Battle Creek

In 1825, the opening of the Erie Canal triggered a migration of pioneer families from America’s East Coast to the Michigan territory. By 1836, entrepreneurs had dug a mill race and platted a village that would eventually become Battle Creek. The town was first known as a farm implement center for the Midwest, then became the Health City (for its connection to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Dr. J. H. Kellogg’s Battle Creek Sanitarium), and eventually became known as the Cereal City, because it was the birthplace of ready-to-eat breakfast foods. By pairing archival and modern photographs, this book documents how Battle Creek advanced from a small settlement to a thriving community. This comparative perspective reveals many changes and advancements in Battle Creek’s physical and cultural landscape.