chartered through Chapel Hill United Methodist Church of Battle Creek, Michigan, Troop 335 is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of American. Offering weekly meetings, monthly campouts, community service projects, leadership training, a week at summer camp, high adventure trips, and other activities throughout the year, membership information is put forth. A calendar of events, training schedules, and its Eagle Scouts program and projects are included.
http://www.bsatroop355.org/
Calhoun County Visitors Bureau
Situated in Southwest Michigan, Calhoun County includes the cities of Albion, Battle Creek, and Marshall, as well as villages, historical sites, nature trails, casinos, sports and recreational opportunities, and restaurants. Headquartered in Battle Creek, the Visitors Bureau highlights things to do, places to stay, places to eat or to drink, attractions, and events, as well as meeting resources, job opportunities, business incentives, and a guide to county communities.
https://www.battlecreekvisitors.org/
Keifer’s Music Instrument Repair & Sales
Specializing in the sale, repair, and maintenance of ensemble and marching band instruments, the Battle Creek, Michigan business includes woodwind, brass, percussion, and stringed instruments. Its site features new and used instruments available for sale, as well as a wide selection of accessories, along with its instrument care, repair, and maintenance services. Its location, telephone number, and business hours are posted to the site, along with reviews and feedback.
https://musicstorebattlecreek.com/
KCC is a public community college in Battle Creek, Michigan, with additional sites in Albion, Coldwater, Hastings, and the Fort Custer Industrial Park. Its accreditation, equity and inclusion policies, operating policies and procedures, and a strategic plan are published to the site, along with an overview of its academic, athletics, and student life programs, tuition and fees, and a staff directory. Class schedules, a catalog and handbook, library, and bookstore are highlighted.
https://www.kellogg.edu/
The Battle Creek, Michigan jeweler has been in the jewelry business, in the same location, since 1930. Along with its other services and products, the company buys gold and antique jewelry, providing current prices and detailed information about how to sell antique jewelry, fine watches, gold, silver, and platinum, and its gold prices are available 24-hours a day. An online shopping area offers available jewelry, and a list of the types of items the company purchases are included.
http://www.ppmaa.com/
