Page Contents for Battle Creek, Michigan

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Historical Events

Community events.

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Michigan state capital is Lansing.
The population of Battle Creek is approximately 53,650 (2002), 52347 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 23,252 (1990), 21118 (2010).
The amount of land area in Battle Creek is 110.868 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Battle Creek is 42.8 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 2.181 sq kilometers.
The distance from Battle Creek to Washington DC is 507 miles.
The distance to the Michigan state capital is 45 miles. (as the crow flies)
Battle Creek is positioned 42.29 degrees north of the equator and 85.22 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Battle Creek elevation is 840 feet above sea level.
Battle Creek median income is $ 35,491 (2000).
The Battle Creek median home price is $ 71,000 (2000).

Location

in southern Michigan about 70 miles east of Lake Michigan where the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers join. Nearby communities include Springfield, Brownlee Park, Level Park-Oak Park, Augusta, Climax, South Gull Lake, Galesburg and Greater Galesburg.

Here is a map page for Battle Creek.
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Weather

seasonal with snow in the winter and rain in the summer. Average temperatures range from about 25 degrees in the winter to about 82 degrees in the summer.
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History & History Related Items

A skirmish between a government land surveyor and two Indians nearly 175 years ago was the inspiration for the naming of Battle Creek. The community began in 1831 as a milling center for the area farmers. Soon, however, more industry arrived in the area and the economy diversified from just grain processing. It was known as Milton in the 1840's, but soon changed its name to Battle Creek when it incorporated as a town in 1850. Some of the nicknames for Battle Creek have been: Queen City, Health City and International City. Now known as the Cereal City because of W.K. Kellogg and C.W. Post, and many other small cereal companies, Battle Creek has grown into a major industrial center for a wide variety of goods and services.

Cereal gained it’s roots from the Seventh-day Adventist religion of which worshippers were: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (cereal inventor) and William Keith Kellogg (Kellogg Cereal company founder) and Ellen G. White – founder of the Seventh-day Adventist religion.

Here is a history page for Battle Creek that includes a number of good photos from the past.

Here are some historical images of Battle Creek.
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Attractions

Official site for Battle Creek - Connecting Battle Creek City Hall, Chamber of Commerce and Battle Creek Unlimited to you!

Binder Park Zoo
The zoo has an African Safari with giraffes and other animals from Africa

Learn more about Battle Creek at this informative site.

Lakes within the city include Eagle Lake and Goguac Lake. The latter has a public dock with free access and a public beach.

Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
Professional Baseball

Battle Creek Knights Basketball – semi-pro basketball team that began its first season in 2004 and is currently undefeated with an overall record of 21-0!

Holiday Balloon Fest
held each year in December.

The Kingman Museum
175 Limit Street
Battle Creek, MI 49017
Phone: 269-965-5117
A natural history museum and planetarium

Full Blast Family Entertainment Center

This site has a wide variety of information about Battle Creek and the area.

Michigan State University's Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
MSU's Kellogg Biological Station
W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
12685 East C Avenue
Augusta, MI 49012
Information: 616-671-2510
Tours: 616-671-2356
If you would like to become a volunteer:
Call 616-671-2356

Kellogg's Cereal City, USA
171 West Michigan Avenue
Battle Creek, Michigan 49017
Phone: 1.616.962.6230
A themed family attraction celebrating the cereal industry. Please call ahead for hours of operation.

Kimball House Museum
For further information, contact Heritage Battle Creek at (616) 965-2613

NOTED NOTABLES

Dr. John Harvey Kellogg – cereal inventor and health advocate
1852 - 1943
Director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The facility was locally called the San and was famous for its water and fresh air treatments, exercise and diet reform. He believed in the you are what you eat idea and advocated diet changes to better one's health. He invented a cereal called Granose from wheat kernals.

William Keith Kellogg – Businessman
1860 - 1951
He is the younger brother of John Harvey Kellogg and worked with him at the San. He accidentally discovered flakes of wheat and the Kellogg Cereal Company was formed. Try site for more biographical information:
W.K. Kellogg bio

Ellen G. White – Religious leader
1827 - 1915
A group of her Seventh-day Adventist followers invited her and her husband, Elder James White, to come to live in Battle Creek and establish the denomination's headquarters here. For many years, the church was a large influence in Battle Creek.

C.W. Post
1854 - 1914
Charles W. Post had gone to the Sanitarium here in a wheelchair and was cured of his illnesses. He created his company, the Postum Cereal Company, in 1895 starting with Postum to discourage people from drinking coffee. His Post Toasties were a rival to Kellogg Corn Flakes with both companies and their workers keeping apart from each other.

Marjory Merriweather Post
Daughter of C.W. Post
1887 - 1973
Also see this site
She inherited the business, then known as the Postum Cereal Company, from her father at age 27 and went on to run it effectively. It would eventually become the General Foods Corporation. She was a collector and also a philanthropist, particularly during the great Depression of the 1930's.

Sojourner Truth
1797 - 1883
An ex-slave and abolitionist who came to Battle Creek to live. She was a supporter of human rights for everyone and championed that cause throughout the country.
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Battle Creek City Government

City of Battle Creek
10 North Division
Battle Creek, MI 49014
Phone: 269-966-3378

Battle Creek Historical Events

1856
Sojourner Truth, a speaker for abolition and women's rights, visited Battle Creek in 1856. Within a year she had moved to this area. As an ex-slave and abolitionist, she made Battle Creek her home and still continued to travel around the country as an advocate for human rights for everyone. She died in 1883 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, on the east side of the city. Here is a Biography page for Sojourner Truth. .

Battle Creek Community Events

June each year
Cereal Festival

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International Festival of Lights November-December each year.

Battle Creek Libraries

Willard Public Library
7 W Van Buren
Battle Creek, MI 49017
Phone: 269-968-8166
Fax: 269-968-3284
The library is affiliated with the Battle Creek Public School District

Battle Creek Schools

All of these different school DISTRICTS are within the city limits of Battle Creek and are a few within the CISD (Calhoun Intermediate School District)

Battle Creek Public Schools
http://www.battlecreekpublicschools.org/

Lakeview Public Schools
http://www.lakeviewspartans.org

Pennfield Public Schools
http://www.pennfield.k12.mi.us/

Harper Creek Public Schools
http://www.harpercreek.net/district/index.php

Battle Creek Area Catholic Schools
http://www.bcacs.org/BCACSProd/FP_Family_main.aspx

There are also several charter schools in the area.

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HIGHER EDUCATION

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College of Aviation
237 N. Helmer Road
Battle Creek, MI 49015
Phone: 269-964-6375
Fax: 269-964-4676

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Kellogg Community College
450 North Avenue
Battle Creek, MI 49017
Phone: 269-965-3931 Battle Creek

Miscellany

The population of Battle Creek was:
1990 - 53,540
2000 - 53,364
2002 - 53,650