Battle Creek, Michigan

{{Redirect|Battle Creek}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Battle Creek, Michigan

| settlement_type = City

| image_skyline = Downtown Battle Creek.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_caption = View of Downtown Battle Creek

| image_flag = Flag of Battle Creek, Michigan.svg

| image_seal = Battle Creek, Michigan seal.jpg

| nickname = "Cereal City"{{cite web|url= http://www.battlecreekmi.gov/|title=City of Battle Creek, Michigan|publisher= City of Battle Creek, Michigan |access-date=August 25, 2012}}

| image_map = Calhoun_County_Michigan_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Battle_Creek_Highlighted.svg

| mapsize = 250px

| map_caption = Location of Battle Creek within Michigan

| pushpin_map = Michigan#USA

| pushpin_relief = yes

| pushpin_label = Battle Creek

| coordinates = {{coord|42|18|44|N|85|12|15|W|region:US-MI|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = United States

| subdivision_type1 = State

| subdivision_type2 = County

| subdivision_name1 = Michigan

| subdivision_name2 = Calhoun

| established_title = Settled

| established_date = 1831

| established_title2 = Incorporation as a Village

1840

| established_date2 = Incorporated as a city in 1859

| government_type = Council-Manager

| leader_title = Mayor

| leader_name = Mark Behnke{{cite web|url=http://iuradionetwork.com/2011/12/attorney-general-determines/|title=Attorney General determines Incompatible Offices being Held in Battle Creek by Mark Behnke - Independent Underground Radio Network|date=December 10, 2011|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427115901/http://iuradionetwork.com/2011/12/attorney-general-determines/|archive-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=dead}} (R){{cite web |title=Mark Behnke |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Behnke |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=27 April 2022}}

| leader_title1 = City Manager

| leader_name1 = Rebecca Fleury{{cite web|url=http://iuradionetwork.com/?s=Rebecca+Fleury|title=You searched for Rebecca Fleury - Independent Underground Radio Network|website=Independent Underground Radio Network|access-date=April 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427115832/http://iuradionetwork.com/?s=Rebecca+Fleury|archive-date=April 27, 2018|url-status=dead}}

| unit_pref = Imperial

| area_footnotes = {{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_26.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 21, 2022}}

| area_magnitude =

| area_total_km2 = 113.27

| area_total_sq_mi = 43.74

| area_land_km2 = 110.30

| area_land_sq_mi = 42.59

| area_water_km2 = 2.97

| area_water_sq_mi = 1.15

| elevation_m = 256

| elevation_ft = 840

| population_total = 52721

| population_as_of = 2020

| population_footnotes =

| population_density_km2 = 477.98

| population_density_sq_mi = 1237.96

| postal_code_type = ZIP Codes

| postal_code = 49014–49018, 49037

| area_code_type = Area code

| area_code = 269

| unemployment_rate =

| website = [http://www.battlecreekmi.gov/ www.battlecreekmi.gov]

| footnotes =

| timezone = Eastern

| utc_offset = −5

| timezone_DST = Eastern

| utc_offset_DST = −4

| blank_name = FIPS code

| blank_info = 26-05920{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}

| blank1_name = GNIS feature ID

| blank1_info = 0620755{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=October 25, 2007}}

| pop_est_footnotes =

| pop_est_as_of =

| population_est =

| population_demonym = Battlecreekite

| named_for = Battle Creek River

| founder = Sands McCamly

}}

Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 52,731.{{Cite web |title=QuickFacts: Battle Creek city, Michigan |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/battlecreekcitymichigan/POP010220#POP010220 |access-date=March 25, 2022 |website=census.gov}} It is the principal city of the Battle Creek metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Calhoun County. Nicknamed "Cereal City", it is best known as the home of WK Kellogg Co and the founding city of Post Consumer Brands. In Battle Creek, the Kellogg brothers invented the first cereal by accident in an attempt to make granola.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-28 |title=Cereal: The Accidental Invention That Changed American Breakfast |url=https://www.history.com/news/cereal-breakfast-origins-kellogg |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}

Toponym

One local legend says Battle Creek was named after an encounter between a federal government land survey party led by Colonel John Mullett and two Potawatomi in March 1824. The two Potawatomi had approached the camp asking for food because they were hungry as the U.S. Army was late delivering supplies promised to them under the 1821 Treaty of Chicago. After a protracted discussion, the Native Americans allegedly tried to take food. One of the surveyors shot and seriously wounded one Potawatomi. Following the encounter, the survey party retreated to Detroit.{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Battle Creek |first1=Mary G. |last1=Butler |first2=Elizabeth |last2=Neumeyer |website=Historical Society of Battle Creek |url=https://hsbcmi.org/cpage.php?pt=11 |access-date=2024-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100519171739/http://www.heritagebattlecreek.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=61 |archive-date=2010-05-19 |url-status=live}} Early white settlers called the nearby stream Battle Creek River and the town took its name from that.{{cite book |title=History of Calhoun County, Michigan 1830–1877 |first=Henry B. |last=Peirce |year=1877 |publisher=L. H. Everts & Co. |location=Philadelphia |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bad0868.0001.001 |page=79 |chapter=Section: Township Histories {{!}} The City of Battle Creek |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=bad0868.0001.001;size=l;frm=frameset;seq=119 |access-date=January 25, 2008 |via=University of Michigan Library Digital Collections}}{{cite book |title=Michigan Place Names |first=Walter |last=Romig |year=1973 |publisher=Walter Romig |location=Grosse Pointe |lccn=73161623 |page=46 |url=https://archive.org/details/michiganplacenam0000romi/page/46/mode/2up?q=Battle+Creek |access-date=2024-05-06 |quote=[note: For the Battle Creek entry, Romig sources Peirce's History of Calhoun County, Michigan 1830–1877, in addition to United States Post Office records] |via=Internet Archive text collection |url-access=limited}}{{cite web |title=A Thumbnail History of Battle Creek and Calhoun County, Michigan |first=Jane |last=Ratner |date=March 1997 |work=Willard Public Library |url=http://www.willard.lib.mi.us/bc.html |access-date=2005-01-25 |quote=[note: Willard librarian Ratner's "Thumbnail..." is a Non-circulating Item archived at the Willard Library, per wlrd.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results/?ln=en_US&q=thumbnail+history]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020815061211/http://www.willard.lib.mi.us/bc.html |archive-date=2002-08-15 |url-status=dead}}

Another folk etymology is attributed to the local river, which was known as Waupakisco by Native Americans. The Waupakisco or Waupokisco was supposedly a reference to a battle or fight fought between indigenous tribes before the arrival of Europeans. However, Virgil J. Vogel, professor emeritus of history and social science at Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, believes the native name has "nothing to do with blood or battle".{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5d5wS7so14C&q=battle+creek+name+origin&pg=PA152 |title=Indian names in Michigan, origin of "Battle Creek" |isbn=0472063650 |last1=Vogel |first1=Virgil J. |year=1986 |publisher=University of Michigan Press }}

History

In about 1774, the Potawatomi and the Ottawa Native American tribes formed a joint village near the future Battle Creek, Michigan.{{cite book|first=R. David|last= Edmonds|title=The Potawatomis: Keepers of the Fire|publisher=Norman:University of Oklahoma|year= 1978|page= 99}} The first permanent European settlements in Battle Creek Township, after the removal of the Potawatomi to a reservation, began about 1831. Westward migration from New York and New England had increased to Michigan following the completion of the Erie Canal in New York in 1824. Most settlers chose to locate on the Goguac prairie, which was fertile and easily cultivated. A post office was opened in Battle Creek in 1832 under Postmaster Pollodore Hudson.[https://books.google.com/books?id=8FS7nJ3FOAIC&pg=PA16 History and Direction of Calhoun County] Accessed January 20, 2011 The first school was taught in a small log house about 1833 or 1834. Asa Langley built the first sawmill in 1837. A brick manufacturing plant, called the oldest enterprise in the township, was established in 1840 by Simon Carr and operated until 1903. The township was established by act of the legislature in 1839.Ringes, Laura (1913). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XdZWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA169 "Battle Creek Township"]. In Washington Gardner, History of Calhoun County, Michigan, Vol. I, pp. 169-73. The Lewis Publishing Company.

In the antebellum era, the city was a major stop on the Underground Railroad, used by fugitive slaves to escape to freedom in Michigan and Canada. It was the chosen home of noted abolitionist Sojourner Truth after her escape from slavery.Heritage Battle Creek website, http://www.heritagebattlecreek.org/ Accessed August 29, 2013

Battle Creek figured prominently in the early history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It was the site of a Protestant church founding convention in 1863. The denomination's first hospital, college, and publishing office would also be constructed in the city. When the hospital and publishing office burned down in 1902, the church elected to decentralize, and most of its institutions were relocated. The first Adventist church (rebuilt in the 1920s) is still in operation.

World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson was once arrested here for marrying his White wife and transporting her across state lines. He was detained in Battle Creek, where he visited a former acquaintance, went for a sleigh ride and spent the night at the house of patrolman John Patterson, Battle Creek's first African American police officer. Federal authorities from Chicago took him into custody the next day. {{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Nick |title=Pardoned heavyweight champion Jack Johnson was arrested in Battle Creek |url=https://eu.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2018/05/24/pardoned-heavyweight-champ-jack-johnson-arrested-battle-creek/641457002/ |access-date=20 November 2019 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer}}

The city was noted for its focus on health reform during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Battle Creek Sanitarium was founded by The Seventh-Day Adventist Church and the Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. In addition to some of his sometimes bizarre treatments that were featured in the movie The Road to Wellville, Kellogg also funded organizations that promoted eugenics theories at the core of their philosophical agenda, which was seen as a natural complement to euthenics.{{cite book |pages=49–55 |last1=Stern|first1=Alexandra|title=Eugenic Nation: Faults and Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America.|location=United Kingdom |year=2005 |publisher=University of California Press |language=English |isbn=9780520244436 }} The Race Betterment Foundation was one of these organizations. He also supported the "separate but equal" philosophy and invited Booker T. Washington to speak at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in order to raise money. Washington was the author of the speech "The Atlanta Compromise", which solidified his position of being an accommodationist while providing a mechanism for southern Whites (and their sympathizers), to fund his school (the Tuskegee Institute).

File:July 7 1908 Battle Creek MI.jpg

W. K. Kellogg had worked for his brother in a variety of capacities at the B.C. Sanitarium. Tired of living in the shadow of his brother John Harvey Kellogg, he struck out on his own, going to the boom-towns surrounding the oilfields in Oklahoma as a broom salesman. Having failed, he returned to work as an assistant to his brother. While working at the sanitariums' laboratory, W.K. spilled liquefied cornmeal on a heating device that cooked the product and rendered it to flakes. He tasted the flakes and added milk to them. He was able to get his brother to allow him to give some of the product to some of the patients at the sanitarium, and the patients' demand for the product exceeded his expectations to the point that W.K made the decision to leave the sanitarium. Along with some investors, he built a factory to satisfy the demand for his "corn flakes".

It was during this time of going their separate ways for good that Dr. John Harvey Kellogg sued his brother for copyright infringement. The U.S. Supreme court ruled in W.K. Kellogg's favor, due to the greater sales and public profile of W.K. Kellogg's company.

Inspired by Kellogg's innovation, C. W. Post invented Grape-Nuts and founded his own cereal company in the town. Battle Creek has been nicknamed "the Cereal City."

In the turbulent 1960s, Battle Creek was not immune to the racial issues of the day. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke here, as did Sen. Hubert Humphrey, President Lyndon B. Johnson, and Heavyweight Champion of the world Muhammad Ali. African Americans were subjected to "stop and frisk" procedures while walking, and housing covenants were in full force. No Blacks worked in the school systems, and only a few Blacks held mid-level manager posts in the local corporate sector. The Federal government sector was better at the Federal Center, and less so at the local Veterans' Administration Hospital.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of {{convert|43.73|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|42.61|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|1.12|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water,{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220065340/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 20, 2011 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=November 25, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} making Battle Creek the third largest city in Michigan by area, and one of only three incorporated municipalities in the state over {{convert|40|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} in size.

  • Approximately 60% of the city's land is developed. Of the undeveloped land, 38% is zoned agricultural, 26% is zoned general industrial, 17.5% is zoned residential, 16% is the Fort Custer Army National Guard Base/Industrial Park, and 2.5% is zone commercial.[http://www.ci.battle-creek.mi.us/acm/comprehensiveplan.htm#ExistingLandUse Battle Creek Comprehensive Plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325162012/http://www.ci.battle-creek.mi.us/acm/comprehensiveplan.htm#ExistingLandUse |date=March 25, 2012 }}, Battle Creek Planning Department, accessed June 13, 2011
  • After Battle Creek Township merged into the city of Battle Creek in 1983, the city's declining population rose by nearly 18,000 new residents. Prior to the merge, the city measured {{convert|18.6|sqmi|sqkm|2}}.
  • Battle Creek is variously considered to be part of West Michigan or Southern Michigan.

=Climate=

{{Weather box

|location = Battle Creek, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present)

|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 68

|Feb record high F = 70

|Mar record high F = 84

|Apr record high F = 90

|May record high F = 95

|Jun record high F = 101

|Jul record high F = 104

|Aug record high F = 103

|Sep record high F = 99

|Oct record high F = 91

|Nov record high F = 80

|Dec record high F = 68

|year record high F = 104

|Jan high F = 32.4

|Feb high F = 35.7

|Mar high F = 46.7

|Apr high F = 60.0

|May high F = 71.5

|Jun high F = 79.9

|Jul high F = 83.1

|Aug high F = 81.3

|Sep high F = 74.4

|Oct high F = 61.7

|Nov high F = 48.2

|Dec high F = 36.8

|year high F = 59.3

|Jan mean F = 24.8

|Feb mean F = 26.9

|Mar mean F = 36.7

|Apr mean F = 48.4

|May mean F = 59.7

|Jun mean F = 68.3

|Jul mean F = 71.5

|Aug mean F = 69.9

|Sep mean F = 62.9

|Oct mean F = 51.7

|Nov mean F = 39.9

|Dec mean F = 29.7

|year mean F = 49.2

|Jan low F = 17.2

|Feb low F = 18.1

|Mar low F = 26.6

|Apr low F = 36.9

|May low F = 47.9

|Jun low F = 56.8

|Jul low F = 59.9

|Aug low F = 58.4

|Sep low F = 51.3

|Oct low F = 41.7

|Nov low F = 31.6

|Dec low F = 22.6

|year low F = 39.1

|Jan record low F = −20

|Feb record low F = −24

|Mar record low F = −11

|Apr record low F = 5

|May record low F = 22

|Jun record low F = 30

|Jul record low F = 42

|Aug record low F = 37

|Sep record low F = 25

|Oct record low F = 16

|Nov record low F = −6

|Dec record low F = −18

|year record low F = −24

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 2.09

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.58

|Mar precipitation inch = 1.90

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.23

|May precipitation inch = 3.95

|Jun precipitation inch = 3.67

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.38

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.52

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.07

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.66

|Nov precipitation inch = 2.55

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.84

|year precipitation inch = 34.44

|Jan snow inch = 18.1

|Feb snow inch = 15.6

|Mar snow inch = 6.0

|Apr snow inch = 2.1

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.5

|Nov snow inch = 5.9

|Dec snow inch = 16.4

|year snow inch = 64.6

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 14.0

|Feb precipitation days = 10.8

|Mar precipitation days = 9.7

|Apr precipitation days = 12.4

|May precipitation days = 13.0

|Jun precipitation days = 11.1

|Jul precipitation days = 9.3

|Aug precipitation days = 10.2

|Sep precipitation days = 9.9

|Oct precipitation days = 12.9

|Nov precipitation days = 10.8

|Dec precipitation days = 13.5

|year precipitation days = 137.6

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 12.8

|Feb snow days = 10.3

|Mar snow days = 5.0

|Apr snow days = 1.9

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.3

|Nov snow days = 4.3

|Dec snow days = 10.6

|year snow days = 45.2

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=grr

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 4, 2021}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00200552&format=pdf

| title = Station: Battle Creek 5NW, MI

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = September 4, 2021}}

}}

=Nearby municipalities=

Demographics

{{US Census population

|1840= 993

|1850= 1064

|1860= 3509

|1870= 5838

|1880= 7063

|1890= 13197

|1900= 18563

|1910= 25267

|1920= 36164

|1930= 45573

|1940= 43453

|1950= 48666

|1960= 44169

|1970= 38931

|1980= 35724

|1990= 53540

|2000= 53364

|2010= 52347

|2020= 52721

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=March 25, 2022}}

}}

In 1982, at the insistence of Kellogg's, the city annexed Battle Creek Township, nearly doubling the city's population. Kellogg's even went so far as to threaten to move their headquarters if the annexation failed to occur.{{cite web|url=http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1982/11/audette.html |title=Multinational Monitor, November 1982 |publisher=Multinationalmonitor.org |access-date=December 12, 2011}}

=2000 census=

As of the census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 53,364 people, 21,348 households, and 13,363 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,246.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 23,525 housing units at an average density of {{convert|549.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 74.7% White, 17.8% Black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.8% Native American, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 4.6% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In the 21,348 households 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city, 27.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,491, and the median income for a family was $43,564. Males had a median income of $36,838 versus $26,429 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,424. About 10.7% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

= 2010 census =

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=November 25, 2012}} of 2010, there were 52,347 people, 21,118 households, and 12,898 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1228.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 24,277 housing units at an average density of {{convert|569.7|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 71.7% White, 18.2% African American, 0.7% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 6.7% of the population.

In the 21,118 households 33.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.1% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.9% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 25.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

As of April 2013, Battle Creek had the fifth largest Japanese national population in the state of Michigan, with 358.Stone, Cal. "[http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20130411/NEWS13/304110352/State-s-Japanese-employees-increasing State's Japanese employees increasing]." ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130413053133/http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20130411/NEWS13/304110352/State-s-Japanese-employees-increasing Archive]) Observer & Eccentric. Gannett Company. April 11, 2013. Retrieved on May 5, 2013.

= 2020 census =

Nick Buckley wrote in the Battle Creek Enquirer: "The 2020 Census is critical for Battle Creek. Falling below the 50,000-resident threshold would mean a change from "urbanized area" to "urban cluster" and a loss of federal entitlement funding."{{Cite news |last=Buckley |first=Nick |title=100 years of census data shows growth, decline for Battle Creek |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2020/03/26/battle-creek-population-changed-census-annexation-township/2869046001/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer}} Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Battle Creek's population grew from 52,347 to 52,731. There were 20,690 households and 2.40 residents per house, giving Battle Creek a population density (per square mile) of 1,228.6. 89.0% of those households had a computer and 82.8% had broadband internet connection. The city's racial makeup was 68.2% White, 17.3% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 8.1% from two or more races, and 7.9% Hispanic or Latino.

The median age in the city was 36.3 years. 7.0% of residents were under the age of 5; 25.8% were under 18; 15.2% were 65 and older. 51.5% of residents were female and 6.6% were foreign-born. 10.8% of people ages 5 and up speak at least one language other than English at home. Of persons 25 and up, 89.9% had a high school degree and 21.1% had a bachelor's degree or higher. Of those under 65, 11.2% had a disability and 6.1% lacked health insurance.

Median household income in 2020 dollars was $42,285, which works out to a $25,270 per capita income. 22.7% of the population lives in poverty. Median gross rent was $770 and the median value of the houses occupied by people who owned them was $91,700.

Government

{{see also|List of mayors of Battle Creek, Michigan}}

The City of Battle Creek has a commission-manager form of government. Cities that follow this plan of government have an elected commission (or council) that appoints a professionally trained and experienced manager to administer the day-to-day operations of the city and to make recommendations to the city commission. Battle Creek also appoints a City Attorney, who provides legal counsel to the city manager and City Commission.

The City Commission makes all policy decisions, including review, revision, and final approval of the annual budget, which is proposed annually by the City Manager. The City Manager serves as an "at-will" employee and they work under an employment contract with the commission. All other city employees, except for the City Attorney's staff, are under the supervision of the City Manager.

There are five ward commissioners. Residents cast votes for a ward representative, who must live within the area they are representing, as well as for four at-large commissioners. These candidates may live anywhere in the city. All commissioners serve two-year terms and all terms begin and end at the same election.

The position of mayor was voted on by the electorate until 1961, then was switched to the elected commissioners choosing from amongst themselves as to who would serve as the mayor and vice mayor for the next year.{{Cite news |title=Battle Creek residents will vote to choose their own mayor |first=Elena |last=Durnbaugh

|date=2020-03-10 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2020/03/10/battle-creek-residents-vote-chose-their-own-mayor/5016437002/ |access-date=2020-09-24}} In March 2020, a majority of Battle Creek voters approved an amendment to the city charter to allow residents to directly vote for the mayor; the first general election for mayor, since 1961, was held in November 2020.{{cite news |title=Mark Behnke will remain Battle Creek's mayor |first=Nick |last=Buckley |date=2020-11-04 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/local/2020/11/04/mark-behnke-wins-battle-creek-mayor-election-race/6006207002/ |access-date=2024-05-06}} The mayor presides over the commission meetings and appoints commissioners and residents to special committees. He may also form special committees to explore community challenges or potential policies. The vice mayor stands in if the mayor is unavailable.[http://ci.battle-creek.mi.us/Government/Default.htm Battle Creek government description.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213220059/http://ci.battle-creek.mi.us/Government/Default.htm |date=December 13, 2007 }}

{{As of|2017}}, the city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.{{cite news |title=Michigan State University, city of East Lansing at odds over proposed income tax |first=Lauren |last=Gibbons |date=August 16, 2017 |work=MLive.com |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2017/08/michigan_state_university_city.html |access-date=August 16, 2017 |quote=In Michigan, 22 cities currently have an income tax on those who live and work within their borders. Of those, 18 cities… [including] Battle Creek… levy an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.}}

Economy

=Largest employers=

File:Kellogg World Headquarters (battlecreekcvb) 001.jpg, best known for its Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Special K cereals.]]

{{As of|2023|October}}, according to a Battle Creek Unlimited report, the twenty largest employers in the city are:{{cite web |title=City of Battle Creek, Michigan {{!}} Thirty Largest Employers |date=2023-10-01 |publisher=Battle Creek Unlimited |url=https://bcunlimited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Top-30-Largest-Employers-2023.pdf |access-date=2024-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240409235207/https://bcunlimited.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Top-30-Largest-Employers-2023.pdf |archive-date=2024-04-09 |url-status=live}}

{{static row numbers}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}

{|class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers sticky-header col1left col2center" style=text-align:right

|-

! Employer

! Industry

! Staff

|-

| Denso Manufacturing Michigan, Inc.

| Auto parts

| 2,500

|-

| WK Kellogg Co{{efn|This list was published October 1, 2023, with Kellogg Company (Kellogg's) ranked at #2 with 2,000 employees. The Kellogg Company split into two companies on October 2, 2023. The North American cereal division became its own company, WK Kellogg Co, headquartered in Battle Creek. The number of Battle Creek-based employees attributed to WK Kellogg Co may or may not have changed on October 2, 2003; thus, this entry may actually include some number of employees that technically belong to Kellanova, the second new company formed on October 2, 2023.}}

| Foods

| 2,000

|-

| FireKeepers Casino Hotel

| Casino

| 1,730

|-

| Veterans Administration Medical Center

| Medical services

| 1,670

|-

| Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center

| Government

| 1,500

|-

| Bronson Battle Creek

| Medical services

| 1,360

|-

| Fort Custer Training Center

| Government

| 825

|-

| Duncan Aviation, Inc.

| Aircraft refurbishing

| 761

|-

| Kellogg Community College

| Education

| 709

|-

| Michigan Air National Guard

| Government

| 650

|-

| TRMI

| Electronics

| 617

|-

| Calhoun County

| Government

| 614

|-

| II Stanley Company, Inc.

| Lights and equipment

| 609

|-

| Post Consumer Brands

| Foods

| 600

|-

| City of Battle Creek

| Government

| 532

|-

| Magna Cosma Castings

| Auto parts

| 450

|-

| Battle Creek Public Schools

| Education

| 433

|-

| Musashi Auto Parts, Inc.

| Auto parts

| 425

|-

| Lakeview School District

| Education

| 395

|-

| Adient

| Auto parts

|334

|}

Education

=Colleges and universities=

=Public school districts=

  • Battle Creek Public Schools{{cite web|url=http://www.battlecreekpublicschools.org/|title=Battle Creek Public Schools|author=Battle Creek Public Schools|work=battlecreekpublicschools.org}}
  • Harper Creek Community Schools{{cite web|url=http://www.harpercreek.net/|title=Home - Harper Creek Community Schools|work=harpercreek.net}}
  • Lakeview School District
  • Pennfield School District{{cite web|url=http://www.pennfield.k12.mi.us/ |title=Pennfield Schools Web Site! |publisher=Pennfield.k12.mi.us |access-date=December 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229041228/http://www.pennfield.k12.mi.us/ |archive-date=December 29, 2013 }}

==High schools (public)==

  • Battle Creek Central High School{{Cite web |url=http://webserver.battle-creek.k12.mi.us/schools/central-high-school/ |title=Battle Creek Central High School | High Schools | Schools | Battle Creek Public Schools |access-date=October 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125035531/http://webserver.battle-creek.k12.mi.us/schools/central-high-school/ |archive-date=November 25, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
  • Harper Creek High School
  • Battle Creek Area Learning Center, better known as Calhoun Community High School{{cite web|url=http://calhounhs.org/|title=Welcome to Calhoun Community High School|work=calhounhs.org}}
  • Lakeview High School,{{cite web|url=http://lakeviewspartans.org/LakeviewHigh.cfm|title=Lakeview High School|work=lakeviewspartans.org|access-date=October 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101030033114/http://lakeviewspartans.org/LakeviewHigh.cfm|archive-date=October 30, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} including Lakeview High School Library,{{cite web|url=http://remc12.k12.mi.us/lhslib |title=Lakeview High School Library |access-date=September 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825225359/http://remc12.k12.mi.us/lhslib/ |archive-date=August 25, 2011 }} a 2008 American Library Association award recipient{{cite web|url=http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/winners.cfm |publisher=American Library Association |title=Award recipient |year=2008 |access-date=September 18, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718181924/http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/winners.cfm |archive-date=July 18, 2011 }}
  • Michigan Youth Challenge Academy{{cite web|url=https://www.michigan.gov/myca | work = Michigan Youth Challenge Academy | title= Home }}
  • Pennfield Senior High School

==High schools (private)==

  • Battle Creek Academy{{cite web|url=http://www.battlecreekacademy.com/|title=Battle Creek Academy :: Home|work=battlecreekacademy.com}}
  • Bedford Bible Church School{{cite web|url=http://www.greatschools.org/michigan/battle-creek/4605-Bedford-Bible-Church-School/|title=Bedford Bible Church School|work=greatschools.org}}
  • Calhoun Christian School{{cite web|url=http://www.calhounchristian.org/|title=Calhoun Christian School|work=calhounchristian.org}}
  • St. Philip Catholic Central High School

==Secondary schools==

  • Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center, an accelerated secondary school that focuses primarily on STEM education{{cite web|url=https://www.bcamsc.org/|title=Innovation Through Inspiration|work=bcamsc.org}} The Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center is attended by underclassmen in the mornings and upperclassmen in the afternoons.
  • Calhoun Area Career Center, provides career and technical education to primarily 11th and 12th grade students{{cite web|url=http://www.calhounisd.org/cacc/|title=CACC|author=Calhoun ISD|work=calhounisd.org}}

=Foreign-language education=

The Battle Creek Japanese School (バトルクリーク補習授業校 Batoru Kurīku Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a supplementary weekend Japanese school, holds its classes at the Lakeview School District building."[http://www.bcjschool.org/ Home]." Battle Creek Japanese School. Retrieved on May 7, 2014.

In 1980 the Western Michigan University Center for International Programs developed a program for Japanese expatriate K-12 students that was sponsored by Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU); the classes were held in the company facility at Fort Custer Industrial Park.{{cite news |last=Carlton |first=Ardith |title=Far from their home, students are learning their native Japanese |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |date=1980-11-28 |pages=B1, B2}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78262601/information-on-japanese-school-in-battle/ Clipping of page B1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/78263154/continuation-of-battle-creek-school-arti/ clipping of page B2] from newspapers.com

Culture

=Print media=

  • The local daily newspapers are The Battle Creek Shopper and the newspaper of record is the Battle Creek Enquirer, owned and operated by Gannett.{{cite web |url=http://www.careerbuilder.com/Jobs/Company/C31MB74KSLGGPHRV08/Battle-Creek-Enquirer-Battle-Creek-MI/ |title=Our history |publisher=Battle Creek Enquirer |access-date=February 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708120432/http://www.careerbuilder.com/Jobs/Company/C31MB74KSLGGPHRV08/Battle-Creek-Enquirer-Battle-Creek-MI/ |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}{{cite news |url=http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com |title=Daily newspaper |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |access-date=February 14, 2011}}

=Radio=

FM radio stations that originate or can be heard over the air in Battle Creek:

  • WSPB 89.7 - Battle Creek - Holy Family Radio Roman Catholic Radio{{cite web|url=http://www.holyfamilyradio.net/wspb/|title=WSPB 89.7 FM – Bedford / Battle Creek – Holy Family Radio|website=www.holyfamilyradio.net}}
  • WCSG 91.3 - Grand Rapids - Christian Adult Contemporary
  • WZUU 92.5 - Mattawan/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock
  • WBCT 93.7 - Grand Rapids - Country
  • WWDK 94.1 - Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Classic Country
  • WBCK 95.3 - Battle Creek - News/Talk
  • WZOX 96.5 - Portage/Kalamazoo - Alternative Rock
  • WNWN 98.5 - Coldwater/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Country
  • WFPM 99.1 - Battle Creek - Gospel
  • WBCH-FM 100.1 - Hastings - Country
  • WBFN 101.1 - Battle Creek - Christian (FM translator for AM 1400)
  • W274AQ 102.7 - Battle Creek - Classic Hits
  • WKFR 103.3 - Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - CHR/Top 40
  • WBXX 104.9 - Marshall/Battle Creek - Alternative Rock
  • WSRW 105.7 - Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary
  • WJXQ 106.1 - Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek - Mainstream Rock
  • WVFM 106.5 - Kalamazoo - Adult Contemporary
  • WRKR 107.7 - Portage/Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock

AM radio stations that originate or can be heard over the air in Battle Creek:

  • WKZO 590 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk - (FM translator at 106.9)
  • WFAT 930 - Battle Creek - Classic Hits
  • WILS 1320 - Lansing - News/Talk
  • WKMI 1360 - Kalamazoo - News/Talk
  • WBFN 1400 - Battle Creek - Christian
  • WQLR 1660 - Kalamazoo - Sports

==Television==

  • WWMT, a CBS affiliate licensed to Kalamazoo and also serving Battle Creek, Grand Rapids and western Michigan
  • WOOD-TV, an NBC affiliate licensed to Grand Rapids and the default NBC station for Battle Creek.
  • WOTV, an ABC/CW affiliate serving Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and southwestern Michigan, and also serving as a secondary ABC affiliate (alongside WZZM) for Grand Rapids
  • WXMI, the FOX affiliate from Grand Rapids.
  • WZPX, an ION affiliate serving all of western Michigan
  • WLLA, an independent station largely broadcasting religious programming from Kalamazoo.
  • WGVU, the PBS member station from Grand Rapids but broadcasting from a satellite broadcaster in Kalamazoo.
  • AccessVision, public-access television on Comcast channels 16 and 17; broadcasts to all municipalities within Battle Creek, and Newton Township{{cite web|url=http://accessvision.tv/|title=Battle Creek's Community Access Television Station|work=accessvision.tv}}

=Festivals=

Image:BCfest2010.jpg

  • The World's Longest Breakfast Table
  • The Battle Creek Field of Flight Entertainment Festival is an air show and balloon event held yearly in Battle Creek.{{cite web|url=http://www.bcballoons.com/|title=Battle Creek Field of Flight Air Show & Balloon Festival!|work=bcballoons.com}}
  • International Festival of Lights{{cite web|url=http://www.battlecreekmich.com/festival/festival.html|title=International Festival of Lights|work=battlecreekmich.com}}

=Music=

Battle Creek is home to the Music Center,{{cite web|url=http://www.yourmusiccenter.org/|title=The Music Center - Schools, Chorus and the Battle Creek Symphony|work=yourmusiccenter.org}} which serves South Central Michigan.

The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra is based at the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium in downtown Battle Creek.{{cite web|url=http://www.battlecreeksymphony.org/concerts/concertssymphony.htm|title=Battle Creek Symphony Concerts|access-date=August 31, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214045952/http://battlecreeksymphony.org/concerts/concertssymphony.htm|archive-date=February 14, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} The symphony is conducted by Anne Harrigan. It is Michigan's longest-running symphony orchestra.{{cite web |url=https://www.yourmusiccenter.org/symphony/ |title=Your Music Center |website=yourmusiccenter.org |access-date=February 10, 2021}}

The Brass Band of Battle Creek is composed of 31 brass players and percussionists from around the United States and Europe. "Created in 1989 by brothers Jim and Bill Gray, podiatrists and amateur brass players from Battle Creek, MI, the BBBC has grown to cult status in Battle Creek, where BBBC concerts are regularly sold out and waiting lists are created weeks in advance."{{cite web|url=http://www.bbbc.net |title=Brass Band of Battle Creek |publisher=Bbbc.net |access-date=December 12, 2011}} The Brass Band of Battle Creek's Christmas concerts features many different songs ranging from modern hits to classical Christmas songs. {{Cite web |title=2024 Holiday Concert with Brass Band of Battle Creek |url=https://smallbusinessbattlecreek.com/event/2024-holiday-concert-with-brass-band-of-battle-creek/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Small Business Development Office |language=en-US}}

Leilapalooza - The Leila Arboretum Music Festival is a free summer music festival held at the Leila Arboretum. Proceeds benefit the Leila Arboretum Society and Kingman Museum.{{cite web|url=http://wmuk.org/post/leilapalooza-hopes-revitalize-battle-creek-music-scene|title=Leilapalooza hopes to revitalize Battle Creek music scene|author=Rebecca Thiele|work=wmuk.org|date=July 30, 2012 }}

=Sports=

Battle Creek hosts the annual Michigan High School Athletic Association team wrestling, volleyball, baseball, and softball state championships. The town receives quarterly boosts to its economy from the fans who flock there to follow their teams.{{cite news

|url=http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20120615/NEWS01/306150040/MHSAA-baseball-softball-tourney-boosts-local-economy

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118041030/http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20120615/NEWS01/306150040/MHSAA-baseball-softball-tourney-boosts-local-economy

|url-status=dead

|archive-date=January 18, 2013

|title=MHSAA baseball, softball tourney boosts local economy

|date=June 16, 2012

|access-date=December 4, 2013

}}

Each year, Battle Creek hosts the Sandy Koufax 13S World Series, for 13-year-old baseball players.

In August 2010, Battle Creek was host to the eighth edition of the International H.K.D. Games.

In June 2024, the mens 4x800m relay team from Saint Philip Catholic Central High School took third place at the MHSAA Track and Field State Championship.{{Cite web |last=Broderick |first=Bill |title=Marshall, St. Philip relays set records, earn all-state honors at MHSAA state track finals |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/06/01/battle-creek-area-high-school-state-track-finals-roundup/73837570007/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=Battle Creek Enquirer |language=en-US}}

==Sports teams==

Image:Battle Creek.JPG

The Battle Creek Battle Jacks (formerly Bombers) are a collegiate baseball team, a member of the Northwoods League, who began play in 2007. After a last-place finish in 2010, the Bombers went 47–26 in 2011 and won their first NWL championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.northwoodsleague.com/Story.aspx?ArticleId=1330 |title=League News | Northwoods League | Get Ready for the Show! | Summer Collegiate Baseball |publisher=Northwoods League |date=August 19, 2011 |access-date=October 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224090624/http://www.northwoodsleague.com/Story.aspx?ArticleId=1330 |archive-date=February 24, 2012 }} It was the first championship in Battle Creek since 2000, when the Michigan Battle Cats won the Midwest League championship. The team's home is C.O. Brown Stadium. In 2011, the team signed a five-year lease, which guarantees the team's ten-year anniversary in Battle Creek in 2017. Actor Tyler Hoechlin, who starred alongside Tom Hanks in the critically acclaimed film Road to Perdition, previously played for the Battle Creek Bombers.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

!Club

!Sport

!League

!Venue

|-

|Battle Creek Battle Jacks

|Baseball

|Summer Collegiate Baseball, Northwoods League

|C. O. Brown Stadium

|}

==Former sports teams==

The Michigan Battle Cats/Battle Creek Yankees/Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were a Class A minor league baseball team that played in the Midwest League from 1995 through 2006. The team's home was C.O. Brown Stadium.

The Battle Creek Crunch were a member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL), that began play in 2006. They played one season in Battle Creek before ceasing operations due to financial trouble. The team's home was Kellogg Arena.

The Battle Creek Belles, a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, played two seasons, 1951 and 1952, before relocating to Muskegon.

The Battle Creek Revolution were a member of the All American Hockey League, a low-level professional minor league, from 2008 to 2011. The team's home was Revolution Arena. The organization also started a junior hockey team called the Battle Creek Jr. Revolution in 2010. The junior team was sold renamed to the West Michigan Wolves in 2014 before relocating to Lansing in 2017.

The Battle Creek Blaze is a not-for-profit, adult football team that plays NFL rules football as a member of the IFL (Interstate Football League). The Blaze organization raises funds and community awareness in the fight against cancer. They are in their sixth season of operation, and won the IFL North Division Championship in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.battlecreekblaze.org/|title=Battlecreekblaze.org}}

The Battle Creek Cereal Killers roller derby team began in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.cerealkillersderby.com/|title=Battle Creek Cereal Killers Roller Derby}}

The Battle Creek Knights are a minor league basketball team. They were a charter member of the International Basketball League (IBL) and went 21-0 during the league's first season in 2005, winning the championship. The team's home is Kellogg Arena. After announcing in July 2009 that they would sit out the 2009 season, that October the team announced that they would return to play in the International Basketball League.[http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20091001/SPORTS/910010332/1006/SPORTS Bill Broderick, "Knights will return to court"]{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Battle Creek Enquirer, October 1, 2009, accessed October 4, 2009

In June 2019, the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) announced it had added a tenth team for the 2019–20 season and it would be in Michigan.{{Cite web |url=https://www.federalhockey.com/news/2019/2020-fphl-schedule |title=2019/2020 FPHL SCHEDULE |website=FederalHockey.com |date=June 17, 2019}} On July 23, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees were announced{{cite news |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/sports/2019/07/23/new-pro-hockey-team-town-called-battle-creek-rumble-bees/1807335001/ |title=Introducing your newest pro hockey team, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |date=July 23, 2019}} with Adam Stio as the general manager after previously serving in the same role with the Southern Professional Hockey League's Evansville Thunderbolts.{{cite news |title=The FPHL's Newest Franchise |url=https://www.beehockey.com/news/the-fphl-s-newest-franchise |website=Federal Prospects Hockey League |date=July 23, 2019 |access-date=July 23, 2019}} The FHL had played multiple neutral site games in Battle Creek over the previous seasons before placing an expansion team there. The Rumble Bees hired Clint Hagmaier as their first head coach,{{cite web |url=https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/sports/2019/08/14/rumble-bees-new-head-coach-eager-get-season-started/2008244001/ |title=Rumble Bees' new head coach eager to get season started |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |date=August 14, 2019}} however, he was released after a 0–9 start to the season with Stio taking over as interim head coach.{{Cite web |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/rumble-bees-make-coaching-change/n-5572197 |title=Rumble Bees Make Coaching Change |website=OurSports Central |date=November 17, 2019}} The Rumble Bees had a 1–45–0–2 record when the league's 2019–20 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their losing streak led to them being named "the worst team in professional hockey".{{Cite web|date=2020-06-17|title='Bad News Bees': How one-win Battle Creek became the worst team in pro hockey|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/29317816/meet-1-45-2-battle-creek-rumble-bees-worst-team-professional-hockey|access-date=2020-06-21|website=ESPN.com|language=en}} After the season, the team's players went to different teams in the FPHL as part of a dispersal draft.

Points of interest

File:The Kellogg House (battlecreekcvb) 002.jpg

  • Art Center of Battle Creek{{cite web|url=http://www.artcenterofbattlecreek.org/|title=Art Center of Battle Creek - Main|work=artcenterofbattlecreek.org}}
  • Bailey Park & C.O. Brown Stadium{{cite web|url=https://www.michigan.org/home|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20170125200930/http://www.michigan.org/home|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 25, 2017|title=Welcome To Pure Michigan|last=hostmaster|date=October 10, 2016|website=Michigan}}
  • Battle Creek Sanitarium (now the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center){{cite web|url=http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/102719|title=Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center|work=gsa.gov}}
  • Battle Creek Tabernacle (Seventh-day Adventist Church)
  • Binder Park Zoo
  • Fort Custer Recreation Area{{cite web|url=http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=448&type=SPRK|title=Fort Custer Recreation Area Detail|work=michigandnr.com}}
  • Historic Adventist Village
  • Kimball House Museum{{cite web|url=http://www.heritagebattlecreek.org/|title=Welcome to Heritage Battle Creek|work=heritagebattlecreek.org}}
  • [https://bcrhm.org/about-us.html Battle Creek Regional History Museum]
  • Kingman Museum and Planetarium{{cite web|url=http://www.kingmanmuseum.org/|title=Kingman Museum|work=kingmanmuseum.org}}
  • Leila Arboretum
  • Linear Park[http://www.bcparks.org/jsps/linear_park.jsp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116062328/http://www.bcparks.org/jsps/linear_park.jsp|date=January 16, 2009}}
  • Willard Beach and Park
  • Willard Library{{cite web|url=http://www.willard.lib.mi.us/|title=Willard Library|work=willard.lib.mi.us}}
  • Saint Philip Roman Catholic Church
  • Springfield Burma Center
  • Battle Creek Country Club
  • Historic Bridge Park
  • Ott Preserve

=Fort Custer Army National Guard Base=

Founded in 1917, Camp Custer, as it was then known, served over the next decades as a training ground, from World War I until the present. Parts of the base were spun off and developed as the Battle Creek Veteran's Hospital, Fort Custer National Cemetery, Fort Custer Recreation Area and Fort Custer Industrial Park. This industrial park contains more than 90 different companies.

The United States Government still owns the land, under an arrangement by which the state of Michigan administers and manages the property. The base, which is still mostly undeveloped, wooded land, takes up a sizable portion of Battle Creek's land area. The part of the base in Battle Creek that is now the industrial park measures {{convert|4.69|sqmi|km2|2}} in area, which is approximately 10.6% of the city's area. A much larger part of the base lies in Kalamazoo County. The adjoining W.K. Kellogg Airport is a joint civilian-Air National Guard facility. Battle Creek is also home to Fort Custer Recreation Park, a state park located in the Battle Creek-Springfield Area.

Transportation

Battle Creek is situated on Interstate 94 (I-94) midway between Detroit and Chicago.

=Railroad and bus lines=

{{See also|Battle Creek (Amtrak station)}}

The Battle Creek Amtrak Station serves Amtrak trains on the south end of the station and Greyhound and Indian Trails bus lines on the north side of the station. The Canadian National Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway provide freight service to the city.

=Public transportation=

Battle Creek Transit provides public transit services to Battle Creek area residents. Regular route bus service is provided throughout the City of Battle Creek.

=Major highways=

  • {{jct|state=MI|I|94}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|BL|94|dab1=Battle Creek}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|I|194}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|M|37}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|M|66}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|M|89}}
  • {{jct|state=MI|M|96}}

=Aviation=

Kalamazoo's Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport serves Battle Creek. Locally, W. K. Kellogg Airport serves the general aviation needs of the community. The airport is also home to Western Michigan University's College of Aviation, Duncan Aviation, WACO Classic Aircraft Corp. a bi-plane manufacturer,{{cite web|url=http://www.wacoclassic.com/ |title=Waco Classic Aircraft home page |publisher=Wacoclassic.com |access-date=December 4, 2013}} and formerly, the Michigan Air National Guard's 110th Attack Wing, which flies the MQ-9 Reaper UAV.

Shopping malls and plazas

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|

  • Lakeview Square Mall
  • Minges Brook Mall
  • Minges Creek Plaza
  • Harper Village Place
  • Beckley Place
  • Plaza West
  • Minges Shoppes
  • Capital Centre
  • Capital Square
  • Columbia Plaza
  • Katie Plaza
  • Battle Creek Plaza
  • Columbia Center
  • Classic Center
  • Van Horn Plaza
  • Capital Commons
  • Urbandale Towne Center

}}

Notable people

See also People from Battle Creek, Michigan

Sister cities

Battle Creek has sister city relationships with Santo André, Brazil and Takasaki, Japan.

Since 1981, Battle Creek and Takasaki have organized annual summer exchange programs for junior high and high school students and teachers.{{Cite news |title=Battle Creek, Japanese sister city have another successful summer of exchange visits |date=2016-08-23 |work=WWMT |url=https://wwmt.com/news/local/battle-creek-japanese-sister-city-have-another-successful-summer-of-exchange-visits |access-date=2022-04-19}}

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

External links

{{Commons category|Battle Creek, Michigan}}

{{wikivoyage|Battle Creek (Michigan)|Battle Creek, Michigan}}

  • {{official website|http://www.battlecreekmi.gov/}}
  • [http://www.battlecreekvisitors.org/ Official tourism website]
  • {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Battle Creek |short=x}}

{{Geographic Location

| Center = Battle Creek

| North = Hastings

| Northeast = Lansing

| East = Jackson

| Southeast = Fort Wayne, Indiana

| West = Kalamazoo

| Northwest = Grand Rapids

| Southwest = Elkhart, Indiana

| South = Coldwater

}}

{{Calhoun County, Michigan}}

{{West Michigan}}

{{Michigan}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1831 establishments in Michigan Territory

Category:Adventism in Michigan

Category:Cities in Calhoun County, Michigan

Category:Populated places established in 1831