Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropo ...

and

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which e ...

rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

(MSA), which encompasses all of Calhoun County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 52,731. Nicknamed "Cereal City", it is best known as the home of the Kellogg Company and the founding city of Post Consumer Brands.

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 The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

in March 1824. The two Potawatomi had approached the camp asking for food because they were hungry as the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

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 Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. Surveyors would not return to the area until June 1825, after Governor

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was an American military officer, politician, and statesman. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He w ...

had settled issues with the Native Americans. Early white settlers called the nearby stream

Battle Creek River The Battle Creek River (simply Battle Creek on federal maps) is a river in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a tributary of the Kalamazoo River, joining it at Battle Creek, Michigan; the Kalamazoo River empties into Lake Michigan. The river ...

and the town took its name from that. Another

folk etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...

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".

History

In about 1774, the

and the Ottawa Native American tribes formed a joint village near the future Battle Creek, Michigan. 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 The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing ...

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. The first school was taught in a small

log house A log house, or log building, is a structure built with horizontal logs interlocked at the corners by notching. Logs may be round, squared or hewn to other shapes, either handcrafted or milled. The term " log cabin" generally refers to a sm ...

about 1833 or 1834. Asa Langley built the first

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

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. In the

antebellum era In the history of the Southern United States, the Antebellum Period (from la, ante bellum, lit= before the war) spanned the end of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. The Antebellum South was characterized by the ...

, the city was a major stop on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

, used by

fugitive slave In the United States, fugitive slaves or runaway slaves were terms used in the 18th and 19th century to describe people who fled slavery. The term also refers to the federal Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793 and 1850. Such people are also called freed ...

s to escape to freedom in Michigan and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. It was the chosen home of noted abolitionist

Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth (; born Isabella Baumfree; November 26, 1883) was an American Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist of New York Dutch heritage and a women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but esc ...

after her escape from slavery. Battle Creek figured prominently in the early history of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...

. 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. The city was noted for its focus on health reform during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Battle Creek Sanitarium was founded by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. In addition to some of his sometimes bizarre treatments that were featured in the movie ''

The Road to Wellville ''The Road to Wellville'' is a 1993 novel by American author T. Coraghessan Boyle. Set in Battle Creek, Michigan, during the early days of breakfast cereals, the story includes a historical fictionalization of John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of ...

'', Kellogg also funded organizations that promoted

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior o ...

theories at the core of their philosophical agenda, which was seen as a natural complement to

euthenics Euthenics () is the study of improvement of human functioning and well-being by improvement of living conditions. "Improvement" is conducted by altering external factors such as education and the controllable environments, including environmen ...

. The Race Betterment Foundation was one of these organizations. He also supported the " separate but equal" philosophy and invited

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

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). July 7 1908 Battle Creek MI

W. K. Kellogg William Keith Kellogg (April 7, 1860 – October 6, 1951), generally referred to as W.K. Kellogg, was an American industrialist in food manufacturing, best known as the founder of the Kellogg Company, which produces a wide variety of popular br ...

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 Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

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 Corn flakes, or cornflakes, are a breakfast cereal made from toasting flakes of corn (maize). The cereal, originally made with wheat, was created by Will Kellogg in 1894 for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium where he worked with his broth ...

". 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 Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

spoke here, as did Sen.

Hubert Humphrey Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was an American pharmacist and politician who served as the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969. He twice served in the United States Senate, representing ...

, President L.B. Johnson, and Heavyweight Champion of the world

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, ...

. 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. The Black Recondos, a group formed from the local young adult council of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&n ...

, forced the local board of education to hire Black teachers and administrative personnel, under the threat of removing every black student from their public schools. They also forced the chief of police to allow Black Recondos to intervene in arrests and gave them the authority to take black law breakers into their custody instead of the local police. This caused the second strike of a police force in U.S. history. The officers were fired and the strike was ended.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water, making Battle Creek the third largest city in Michigan by area, and one of only three incorporated municipalities in the state over 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. *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, but the city continues to decline in population. Prior to the merge, the city measured . *Battle Creek is variously considered to be part of Western Michigan or Southern Michigan.

Climate

Nearby municipalities

* Bedford Charter Township * Emmett Charter Township * Pennfield Charter Township * City of Springfield * Orchard Park, Michigan * Urbandale, Michigan * Washington Heights, Michigan * Park Hill, Michigan * Verona Park, Michigan

Demographics

In 1982, at the insistence of the Kellogg Company, 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.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 53,364 people, 21,348 households, and 13,363 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 23,525 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 74.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 17.8% Black or African American, 1.9% Asian, 0.8% Native American, <0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 2.1% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. 4.6% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

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 Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

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 Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $18,424. About 10.7% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 17.5% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 52,347 people, 21,118 households, and 12,898 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 24,277 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 71.7%

, 18.2%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.7% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races.

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

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.
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." 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

(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%

, 17.3%

, .6% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 8.1% from two or more races, and 7.9%

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 English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

at home. Of persons 25 and up, 89.9% had a high school degree and 21.1% had a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

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

. 22.7% of the population lives in

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse

. Median gross rent was $770 and the median value of the houses occupied by people who owned them was $91,700.

Government

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. Before November 2020, the commission held a special meeting to decide which commissioners served as the mayor and vice mayor for the next year. In March 2020, Battle Creek residents voted on a proposal that would change how the city selects its mayor position. This proposal (which passed) amended the city charter to allow residents to directly vote for the mayor. Residents will be able to vote for the mayor starting in the November 2020 general election. 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. The city levies an income tax of 1 percent on residents and 0.5 percent on nonresidents.

Economy

Largest employers

Kellogg World Headquarters (battlecreekcvb) 001

According to the Battle Creek Unlimited October 2020 update, the thirty largest employers in the city are:

Education

Colleges and universities

Kellogg Community College Kellogg Community College (KCC) is a public community college based in Battle Creek, Michigan, with sites in Battle Creek, Albion, Coldwater, Hastings and in the Fort Custer Industrial Park. It serves approximately 8,400 students annually via fi ...

, a two-year college founded in 1956 * Robert B. Miller College, a four-year institution which shared KCC's facilities. The college closed in 2016. *

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

's Battle Creek Branch — The Kendall Center * Western Michigan University's College of Aviation, located at W.K. Kellogg Airport * Spring Arbor University Battle Creek Branch * Davenport University Battle Creek Campus. This campus of the college closed in 2015. * Central Michigan University, Battle Creek Campus on Air National Guard Base, W.K. Kellogg Airport

Public school districts

* Battle Creek Public Schools * Harper Creek Community Schools * Lakeview School District * Pennfield School District

High schools (public)

* Battle Creek Central High School * Harper Creek High School *Battle Creek Area Learning Center, better known as Calhoun Community High School * Lakeview High School, including Lakeview High School Library, a 2008

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members ...

award recipient *Michigan Youth Challenge Academy *

Pennfield Senior High School Pennfield High School is the lone state school, public secondary education in the United States, high school of the Pennfield School District which serves Pennfield Charter Township, Michigan, Pennfield Township just north of Battle Creek, Michigan ...

High schools (private)

* Battle Creek Academy * Bedford Bible Church School * Calhoun Christian School * 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 * Calhoun Area Career Center, provides career and technical education to primarily 11th and 12th grade students

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. In 1980 the

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.

Culture

Print media

* The local daily newspapers are ''The Battle Creek Shopper'' and the

newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the ...

is the '' Battle Creek Enquirer'', owned and operated by Gannett Company.

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 *

WCSG WCSG 91.3 MHz is a radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States, that broadcasts a Christian adult contemporary format. The station is a community outreach ministry of Cornerstone University. WCSG typically competes for the most-l ...

91.3 - Grand Rapids - Christian Adult Contemporary * WZUU 92.5 - Mattawan/Kalamazoo - Classic Rock * WBCT 93.7 - Grand Rapids - Country *

WWDK WWDK ("94.1 Duke FM"') is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Jackson, Michigan, it first began broadcasting on July 14, 1958 as WMKZ-FM. The station broadcasts from a tower near Springport, Michigan. History Aft ...

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 WBCH-FM (100.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to Hastings, Michigan broadcasting a country music format. Bronco Radio Network WBCH is an affiliate of the Western Michigan University "Broncos Radio Network" and carries all of the Broncos football ...

100.1 - Hastings - Country * WBFN 101.1 - Battle Creek - Christian (FM translator for AM 1400) * W274AQ 102.7 - Battle Creek - Classic Hits *

WKFR WKFR (103.3 FM), also known as KFR, is a Top 40 outlet serving the Kalamazoo, Michigan radio market. It broadcasts with an ERP of 50 kW in Battle Creek, Michigan and is owned by Townsquare Media. History The station began operations in June ...

103.3 - Battle Creek/Kalamazoo - CHR/Top 40 * WBXX 104.9 - Marshall/Battle Creek - Alternative Rock * WSRW 105.7 - Grand Rapids - Adult Contemporary *

WJXQ WJXQ (106.1 FM, "Q106") is a commercial radio station licensed to Charlotte, Michigan, and serving the Lansing radio market. WJXQ is owned by Midwest Communications and airs an active rock radio format. Studios and offices are located on Cedar ...

106.1 - Jackson/Lansing/Battle Creek - Mainstream Rock * WVFM 106.5 - Kalamazoo - Adult Contemporary *

WRKR WRKR (107.7 FM, "The Rocker") is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format, consisting of classic album-oriented rock tracks from the late 1960s through the early 1990s. Licensed to Portage, Michigan, it first began broadcasting in 1988. ...

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 WKMI (1360 AM) is a radio station licensed to Kalamazoo, Michigan broadcasting a news-talk format. WKMI is an affiliate of the Grand Valley State Laker football radio network. WKMI, which began broadcasting in 1947, was a highly rated Top 40 m ...

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 affiliate serving Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and southwestern Michigan, and also serving as a secondary ABC affiliate for Grand Rapids * WXMI, the FOX affiliate from Grand Rapids. *

WZPX WZPX-TV, virtual channel 43 (Ultra high frequency, UHF digital terrestrial television, digital channel 21), is an Ion Television-network affiliate, affiliated station city of license, licensed to Battle Creek, Michigan, United States and serving ...

, an ION affiliate serving all of western Michigan * WLLA, an independent station largely broadcasting religious programming from Kalamazoo. * WGVK, the PBS channel from Grand Rapids but broadcasting from a satellite broadcaster in Kalamazoo. * AccessVision, public-access television on

Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...

channels 16 and 17; broadcasts to all municipalities within Battle Creek, and Newton Township

Festivals

* 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. * International Festival of Lights

Music

Battle Creek is home to the Music Center, which serves South Central Michigan. The Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra is based at the W.K. Kellogg Auditorium in downtown Battle Creek. The symphony is conducted by Anne Harrigan. It is Michigan's longest-running symphony orchestra. 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." 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.

Sports

Battle Creek hosts the annual

Michigan High School Athletic Association The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing. It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Unlike ...

team wrestling,

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

, and

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

state championships. The town receives quarterly boosts to its economy from the fans who flock there to follow their teams. 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.

Sports teams

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. It was the first championship in Battle Creek since 2000, when the

Michigan Battle Cats The Michigan Battle Cats were a Minor League Baseball team which began playing in the Midwest League in 1995 and called C.O. Brown Stadium in Battle Creek, Michigan, home. The franchise had previously been located in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1994 ...

won the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...

championship. The team's home is

C.O. Brown Stadium C.O. Brown Stadium is a baseball stadium in the United States located in Battle Creek, Michigan. The current stadium structure was built in 1990 and is a part of Bailey Park, a longtime home of amateur baseball and softball. Prior to the 1990 reco ...

. 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 Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

in the critically acclaimed film ''Road to Perdition'', previously played for the Battle Creek Bombers.

Former sports teams

The

/ Battle Creek Yankees/ Southwest Michigan Devil Rays were a Class A minor league baseball team that played in the

from 1995 through 2006. The team's home was

. The

Battle Creek Crunch The Battle Creek Crunch were a professional indoor football team based in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League joining the league in 2006 as an expansion team. The Crunch were the first ...

were a member of the

Great Lakes Indoor Football League The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLI ...

(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 Kellogg Arena is a 6,200-seat multi-purpose arena located in Battle Creek, Michigan. History Kellogg Arena was built in 1980. It seats 4,675 for basketball games, 4,859 for ice shows, 4,433 for the circus, 1,500 for theatrical shows and concer ...

. The

Battle Creek Belles The Battle Creek Belles were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The Belles represented Battle Creek, Michigan, and played their home games at Bailey Park. Histor ...

, a member of the

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the Uni ...

, 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. The Battle Creek Cereal Killers

roller derby Roller derby is a roller skating contact sport played by two teams of fifteen members. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, mostly in the United States. Game play consists of a series of short scrimmages (jam ...

team began in 2011. The

Battle Creek Knights The Battle Creek Flight are a team in the Independent Basketball Association (IBA) located in Battle Creek, Michigan. They previously played in the Premier Basketball League (PBL) and in the International Basketball League. The team was known ...

are a minor league

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team. They were a charter member of the

International Basketball League The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. Th ...

(IBL) and went 21-0 during the league's first season in 2005, winning the championship. The team's home is

. 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. In June 2019, the

Federal Prospects Hockey League The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league with teams in the Midwestern, Southern, and Northeastern United States. The FPHL began operations in November 2010 as the Federal Hockey League. D ...

(FPHL) announced it had added a tenth team for the 2019–20 season and it would be in Michigan. On July 23, the Battle Creek Rumble Bees were announced with Adam Stio as the general manager after previously serving in the same role with the

Southern Professional Hockey League The Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) is a professional ice hockey independent minor league based in Huntersville, North Carolina, with teams located primarily in the southeastern United States as well as Illinois and Indiana in the midw ...

Evansville Thunderbolts The Evansville Thunderbolts are a minor league ice hockey team in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The team plays at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. The team replaced the Evansville IceMen of the ECHL. History During the 2015� ...

. 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, however, he was released after a 0–9 start to the season with Stio taking over as interim head coach. 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". After the season, the team's players went to different teams in the FPHL as part of a dispersal draft.

Points of interest

* Art Center of Battle Creek * Bailey Park & C.O. Brown Stadium * Battle Creek Sanitarium (now the Hart–Dole–Inouye Federal Center) * Battle Creek Tabernacle (Seventh-day Adventist Church) * Binder Park Zoo *

Fort Custer Recreation Area Fort Custer State Recreation Area is a State Recreation Area located between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan. The area features lakes, the Kalamazoo River, over 25 miles of multi-use trails, second growth oak barrens and dry-mesic southern ( ...

* Historic Adventist Village * Kimball House Museum *Battle Creek Reginal History Museum * Kingman Museum and Planetarium * Leila Arboretum * Linear Park * Willard Beach and Park * Willard Library

Fort Custer Army National Guard Base

Founded in 1917,

Camp Custer Fort Custer Training Center, often known simply as Fort Custer, is a federally owned and state-operated Michigan Army National Guard training facility, but is also used by other branches of the armed forces and armed forces from Illinois, Indiana ...

, as it was then known, served over the next decades as a training ground, from

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

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 National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located just outside the village of Augusta in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. It encompasses , and had 30,000 interments. History Named for General George Armstrong Custer, the ...

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 in area, which is approximately 10.6% of the city's area. A much larger part of the base lies in

Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. , the population was 261,670. The county seat is Kalamazoo. Kalamazoo County is included in the Kalamazoo–Portage, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Kalamazoo Cou ...

. The adjoining W.K. Kellogg Airport is a joint civilian-Air National Guard facility.

Transportation

Battle Creek is situated on

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern term ...

(I-94) midway between

and

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Railroad and bus lines

The Battle Creek Amtrak Station serves

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada. ...

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 The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

and

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...

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

* * * * * * *

Aviation

Kalamazoo's

Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is a county-owned public airport in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA, southeast of Downtown Kalamazoo. The airport is located approximately west of the city of Battle Creek. It is inclu ...

serves Battle Creek. Locally,

W. K. Kellogg Airport W. K. Kellogg Airport is a city-owned, public-use, joint civil-military airport located three nautical miles (6 km) west of the central business district of Battle Creek, a city in Calhoun County, Michigan, United States. The airport i ...

serves the general aviation needs of the community. The airport is also home to

's College of Aviation, Duncan Aviation,

WACO Classic Aircraft The WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer, located in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was founded in 1983 as the Classic Aircraft Corporation and is now called the WACO Aircraft Corporation. WACO Classic Aircraft bu ...

Corp. a bi-plane manufacturer, and formerly, the Michigan

Air National Guard The Air National Guard (ANG), also known as the Air Guard, is a federal military reserve force of the United States Air Force, as well as the air militia of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the ter ...

's 110th Attack Wing, which flies the

MQ-9 Reaper The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the Un ...

UAV.

Notable people

''See also People from Battle Creek, Michigan'' *

Lepha Eliza Bailey Lepha Eliza Bailey (, Dunton; January 21, 1845 − May 1, 1924) was an American author, lecturer, and social reformer. Her girlhood was passed in Wisconsin when that part of the country was a wilderness. Afterwards, she became a lecturer of natio ...

(1845−1924) - author and lecturer *

Frankie Ballard Frank Robert Ballard IV (born December 16, 1982) is an American country music singer-songwriter and guitarist. He has released two albums each for Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records, and has charted eight singles on the Hot Country Songs ch ...

- country music singer * Lance Barber - television actor *

Johnny Bristol John William Bristol (February 3, 1939 – March 21, 2004) was an American musician, most famous as a songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Morganton, North Carolina, about whi ...

- Motown singer, songwriter and producer * Nate Huffman - professional basketball player, 2001 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP * Betty Hutton - film actress * John Harvey Kellogg - doctor and health food advocateThe Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek by Howad Markel 2017 *

Will Keith Kellogg William Keith Kellogg (April 7, 1860 – October 6, 1951), generally referred to as W.K. Kellogg, was an American industrialist in food manufacturing, best known as the founder of the Kellogg Company, which produces a wide variety of popular ...

- cereal mogul *

John Kitzmiller John Kitzmiller (December 4, 1913 – February 23, 1965) was an American actor who worked in his native land, as well as Italy and the United Kingdom. Kitzmiller achieved his greatest fame as a popular and versatile actor in Europe, making an e ...

- film actor *

Tony McGee Anthony Eugene McGee (born January 18, 1949) is a former professional American football player who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL), including two Super Bowls with the Washington Redskins. After being dismissed from ...

- National Football League lineman * Dick Martin - comedian and actor * S. Isadore Miner (1863–1916), American journalist, poet, teacher, feminist * Jason Newsted - Bassist, played for

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

from 1986 to 2001 *

Lisa Rainsberger Lisa Larsen Rainsberger, previously known as Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, (born May 7, 1961) is a distance runner. She is a member of the University of Michigan Track and Field and Road Runners of America Halls of Fame. Her marathon times were among t ...

- Boston/Chicago Marathon winner. * Mike Reilly - former Major League Baseball umpire * Bob Rush - Major League Baseball pitcher * John Schwarz - Former

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

* Emma L. Shaw, editor *

Rick Snyder Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Snyder previ ...

- former Governor of Michigan *

- abolitionist and women's rights activist * Rob Van Dam - professional wrestler * Junior Walker - Motown saxophonist and singer *

Tauren Wells Tauren Gabriel Wells is an American singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist from Houston, Texas who is known for making contemporary Christian music. Biography Wells was a founding member of Royal Tailor along with DJ Cox and Blake Hubb ...

- Grammy nominated Christian pop singer

Sister cities

Battle Creek has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

relationships with Santo André, Brazil and Takasaki, Japan. Battle Creek's relationship with Takasaki is more than 25 years old. Takasaki later established sister city relationships with Santo Andre; Chengde, China; Pilsen, Czech Republic and, in 2006, Muntinlupa, Philippines. These cities take turns hosting annual environmental conferences where technical and administrative staff share ideas and projects about environmental concerns. Battle Creek and Takasaki organize junior high and high school student and teacher exchanges each summer.

References

External links

*
Official tourism website
* {{Authority control 1831 establishments in Michigan Territory Adventism in Michigan Cities in Calhoun County, Michigan Populated places established in 1831 Populated places on the Underground Railroad