…Holland and Springfield Township Recollections
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in a series of stories on mayors of the Village of Holland.
Holland-Springfield-Spencer Historical Society President Karla Miller submitted this story as part of the village’s centennial celebration this year.
Each month, the column will feature one of a dozen mayors the village has had over the past 100 years. This month’s story is about Max Alton Albon.
The seventh mayor of Holland, Ohio, was Max Alton Albon, born May 6, 1912, in Springfield Township to Harry Burt Albon born January 6, 1889, in Springfield Township, and Iva Myrtle Box, born January 30,1888, Ontario, Canada.
Harry and Iva married April 7, 1910 in Lucas County and had three children: Max Alton 1912, Leona Amanda 1913 and Ross Kelsey 1915.
Father Harry died November 22, 1918 at Robinwood Hospital Toledo, and mother Iva died at her home, 7017 Hall Street, Holland, on July 17, 1971. They are buried at Springfield Township Cemetery, Holland.
For those of you who are wondering, yes, Albon Road is named for this family.
Max graduated Holland High School in 1930. On June 21, 1934, Max Albon married Elizabeth Jane Holtcamp born September 10, 1915, in Toledo, to Lawrence Henry Holtcamp, born 1891, Ypsilanti, Michigan, and Sadie May Burnell, born 1886, in Cleveland. They had three daughters: Elizabeth, Kathryn 1910, and Beatrice 1917.
Elizabeth graduated in 1934 from Waite High School, Toledo.
Her father, Lawrence, died November 16, 1963 in Toledo, and mother Sadie died August 8, 1961, in Oregon, Ohio. They are buried in Willow Cemetery, Oregon.
Max began his career with Holland in 1934 when he became the village treasurer.
He was elected to village council in 1935 and served for 10 years until he was appointed to serve out the term of Mayor Charles F. Phillips, who relocated to Florida in 1946.
Max held that position until 1960 when he took a hiatus from government to work as a traveling salesman for Northern Propane Gas Co.
Max and Elizabeth had three children: Maxine Lorraine 1935, Harry Lawrence 1936 and Mary Katherine 1949.
All three graduated from Holland High School.
Elizabeth was a member of the card club started by Adelyn Manley in 1938. Their home was 7130 Hall Street, Holland. Elizabeth Albon died June 14, 1980 in Ann Arbor Michigan Hospital at age 64.
Max retired from the propane company in 1979, with plans to travel.
He was not going to seek re-election to his council seat when it expired in January, 1982.
Plans changed when Mayor Ronald Manley resigned due to health issues in September, 1981, in the middle of his second, four-year term.
For a second time, Max Albon 69, a 40-year veteran of village government, was appointed to take over on October 1, 1981.
Max only intended to finish out Manley’s term, but got re-elected in 1982 and served through 1991. ln 1989, a group called CHOP started a campaign to recall the mayor and council. A lot of accusations were thrown around and things got very heated.
Neighbors were against neighbors who had been good friends for many years. On June 6, 1989, an election was held to recall the mayor and council. It failed.
In October, 1991, Max decided he had enough of the politics and asked that Lee Irons be the one he thought should take his place as mayor.
The people spoke, and we all know who the new mayor would be.
Max was one of the founders of the Strawberry Festival and in 1991 the council named the shelter house at Strawberry Acres Park the Max Albon Lodge.
A member of Zenobia Shriners, Max could be seen in many parades in his little clown car zipping around. Max served on the Holland Fire Department and was very active in his community.
He also worked for the Gordon Lumber Company in Holland in the 1940s and had a shoe repair shop in the garage behind his house.
Max and Elizabeth were members of the Holland United Methodist Church.
Later, Max moved to the Browning Senior Center in Waterville, Ohio. He died December 4, 1997, at St. Luke’s Hospital, Maumee. Max and Elizabeth are buried at Springfield Township Cemetery.
