Welcome to Albion, Pa.

Small town shows signs of a comeback

Photos by Tom Rivers  – A Shurfine grocery store is one of the many small-town merchants in Albion, Pa.

ALBION, PA. – Imagine Albion without the grand old homes down South Main Street, no soaring spires on churches, no Erie Canal and no cluster of chain stores.

Welcome to Albion, Pa. My wife and I stopped in this town on Friday afternoon on the way to see friends and family in Michigan. We thought the little detour off I-90 was worth it to see another Albion.

The Albion in Pennsylvania bears some similarities. It is losing population. The 2010 Census counted 1,516 in Albion, down from 1,818 in 1980 and 1,607 in 2000. The village of Albion had 6,056 residents in 2010, but is down 2.4 percent to 5,908, according to the July 2013 Census estimate.

The Albion Pub is part of downtown Albion, Pa.

Albion, Pa. has a medium-security state prison with about 1,000 inmates. Albion in NY has a similar-size men’s prison and also a women’s prison with about 1,000 inmates.

This town was crushed by a devastating tornado in 1985. (Click here to see some footage.)

Albion, Pa. is a little too small to attract the droves of chain stores like Albion, NY. I was encouraged by all the independent merchants in Albion, Pa., working to serve their town, providing goods and services. This town still has a lot of spark. I’d encourage you to stop in if you’re heading west on Thruway, passing through Pennsylvania.

This pharmacy operates on East State Street in Albion, Pa.