In most History books the name Battle Creek (statisical information) derived from a skirmish between a government land surveyor and two Indians. Though, when asking local residents where the name came from one may hear the story of the great cereal wars between Ralston, Post and Kellogg over which one would get control of the local mill where cereal grain were produced. Hence, the more commonly referred to usage of Cereal City.

Throughout the early history of cereal production (1891-1910) there were over 80 companies vying for control of the Cereal market. Luckily W.K. Kellogg's Brother J.H. Kellogg was a doctor, and founder of the Battle Creek Sanitarium. When an upstart from another Cereal corporation started to cause trouble for one of the brothers that person soon found themselves in a white jacket waiting for a bran muffin and a yogurt enema¹.

The Ralston and Post companies would remain however, and while Ralston would remain a silent entity within the confines of the city. Post would do it's best to expand it's base of operations and power. They built a massive housing project called "the Post Addition" in which it would try building an army of its own to defeat Kellogg. This project failed, as when the Kellogg brothers heard of this project they quickly did the only thing they could...they sold the Sanitarium to the Federal Government under an agreement that the local army base (Fort Custer) would send in troops to make this Cereal upstart public housing. This plan worked, and while many Post employees lived within the Post Addition, members of the growing Kellogg Company also moved in to 'keep the peace'.

The Kellogg Company eventually grew to become the leader within the cereal market. To maintain their status as leader of said market they launched several projects including:

• The Kellogg Farm and Kellogg Experimental Forest where new types
  of plants were formed.
  
• The Kellogg Biological Station The Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, and
  Binder Park Zoo, where animals are bred for experimentation.
  
• Kellogg Community Collage where many researchers get their base
  secondary Education.
  
• The Kellogg Arena, where loud music emanates and where
  pay-for-viewing fights² often take place.
  
• The W.K. Kellogg International Airport, for importing/exporting
  of research equipment, and cereal to a global market.
  
• The Kellogg Foundation, created to launder illicit moneys, more
  on this 'foundation' coming up.
  

The Kellogg Foundation, created not only to launder questionable funds but it is also responsible for, Cereal City USA, a museum dedicated to the history of the Kellogg Brother's triumphs and for spreading rumors about the other cereal makers within the city. The foundation also runs the Worlds Longest Breakfast Table which takes place at the heart of downtown Battle Creek (every year sometime in June). The Cereal makers gives free cereal to any and all that wish to partake. Sometimes new, and often experimental cereals are given to the general public in this fashion. Patrons to the festival are typically unaware that they are the human guinea pigs of cereal. They also sponsor a Balloon Festival (held annually at the end of June). The company has never officially publicized their motives behind this festival, but the general public seems to enjoy it.

Eventually Post Foods was acquired by the Kraft Food Corporation due to the cereal battles involved with Kellogg and Ralston has yet to make a stand within the confines of the city, even going as far as moving their headquarters to Missouri. Leaving Kellogg to hold more political clout then any other corporation within Battle Creek. With it's subsidiaries, side projects, sponsored festivals, and experimental foods passed out to unknowing citizens within the city, the new name, Cereal City may be seen in our lifetime. So if your a cereal lover, and are ever in Michigan Visit this fine little town, see the sites Kellogg's has built, and remember as Dr. Kellogg always said, “Eat what the monkey eats, simple food and not too much of it”.