June 2016 - Page 2 of 2 - Lost In Michigan

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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Good Times and Fond Memories in Au Gres

Posted on June 9, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

When I was a kid my dad would take my brothers and I out fishing on the bay, ( Saginaw Bay for those who don’t live in the Saginaw Valley) sometimes we would go to Au Gres and stop to Lutz’s for breakfast and then on the way back from fishing we would stop and ride the go carts at the Funland, I took this pic a few years ago, but never posted it. I went thru Au Gres recently and I seen it was all gone. I have lots of fond memories of Au Gres, but it has changed over the years, it seems like instead of going to Au Gres, you go thru Au Gres to get to where you are going. I guess times change and kids have video games and electronic gizmos to keep them occupied. I did find this facebook page about it with some old photos HERE

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The Historic Island House on Mackinac Island – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Michigan Historical Markers .

Constructed for Charles O’Malley about 1852, this building was one of the first summer hotels on Mackinac Island. Captain Henry Van Allen, a Great Lakes skipper, purchased the hotel in 1865. He later moved it from the beach to its present location. By the 1880s the Island House was known as “The best family hotel on the island.” Following the death of her parents, Mrs. Rose Van Allen Webster became proprietor about 1892. She was the wife of Colonel John Webster, whom she had met during the 1870s when he was stationed at Fort Mackinac. Mrs. Webster added the large wings in 1895 and 1912, retaining ownership until her death in 1938. The Island House still serves as a resort hotel. you can find more about the history of the Island House on their website HERE

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The Little Round Roof Barn of Rosebush

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw this little barn in the town of Rosebush, a few miles north of Mount Pleasant, and like so many other barns in the area, it has a round or arched roof. After searching google, I found some info about the round roofs at the National Trust For Historic Preservation. The Round roof gained popularity in the 1920’s after WWI as it was found to have more room for storing hay and other items in the loft of the barn. The roof configuration is sometimes called Gothic, Gothic-Roof, Arched-Roof, or Rainbow-Roof. After World War II barns with no sides were built with just an arched roof like a Quonset Hut.

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The Tragedy and Haunting at The Big Bay Lighthouse

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Lighthouses, Murders .

Standing on a tall rocky bluff overlooking Lake Superior is the Big Bay Point Lighthouse built in 1897 near the town of Big Bay. The House was built as a duplex with one side for the head lighthouse keeper and the other for the assistant keeper. Those who worked at Big Bay Point were truly isolated. The keepers’ wives not only had to do the usual housekeeping and food preparation, but also schooling of any children in residence.

The first keeper William Prior made the 24 mile walk to Marquette to visit his dying sister, after her funeral he walked back to the lighthouse, to see the assistant keeper did not fulfill his duties, after firing him and a couple more concomitant assistant keepers, Prior hired his son George to be the assistant keeper. Just over a year after he was hired, he fell on the steps of the landing crib. Keeper Prior took him to the hospital in Marquette on April 18, 1901, and his son passed away roughly two months later on June 13. His son’s death drove him into a deep depression, and on June 28 he disappeared into the woods with his gun and some strychnine. It was feared that he had gone off to kill himself. A search party was sent out, but they were not able to find him.

Over a year later, the following entry was made in the station log:

Mr. Fred Babcock came to the station 12:30 pm. While hunting in the woods one and a half mile south of the station this noon he found a skeleton of a man hanging to a tree. We went to the place with him and found that the clothing and everything tally with the former keeper of this station who has been missing for seventeen months.

By 1941 the light was automated and in 1951 – 1952, the building and land were leased to the U.S. Army. Soldiers were stationed at the lighthouse for two-week periods of anti-aircraft artillery training. Large guns were placed on the cliff near the lighthouse, and targets were towed by planes over Lake Superior for practice. The soldiers lived in the meadow and woods to the west of the lighthouse.One of the soldiers stationed at the lighthouse murdered the owner of the Lumberjack Tavern, in the town of Big Bay, for raping his wife. The book and movie Anatomy Of A Murder are based on the crime.

1961 the Lighthouse and surrounding property was sold to a private owner. Today it is the only operational lighthouse with a bed and breakfast, rumor is the lighthouse is still haunted by the ghost of Keeper Prior, I am not sure it is, but I do know it is a beautiful lighthouse, and would be nice place to say at.

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D-Day and Fishing in Michigan with Eisenhower

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

On the eve of D-Day (June 6th 1944) general Eisenhower was talking to a group of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne, and an unknown army photographer captured this iconic image of the general talking with the Screaming Eagles. It was not until 1984 that an employee at the war department saw the photo, and realized that the Lieutenant with the #23 was Wally Strobel, his Brothers Neighbor from Saginaw Michigan. ( My hometown too) When Mr Strobel was asked about the photo, he said that the general asked him where he was from ” Michigan Sir” he replied, and Ike asked how the fishing was, “great sir” then the general said that Michigan was a beautiful state and reminisced about fishing in the state for a few minutes with the paratroopers. I guess now I know why “we like Ike”. You can read the full story in the Baltimore Sun HERE

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The Crooked Waters of Ocqueoc Falls

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Waterfalls .

I love taking photos of Waterfalls, but most of them are in the U.P. and a long trip for the weekend for me from my home town of Saginaw. Did you Know Ocqueoc Falls is in the L.P? I was traveling between Onaway and Rogers City and came across the falls, I knew there was a waterfall in the area, but forgot about it until I saw the sign. It is a wonderful waterfall and park that was recently updated with a new outhouse, which I was badly in need of, and I will say works fine. (oops TMI as my kids would say). there are several miles of hiking paths on the Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway. If your wondering like I was, The word Ocqueoc (pronounced Ah-key-ock) comes from a French term meaning “crooked waters” and is one of the few rivers in Lower Michigan to flow north.

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