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History · Alma

A history of Alma,
since 1853

Postcards, papers and photographs of Alma from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.

1853established
26old images & papers
1historic places
0recent photos
From Alma’s archive · credits on each photo

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Alma was founded in 1853 by Ralph Ely. Perhaps first known for the Alma Springs Sanitarium, built and promoted in the 1880s by millionaire lumberman and capitalist Ammi W. Wright, it achieved its greatest prominence nationally in the 1910s and 1920s as home of the Republic Motor Truck Company, briefly the largest exclusive truck manufacturer in the world. At one point, Republic was the maker of one out of every nine trucks on the roads in the United States. It was one of the major suppliers of "Liberty trucks" used by American troops during World War I.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

built from the dates on the items below
1853Established
1887Ammi Williard WrightCommons
1890s10 items · Alma Sanitarium, in the groundsLOC
1900s15 items · Alma CollegeLOC
1910–1999Nothing yet. Family albums go here.
Help out

Finish Alma’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewAmmi Williard Wright, 1887: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people from Alma

See all 14 →
BMBetty MahmoodyWriting & ArtsGary E. LuckGary E. LuckMilitaryRalph RapsonRalph RapsonWriting & ArtsDHDonald Ellis HudsonScience & MedicineFNFrank W. NotesteinWriting & ArtsKeegan AkinKeegan AkinSports
By decade

Alma, decade by decade

1880s1 item
Ammi Williard WrightCommonsAmmi Williard Wright1887
1890s10 items
Alma Sanitarium, in the groundsLOCAlma Sanitarium, in the grounds1895Alma Sanitarium, smoking roomLOCAlma Sanitarium, smoking room1895Alma Sanitarium, billiard roomLOCAlma Sanitarium, billiard room1895Alma Sanitarium, the gymLOCAlma Sanitarium, the gym1895Alma Sanitarium, the gymLOCAlma Sanitarium, the gym1895Alma College, Wright HallLOCAlma College, Wright Hall1895Sanitarium ParkLOCSanitarium Park1895Pine RiverLOCPine River1895Entrance, Sanitarium ParkLOCEntrance, Sanitarium Park1895Dam on the Pine RiverLOCDam on the Pine River1895
1900s15 items
Alma CollegeLOCAlma College1900Wright HallLOCWright Hall1900Pine RiverLOCPine River1900Alma SanitariumLOCAlma Sanitarium1900Alma, MichLOCAlma, Mich1900Alma Sanitarium, the parlorLOCAlma Sanitarium, the parlor1900Alma Sanitarium, reception hallLOCAlma Sanitarium, reception hall1900Alma Sanitarium, dining roomLOCAlma Sanitarium, dining room1900Alma Sanitarium, gentlemen's writing roomLOCAlma Sanitarium, gentlemen's writing room1900Alma Sanitarium, reception hall and officeLOCAlma Sanitarium, reception hall and office1900Alma Sanitarium, part of the sun parlorLOCAlma Sanitarium, part of the sun parlor1900Residence of Dr. J.H. LancashireLOCResidence of Dr. J.H. Lancashire1900Residence of Dr. J.H. LancashireLOCResidence of Dr. J.H. Lancashire1900Residence of Mr. A.W. WrightLOCResidence of Mr. A.W. Wright1900Residence of Dr. J.H. Lancashire, libraryLOCResidence of Dr. J.H. Lancashire, library1900
1910s–
1990s
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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Then & now

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as Ammi Williard Wright (1887) and it appears here side by side.

🔁 Retake this view · +15

Historic places

National Register · via Wikidata
Wright Opera HouseBuilt 1880

From Wikimedia Commons (1), the Library of Congress (25) and the National Register (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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