April 2016 - Lost In Michigan

The Huron Lightship – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses .

Commissioned in 1921, the Huron began service as a relief vessel for other Great Lakes lightships. She is ninety-seven feet long, twenty-four feet in beam, and carried a crew of eleven. On clear nights her beacon could be seen for fourteen miles. After serving in northern Lake Michigan, the Huron was assigned to the Corsica Shoals in 1935. These shallow waters, six miles north of Port Huron, were the scene of frequent groundings by lake freighters in the late nineteenth century. A lightship station had been established there in 1893, since the manned ships were more reliable than lighted buoys. After 1940 the Huron was the only lightship on the Great Lakes. Retired from Coast Guard Service in 1970, she was presented to the City of Port Huron in 1971.

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The Old Barn Near Podunk

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw this old barn near what was once the town of Podunk north of Gladwin. It’s been a while since I posted a barn pic, I love old barns, even though I grew up in the city. I guess maybe it’s because I think the farmer’s friends and neighbors from the community got together to build it, I wonder if they called it “crowd-sourcing” back then.

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Getting Lost In Silverwood

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, small towns .

O.K., I wasn’t really lost in Silverwood, that would be hard to do since there are only a few streets in the town. I did find this building that looks like and old school house or a church, or probably both. There is an old store in town that I have tried to get a pic of a few times but every time I am in Silverwood there was a truck parked in front of it, oh well, maybe on the next trip.

When the railroad (later part of the Pere Marquette Railway) was built through here in 1882, the residents applied for a post office. One suggested naming it something easy to remember, and the post office named “Easy” opened on April 13, 1882, with James R. Chapin as the first postmaster. The name changed to “Rollo” on March 27, 1890, and changed again on May 2, 1892 to “Silverwood”, after the nearby stands of white pine. A subdivision plat for the Village of Silverwood was filed on July 19, 1899.

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Swinging in Croswell

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

On my recent adventure around the thumb a few weeks ago, I found the historic town of Croswell. I have heard of the swinging bridge, but forgot all about it until I saw the sign as I drove into town. It was built in 1905 by the Michigan Sugar Company ( yes I can relate to the smell, I grew up in Carrollton) for their workers to cross the river to get to work. The original bridge had just two cables which were used to support the planks, I can’t imagine walking across it without anything to hold onto, my clumsy self would fall in for sure. I am thinking the origins of the signs ” Be good to your Mother In Law” and “love Ye One Another” that was at the other end is an attempt to keep mischievous people from swinging the bridge. Eventually, Two more cables were added to provide a handhold.

Because Amazon has pushed back shipping of books I have started selling books from my website. I have them in stock and you should have them in a few days if you live in Michigan. You can order them HERE

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The Castle on Woodward in Detroit

Posted on April 21, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Iconic Buildings, Uncategorized .

This beautiful french renaissance castle on Woodward Ave. was the home of railroad and ship-building baron Col. Frank J. Hecker. In 1888, Hecker hired architect Louis Kamper and began construction on the mansion at Woodward Avenue on the corner of Ferry and Woodward. The massive home is 21,000 square feet, and is an imposing example of French Châteauesque style based on the Château de Chenonceaux near Tours, France. Hecker used his home to host elaborate parties where he entertained luminaries such as presidents William McKinley and Rutherford B. Hayes.

The exterior of the home has large turrets at the corners, and Flemish dormers in the steep hip roof. Several bays project from the main body of the home, and wrapped around the whole is a balustraded, colonnaded loggia. A carriage house in the rear is clearly visible from Woodward. At one point this structure was converted into a concert hall capable of seating 200.

The interior has 49 rooms, including a large oak-paneled hall designed for large parties, an oval dining room done in mahogany, a lobby done in English oak, and a white and gold music room. The fireplaces were constructed of Egyptian Nubian marble and onyx and Italian Siena marble were used in the vestibules.

Hecker lived in the home until his death in 1927. For the next twenty years, the home was owned by the Hecker family, but operated as a boarding house for single college students. In 1947, the mansion was sold to Paul Smiley of the Smiley Brothers Music Company, who used it for musical instruction and practice, as well as a sales office. When Smiley died in 1990, the building was sold to Charfoos & Christensen, P.C. law firm that renovated the mansion, and it served as their law offices until 2014. In September 2014, Wayne State University purchased the house for $2.3 million for its Alumni Relations Department.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

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The Old Cabin on Route 66

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

No, not that route 66, but M66 that runs north and south thru the Lower Peninsula. I saw this old cabin built in 1892 and owned by the Missaukee County Historical Society on M66 between McBain and Lake City. They must have been a hearty bunch of Michigandars to live in northern Michigan way back then. I think I could handle the outdoor plumbing, but I don’t think I would survive without the internet.

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The Old Historic Mansion in Bad Axe

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

Michigan Governor Albert E. Sleeper (Wikipedia)

So I was traveling thru Bad Axe (one of the best named cities in Michigan, but that’s a post for another day) last summer, and I saw this old mansion boarded up. I thought there has to be some history, or something significant about the house. Thanks to my followers on facebook, after I posted a pic, they told me that was former Michigan governor Albert Sleeper’s Mansion, that was turned into a funeral home that was closed, and now the house sits abandoned . It was a magnificent home, and I think that is what got my attention to photograph it. I hope someone will step up to restore it. The interesting thing is what I learned about about Governor Sleeper and why I am posting this photo today. On this date (April 19^th) in 1917 Governor Sleeper created the Michigan State Troops Permanent Force which became the Michigan State Police. Governor Sleeper also signed the State Parks Act creating the State Park system In 1944, Huron State Park in Caseville, was renamed Albert E. Sleeper State Park in his honor.

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The Bicycle Hospital in Alpena

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost Murals .

I am not sure what a Bicycle Hospital is, and I did not even know Bicycles got sick, but I do love the faded old “Ghost Mural” on the side of this brick building in Alpena. With all of today’s modern technology, like digital LED signs, printed and plastic signage, and websites, I still like a good old fashioned hand painted mural. Oh and by the way, as of right now, the domain name of www.bicyclehospital.com is still available. Maybe someday I can do a Lost In Michigan mural somewhere.

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The Century Old Sanilac County Courthouse

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

I am never really sure which photos to post and when, but then sometimes there are outside forces at work telling me what to post. When I was traveling thru Sandusky on M46 the other day, the sun was shining on the old courthouse, and it was perfect for a photo with the green grass and blue skies. Then this morning I saw this story about the Sanilac County Courthouse turning 100 years old, and since I just took a photo of it, I think today is a good day to share that photo.

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The Castle Like Grand Trunk Depot in Lansing – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers, Train Depots .

Constructed in 1902, this castle-like building with its square tower was the Lansing station for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad until 1971. For decades passengers streamed through its doors. Here servicemen left and returned from military duty. Children and adults alike associated this depot with the excitement of travel and vacations. This city’s joys and sorrows were reflected in this rail station; greetings and good-byes were the most vital ingredients. But gradually rail travel ebbed. Renovated as a restaurant in 1972, the building’s exterior remains unchanged. Gerald R. Ford from Michigan, the thirty-eighth president of the United States, dined here during a “whistle-stop” campaign tour on May 15, 1976.

I figured I would post a photo from Lansing today to thank the Lansing State Journal for the really nice article about me, it was really flattering and humbling to read it, if you want to read it you can HERE

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