The Historical Society of Battle Creek

The Historical Society of Battle Creek is celebrating its 90th birthday in 2006. The Historical Society of Battle Creek was founded in 1916 and is presently comprised of more than 400 members, including students, historians, preservationists, teachers, professors, librarians, activists and community residents.

During the first years of its existence, the Historical Society was primarily concerned with collecting reminiscences and memorabilia about the area’s settlement and early development. After the extensive effort to organize the city’s centennial celebration in 1931, the formal organization became inactive. Occasional meetings of the Battle Creek Historical and Geological Society were held at the Kingman Natural History Museum and individual historians continued to collect archival material and artifacts.

In 1966 the Kimball family donated their historic home to the community and the Junior League undertook the responsibility of transforming the residence into a Victorian house museum. When the renovation was complete in 1968 the society was reactivated as the Kimball House Historical Society to manage the facility. Care of the 1886 Victorian home was the organization’s primary focus until the 1980s when the Society began expanding its interest in Battle Creek’s history in general.

A Pioneer Village consisting of a cabin, barn and one-room school house was developed at Leila Arboretum and festivals were developed around this installation. The Society also collaborated with local organizations to present home tours and Preservation Week activities. After an executive director was hired in 1990 and the administrative offices and archives were moved out of the Kimball House, the educational and outreach activities of the organization increased dramatically.

The national award-winning journal of local history, Heritage Battle Creek, began publication in 1991 and merged with the Historical Society two years later. In September 1999 the Historical Society joined with the Sojourner Truth Institute of Battle Creek to create Heritage Battle Creek - an umbrella organization which provides administrative and programming services for both organizations, in addition to operating Kimball House Museum and a heritage tourism program.

After the Historic Adventist Village opened in 1999, the Pioneer Village facilities were moved from Leila Arboretum to the HAV . The Society continues to conduct programming in these structures, including the summer Freedom’s Legacy Camp for area elementary school students. Heritage Battle Creek currently maintains the community archives which contains several nationally significant collections, including an extensive materials on Sojourner Truth, the Underground Railroad in Southwest Michigan, the Battle Creek Sanitarium and the development of the health reform and cereal industries. It also operates a Research Center which creates and provides educational materials for public schools, universities, libraries and other cultural agencies in Calhoun County and beyond.