June 2016 - Lost In Michigan

The Time I Really Was Lost and I Found Stephenson

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

I was heading from Escanaba to Houghton with my wife on U.S. 2 thru da U.P. and I really was not paying that much attention to the signs on the road and at some point the road split and 2 went north and 41 went south but I did not realize there was an interchange there, it was just a fork in the road and I went the way that looked right to me. so we were driving along and after a while I started noticing signs that said Green Bay and I started seeing a lot of Green Bay Packers flags in the yards and then I started thinking we were going the wrong way, I switched the display on the dashboard over to compass and it said we were heading south and then it really it me, We were going the wrong way. We got to the town of Stephenson and I looked at the map and realized I went about 70 miles the wrong way. I fugred I was in Stephenson I might as well take a drive thru town. It was a Sunday night and like most northern Michigan small towns everything was closed on Sunday and it was strangely quiet

In the middle of town next to the railroad tracks was this cute little building. I am not sure if it was a depot or something else for the railroad but I am sure it’s been a while since any passengers came in to town by train.

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The Old Car Along The Road

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

I saw this old abandoned car along side the road near Weidman. I am sure it longs for the day the family would pile in with a picnic basked and go for a road trip. I am not sure what kind if cat it us but like most cars of its era I can only think that most of its parts, and maybe the car itself was built in Michigan.

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Another Abandoned Michigan Mystery House

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

I say this is a Mystery House because I am not sure where It’s located, I know i was somewhere between Owosso and Flint, but I cant for the life of me remember where I was at when I took this pic a few years ago. To some people that may sound strange, but I take a lot of pics, I mean A LOT OF PICS like 50,000 a year, I really don’t pay attention to what road I am on or small town I am near, many times I am just driving back roads aimlessly turning right or left or whatever way I feel like going.

I do get asked about the locations of some places, and requested that I post the exact longitude and latitude of the pics, which I know is possible, but I don’t like posting exact locations. I have done that, only to find out later, selfish and evil people have trespassed and vandalized or stolen stuff from the property. That’s why I only give out an approximate location. I am also asked a lot when I give a name of a small town where it is located, I figure it’s easy to look up on google maps where they are located.

If I am little vague on locations then you will have to do a little research to discover for yourself where something is located, and you might also find something new, that is how I find some of the places I find. I start researching something then go off on a tangent, and find something else. My Theory is, I could tell you exactly where it is, but if I give you a rough Idea and then you can search for it yourself. and who knows what you will find while looking. and sometimes, like in this case, I don’t even know myself where the house in this pics is located. I hope I encourage you to get out and explore Michigan.

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The Point Betsie Lighthouse: Standing Guard Over Lake Michigan Since 1858

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses .

Completed in 1858 the Point Betsie Lighthouse, north of Frankfort, is the oldest building in Benzie County. Standing along the shores of Lake Michigan marking the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage. In 1875 one of the first life saving stations was established by the U. S. Life Saving Service at the lighthouse. This was the last manned lighthouse on Lake Michigan, and the last Michigan lighthouse to lose its keeper after it was automated in 1982.

Erosion of the sandy point has always been a problem threatening the lighthouse, and in 1890 a ring of concrete was inserted under the tower. A curved breakwall was constructed at the water’s edge to absorb the energy of the waves crashing into the shore. I am thinking the blocks protruding from the surface of the concrete are there to keep the ice from Lake Michigan from pushing up to the lighthouse, but I could not find anything to confirm this.

Point Betsie Lighthouse is said to be one of Americas most photographed lighthouses, and with its red gamble roof and its green trim it is a beautiful lighthouse standing watch guiding ships as they pass by. if you want to visit the lighthouse you can find out more at their page HERE http://www.pointbetsie.org/

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An Old Barn Near Lupton

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

Another old barn I found on my travels thru the state, and this one was near Lupton. Like most of the other barns I have photographed, I know nothing about it’s history, other than at one time it was the pride of the family that built it to shelter their horses, or tractors, or whatever you put in a barn. I have been a city kid all my life, and I am not an expert on farming, other than without them I would not have much to eat.

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Bond Falls Scenic Site is a Site to See

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Waterfalls .

Bond Falls near Paulding in the west side of the Upper Peninsula is a truly magnificent waterfall to see. It’s a Scenic Site maintained by the DNR, and if you have a recreation passport on your vehicle registration, then you can visit without having to stop and pay for a pass like all the people I saw from Wisconsin doing. It’s a long trip from ” The bridge” across the U.P. to see them, but it’s worth the trip, and there are several trails and boardwalks to allow for different viewing locations with multiple waterfalls along the Ontonagon River to view and photograph.

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Michigan’s Most Famous American Flag

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Landscapes .

The people on the west side of the state probably won’t recognize this flag, but the people on the east side of the state that travel I75 will recognize this brick flag that stands along the highway near Bay City. It has the 50 state design on one side and the bicentennial design with the circle of stars on the other. For some, it marks the dividing line of ” Up North” on the way north, and for others, it means they are almost home when heading south. The flag was built in 1975 by local Bay City businessman Jim Graham as a way to promote an amusement park he wanted to build called ” Little Michigan. The park was supposed to be in the shape of Michigan with ponds in the shape of the 5 great lakes. The park never did get built, but the flag still stands waving at motorists as they drive by.

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The Dreadful Reality of the Downtrodden at Eloise Asylum

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Forgotten Places, Haunted Places, Michigan Historical Markers .

one of the few remaining buildings from the Eloise complex.

Some say that the Eloise Asylum near Westland on Michigan Ave. is one of Michigan’s most haunted places, I am not sure about that claim, but I would say it’s one of Michigan more interesting places, with a lot of history both good and sad.

The place began in 1839 when a log cabin known as the Black Horse Tavern and its property was converted into a poor house and 35 of the overcrowded tenants at the Wayne County poor house in Hamtramck were transferred to the newly constructed buildings. For years it was known as the Wayne County Poor House until a post office was opened in 1894 and named after Eloise Dickerson Davock the daughter of Detroit’s postmaster.

In 1913 there were three divisions: The Eloise Hospital(Mental Hospital), the Eloise Infirmary (Poorhouse) and the Eloise Sanitarium (T.B. Hospital) . Over the years the complex continued to grow with about 10,000 residents at its peak during the Great Depression. It had its own police and fire department, railroad and trolley stations, bakery, amusement hall, laundries, and a powerhouse. It also had many farm buildings including a dairy herd and dairy barns, a piggery, a root cellar, a Tobacco curing building, and employee housing.

Eloise was one of the first if not the first hospital to use x-rays for diagnosis performed by Dr.Albarran. Patients came from Detroit and other communities to have x-rays done. It also housed the first kidney dialysis unit in the State of Michigan and was a pioneer in the field of Music Therapy.

the old Eloise Cemetery on Henry Ruff Road.

The other part of Eloise that remains, are the cemeteries and with a complex that had about 10,000 people living there, death was a regular occurrence. There were a few different locations that the bodies of the patents and residents of the poor house were buried. One of the cemeteries is about a mile away down Henry Ruff road and is nothing more than a field with small stone markers engraved with only a number for the body buried below. It seems rather cruel and inhumane that a person is remembered as a number and not even a name was placed on the marker. They used the cemeteries up until 1948 after that a law was enacted to use the bodies as cadavers for medical training. ( was not able to get a pic of the markers since the cemetery is fenced off and says no trespassing, and I really don’t want to go to jail)

The main building left standing from the former Eloise Complex

The farm operations ceased in 1958 and some of the large psychiatric buildings were vacated in 1973. The psychiatric division started closing in 1977 when the State of Michigan took over the psychiatric division. The general hospital closed in 1984. Many of the buildings are gone and some of the property has been redeveloped into a golf course and condominiums. There is a Michigan Historical Marker near the parking lot.

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The City of Howell and it’s Beautiful Historic Courthouse

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses, Michigan Historical Markers, Uncategorized .

On 24 March 1836, the legislature passed an act organizing Livingston County and Howell was slated to become the County seat. This claim was vigorously opposed by a group from Brighton until the county buildings were actually erected 12 years later. The town was originally called Livingston Center because it was in the center of the county. The area was platted by Flavius Crane and and Edward Brooks, and they named it for Thomas Howell, a friend of Mr. Brooks, and the son of Judge Howell in Canandaigua N.Y.

Albert E. French designed the courthouse a two-and-a-half story brick and stone building. This edifice, completed in 1890, shows influence of Richardsonian architecture and has maintained many of its original Victorian furnishings. Peter and Maria Cowdry donated the land for the courthouse square with the provision that it revert to their heirs if no longer used for a courthouse. Local citizens presented the clock to the county as a gift. The people of Livingston County voted in 1976 to restore their courthouse which is an area landmark.

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Lost in Beautiful Downtown Lowell

Posted on June 10, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, small towns .

While out exploring Michigan I like to go and visit small towns I have never been to before, and see what there is. I love it when they still have a historic downtown area like the one in Lowell. If I am really adventurous, I just look at the map, and find a town I have never been to, and take a drive there just to see what is there. hopefully, I will find something interesting along the way also but I guess you will never know unless you make the journey.

Lowell was founded as a trading post on the south bank of the Grand River in 1831 by Daniel Marsac. In 1847, he purchased land on the north side of the river and platted it as “Dansville”. In 1851, a post office was established there named “Lowell” after the township. The community was replatted in 1854 and renamed after the post office. It incorporated as a village in 1861.

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