In the Timbers Recreation Area on North Long Lake Road about 10 miles west of Traverse City sits this beautiful old brown barn. The area’s approximately 240 acres are open to hikers, but it once belonged to a family that owned one of America’s iconic brands.

The Timbers was a resort on Long Lake when Lola Armour vacationed there in 1919 and fell in love with the property. She and her husband J. Ogden Armour, owner of the Armour Meat Packing Company, purchased it that summer. They removed many of the original buildings and constructed a mansion, a lodge, a dormitory, cottages for the superintendent, chauffeur and secretary, two barns, and a boathouse on the lake.

J. Ogden Armour died in 1927, but Lola kept the property until 1945 when she sold the property because she was no longer able to travel to it. Eventually, the property was sold in sections with the home being sold off and The Girl Scouts purchasing 238 acres in 1962, which became the Timbers Girl Scout Camp.

Recently the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and Long Lake Township purchased the property for public use. Hiking trails throughout the property meander through the forests and fields, and along the old barn and some building from the former estate. The mansion and adjacent property are still privately owned and closed to the public.

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I saw this old barn north of Coopersville and like many barns I see, I do not know their history. I am sure many barns have an ordinary life of storing hay and giving a home to some horses and sheltering a tractor or two. I figure since I don’t have a story about this particular barn I would share a story of my own. I have been trying to erect a new fence around my property in the burbs. and with all the rain we have had in the past few weeks where I need to build my fence, it has been flooded with a few inches of water. It’s been really frustrating to do anything and I have no control over the weather. I only have a small project I want to get done. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a farmer trying to plant or harvest crops and dealing with the weather.

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I saw this old barn slowly being consumed by nature somewhere in the thumb. It was with my photos from the thumb but I have to be honest. I take so many photos that sometimes I forget where I was at when I took the pic. I should probably do a better job of keeping track but I think I was near Deckerville when I was lost out in the Thumb. Anyways, I liked this old barn so I stopped and took a pic.

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I saw this old barn in the thumb with the sign “THINK USA” then I realized I was in the Unionville Sebewaing Area which just so happens to also be in the USA. I am thankful to live in a country where I am free to roam around and take photos.

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I saw this little barn near the town of Rhodes. I am not sure at what point a barn is more of a shed but I liked it so I took a pic of it. I always thought Rhodes was named after the Greek city of Rhodes. Known for the Collosus of Rhodes.  The town was actually named after Murry Bently Rhodes a lumberman who was the first postmaster and founder of the town.

It’s been a while since I made T-Shirts and I am wondering if anyone is interested in purchasing a shirt if I have some more made up to sell on my website. Let me know in the comments and if it looks like there are enough people who want them I will get some more back in stock.

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I saw this old barn somewhere between Grand Ledge and Eagle. I had to stop and get a pic of it while I was out roaming the back roads. I am no expert, but I assume now that it is April, it won’t be long and the farmers will be planting their crops for the season.

Now it’s time to announce the winner of the Camp Michigan State Park Handbook. Congratulations to David Stellard he is the winner, please email me at mike@huronphoto.com with your address and I will send out your book.

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I like photographing old barns and advertising murals. So naturally, I love this old barn with the New Era Potato Chips logo painted on the silo.  New Era was founded in Detroit in the 1920s. They had four plants throughout the Midwest and was one of the dominant potato chips in the region.  During the ’70s potato chips sales declined. The company was bought out by Frito Lay and closed in 1981. The barn and silo near Portland still remain as a reminder of the long gone Detroit company.

P.S. I like how there slogan in “Scientifically Processed” I wonder how that would work out for them today, it sounds like the opposite of Organic.

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I saw these two old barns standing together like an old married couple watching over their family. They are just outside of the town of Posen. it’s northwest of Alpena, and the area was settled by Polish immigrants in the late 1800s. They named the town Posen after a providence of Poznan in Poland.

These two old barns must have seen a lot of Michigan winters. I assume they are old since they have stone foundations.

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I was roaming the backroads southwest of Clare and saw this old barn bracing itself from the windblown snow. I looked on google maps and it showed I was near the town of Woods. Other than showing up on Google maps, I could not find any info about the town.

as promised on my facebook post from yesterday it’s time to announce Teresa Worthington as the winner of the Lost In Michigan book giveaway. please email me at mike@huronphoto.com with your address and I will send out your book.

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I like visiting the same places at different times of the year.  I visit a lot of lighthouses throughout the year and on my way to the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse north of Harrisville I pass by this old barn.  It looks like a Bob Ross painting with the old wooden fence in front of it. I don’t make as many road trips in the winter but it is interesting when I do. The scenery is so different in the winter than other times of the year. I took of this barn in the Autumn a few years ago you can see it by clicking on the link HERE

I wonder how many people go out on a drive to see the snow. I think winter can be beautiful, as long as the roads are clear it can be a relaxing drive.

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