In the center of the Lower Peninsula near the Maple River is the East Plains Cemetery. Next to a headstone is a small historical marker for “Skyman” Philip Parmalee. He was born in 1887 not far from the cemetery near the small town of Hubbardston. He worked at a machine shop in St. Johns and
The Manistique Water tower and pumping station, a 200,000 gallon capacity water tower, is a 137′ tall Roman Revival-style building primarily faced with red brick with limestone trim, and sits on a concrete foundation. Casement windows near the top of the tower sit beneath a decorative frieze. The domed roof is made of copper. The
In 1936 Irving Charlton donated property to Barry County for a park. Over the years several historic buildings around Barry County were moved to the park. Today they create a historic village including the two-story brick building that was the offices for the Hastings Mutual Insurance Co from 1908 to 1924. You can learn more
Heading east on M-46 I got to the town of Kingston and when I get to a small town I like to drive around the area to see what I can find. I saw an old barn off in the distance so I headed out to it, then I saw another old barn and headed
Michigan has a few train depots with a cone-shaped roof but the most well known one is called “The Witch’s Hat Depot.” It proudly stands in South Lyon. It is no longer used for passengers to ride the rais but is a historical museum. The historical marker next to it reads: In the late nineteenth
The first week of April is Library week. Michigan has many beautiful libraries and I put together a list of some of my favorite Carnegie Libraries. I still love going to my local library to borrow books and do research. Even in this hi-tech era with the internet, I find the good old-fashioned library is
I saw this old house somewhere near Mesick. The upper windows are covered in some sort of sheet metal. They looked like eyes and reminded me of the movie Monster House. I don’t know what the story is about this old dilapidated house. It was new at one time but it is hard to imagine
I bet at one time this old school was a beautiful building and the pride of the community. It is in Paynesville in the western part of the Upper Peninsula. Not much exists in the town anymore and neither does the roof of this once beautiful old school. The harsh Michigan winter and weight of
Charlton Park east of Hastings has a plethora of historic buildings and houses. This log cabin sits off in the woods. I was disappointed that there was not a sign on or near it giving a little info. From what I found on the internet is that it is a replica built in the 1990s.
This cross stands on a hill south of Ludington near the mouth of the Pere Marquette River. It marks the death of Father Jacques Marquette. The exact location of his death is unknown but the site of the cross corresponds with early French accounts and maps. Marquette died in 1675 while returning to his mission
