October 2016 - Lost In Michigan

In Search Of The Witchy Wolf

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Haunted Places .

A friend of mine told me a story of an old native american legend about a half dog half wolf ( I always thought a dog was a wolf, but I digress) that roams the Omer Plains along the Rifle River, protecting the spirits of the native american warriors that have died and are buried in the Omer Plains. Maybe I am a little naive but I think many legends and stories start with a little bit of truth to them, and so I figured I would do a little research, Of course I went to where everyone goes looking for information, no not the library, or the encyclopedia, but Google.

Searching for the old native american cemetery, I found the Plains Cemetery on google maps on Jose Road near Grove Road. On my recent trip up north, why not stop by and see what’t there. Heading north out of Standish I found Jose road, and traveled towards Omer, the biggest little city in Michigan, I stopped where Google said there was a cemetery. Maybe there was one there, but I did not see anything that looked like one, nor did I see the Witchy Wolf. A deer ran across the road which scared the bejesus out of me, good thing I was wearing my brown pants. I was there during the daytime. so maybe the Witchy Wolf only comes out at night.

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The Ghost Lightkeeper at the Old Presque Isle Light

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Lighthouses .

I find a lot of interesting stories on the Internet, and we all know if it’s on the internet it must be true, ( wonder what font works well for sarcasm) anyways, I found this story about the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse being haunted by a former keeper.

George Parris and his wife moved into the keeper’s cottage in the 1990’s to run the museum and give tours. Sadly George died at the lighthouse in 1992, and since his passing, the light mysteriously comes on at dusk and goes off at dawn, which is strange since the light is supposedly disabled. Air National Guard pilots have even reported seeing the light and visitors who climb to the top claim to see a face staring back at them from inside the light fixture. George loved the lighthouse and showing visitors around the grand old structure, he was also known to play pranks on the visitors, now maybe he is playing one last prank from beyond the grave.

P.S. if you are wondering why the light is on in my photo, I had a little fun with photoshop.

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Hell’s Half Mile In Bay City

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Historic Places .

In the late 1800’s, after the lumbering season was done, lumberjacks and shanty boys would head out of the woods and into town, with pay they just received for a season of hard work harvesting timber in the northern woods of Michigan. One of the first large cites they would get to was Bay City, and Water Street along the Saginaw River was there for the men to spend their money. There was a plethora of businesses looking to separate the Lumberjack with his hard earned money, and after months in the woods they were happy to spend money at the saloons, dance halls and brothels, drinking and gambling in the downtown blocks on water street. The area was known for large drunken brawls, giving it the nickname “Hell’s Half Mile” There were tunnels and catacombs that ran under the city streets and buildings, allowing passage from saloons and brothels, without being seen, or maybe even to drag dead body out to hide elsewhere.

I find it kinda funny that downtown Bay City has gone from a reputation of violence and lawlessness, to a place of quint coffee shops and antique stores, and oh by the way, my Friend owns the Americana Antique Mall on Water Street, i hope you will stop by and say hi next time you are in Downtown Bay City.

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The Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

“Just go with the flow, like a twig on a mighty river” Del Griffith

I got some pics at Tahquonomon Falls state park, and since I mostly see photos of the upper falls, I figure I would post a pic from the lower falls. I like visiting both when I get the chance to see the falls, but it seems like the upper falls are more popular, maybe because they are taller, or maybe because there is beer there. ( that seems to boos the popularity of just about anything) I do like the lower falls and I still need to rent a boat or kayak to get out to the falls way in the back, I guess on another trip when it’s warmer, and I have more time.

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The Breathtaking Beauty of Iargo Springs

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Landscapes, Waterfalls .

Lying off of River Road National Scenic Byway in the Huron National Forest west of Oscoda, Iargo Springs provides a panoramic view of the Au Sable River. Used as a drinking water source since pre-settlement times, dams were constructed on the springs by early loggers before the turn of the century. The dams were useful in diverting water to the logging camps nearby. Most of Cooke Pond was dry land then.

Europeans have visited the springs for recreation since the 1920s. A trail to the springs was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corpsin 1934. Early photographs show the dam being repaired and reinforced by the CCC’s. The dams lasted until 1981 when a storm took them out. The site was renovated in 1991. Steps were added and boardwalks along the springs, as well as the dams being rebuilt.

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The Tragic Tale and The Ghost Of Minnie Quay

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places .

There is a legend of a young woman’s ghost that roams the beaches of Lake Huron waiting for the return of the Sailor she loved. As the story goes Minnie Quay grew up with her family in the town of Forester, on Lake Huron, halfway between Port Huron and the tip of the thumb. Her family owned a tavern in forester, and during the lumbering years in the late 1800’s ships would dock at the small town. When Minnie was 15 years old she fell in love with a young sailor, that worked on one of the ships, that stopped in Forester. Her parents did not want her involved with a sailor, and forbid here to see him. She was not able to say goodbye to him when his ship sailed away. Distraught, she was said to walk thru the center of town, and then walked out to the end of the pier and jumped into the icy waters of Lake Huron on April 27^th 1876. She was buried in the cemetery next to Lake Huron north of town and her ghost is said to walk the shoreline waiting for her lover.

After learning about the story of Minnie Quay, I decided I need a photo to go along with the story, so I wanted to get a pic of the Lake Huron shoreline near Forester, and I found a beautiful county park north of town to take a pic. When I looked south along the shoreline out to a point that protruded into the lake I was shocked to see what looked like a person on the shoreline. After I looked thru my camera I saw that it was only a lone pine tree growing on the beach, but I wonder if that is the spirit of Minnie waiting for her sailor to return.

I have more about the town of Forester and Minnie Quay in my Lost In Michigan books which are ON SALE HERE

Oh and by the way, I saw this old house in Forester that could have been where Minnie’s family had their tavern, and where she lived, it’s only a guess, but I can’t help but wonder.

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The Journey To Crisp Point Lighthouse

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

I have a goal of visiting every lighthouse in Michigan, and I have seen most of the lighthouses that are easy to access, but now I need to start working on those, not so easy to see, lights on the Great Lakes. Crisp Point lighthouse is the “other light” on Whitefish Point. The Whitefish Point lighthouse north of Paradise is pretty easy to get to, but the Crisp Point lighthouse is about 20 miles of dirt road thru the Upper Peninsula forest. West of Tahquamenon State Park on M123 you head north on County Road 500 which ain’t to bad of road, but then you get to County Road 412 which is a seasonal road and that road is a winding twisty road thru the woods. When I was there ( in October of 2016) the road had standing water about every couple hundred yards, and you need to drive about 7 miles to the lighthouse down this road. Thankfully I drive a jeep, and it was not much of a problem for me, but I could see it being a problem for the average passenger car.

So I am heading down the road, fording the water holes, getting deeper and deeper into the wilderness and there ain’t no cell service, voice, text or internet on my phone out there in middle of whitefish point. Then I get to a point in the road where there is a sign on the side of the road marking the location where two sisters were stranded for 13 days in there SUV in April of 2015. I am hoping I don’t have any breakdowns or anything. There are signs about every mile saying there is an emergency telephone at the lighthouse, which must have been added after the sisters got stranded.

After about 20 minutes of driving the seasonal road, I rounded a curve and there was Lake Superior and the top of the lighthouse peeking out over the trees. I get to the lighthouse and a couple people come out to greet me saying “ we were wondering if we were gonna get any visitors today” it was a husband and wife from Minnesota that were volunteer light keepers for a few days, and they were camping at the lighthouse welcoming visitors.

After taking some photos and visiting with the Lighthouse Keepers, which you can follow their blog HERE, I made the trek back to civilization. I took me an hour to get from the lighthouse to Tahquamenon Falls, but it was well worth the trip. If you have the time to do it, I would highly recommend it, just make sure you have a reliable car, or better yet, a truck or SUV, and you have plenty of gas, I burned about a ¼ tank getting there and back, and I would say to make sure you have some water and food just in case.

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The Peak of Autumn In Michigan

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, upper peninsula .

I took this pic yesterday (10/20/16) on M123 at the entrance to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls during my road trip thru Michigan. This weekend would be the perfect weekend to head up to see the spectacular fall foliage. It’s like driving thru a Bob Ross painting. The colors north of Gaylord and Alpena are sure to peak this weekend. I did not make it over to the west side of the state near Petoskey so I can’t say for sure what the color is like over there but I am thinking they must be vibrant as well.

I also went along the Au Sable River from M65 to Oscoda, and I would say its just a little before peak color, I think it will peak in a few more days, but it is still really breathtaking looking out over the river at Lumberman’s Monument.

I hope you can get out and enjoy this once a year magical time in Michigan before it’s gone. I have lots of pics and stories to share over the next few weeks. I hope you will sign up for email updates so you won’t miss anything.

Now that I am back from my trip Lost In Michigan Calendars are back on sale this weekend I hope you will take a look at them HERE

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The Ghostly Tale of the Rear Range Lighthouse

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Lighthouses .

While I was researching the history of the old Saginaw River lighthouse, I came across some interesting stories of the old lighthouse being haunted. The current lighthouse was built in 1876 in a swampy area north of Bay City to guide ships into the mouth of the Saginaw River, replacing an earlier light that was built in 1831. The Lighthouse was deactivated in the 1960’s, but still used by the coastguard as living quarters until the 70’s, when a new station was built across the river. Servicemen stationed there claimed to have heard footsteps inside the old lighthouse, even though he was the only one there and all the doors were locked.

The mystery of the footsteps are believed to be one of two light keepers that died while serving at the lighthouse.Peter Brown was appointed Keeper of the old Lighthouse in 1866, being disabled he had help from his son, and his wife Julia to maintain the light. Keeper Peter Brown passed away in 1873 before the new range lights were built, but his family remained at the station, and Julia was placed in charge.

The new lighthouse was opened, and Julia served as head keeper until 1877, when George Way, whom Julia had married, was placed in charge of the light. Julia was made first assistant keeper, and served in this role until the position was abolished in October 1882. The position was reinstated the following spring, but the coast guard appointed Leonidus Charlton as the first assistant keeper. Keeper Way passed away in November 1883, and sixty-seven-year old Julia left the station, which had been her home for seventeen years. There are rumors that Julia may have murdered her husbands, to be Head Lighthouse keeper, but that has never been proven and it may be the spirits of the old lighthouse keepers that remain at the lighthouse.

The Lighthouse is on Dow, or I guess now it’s Dupont’s property, and is only open to the public on special occasions.

If you love Michigan lighthouse and ghost stories, be sure to check out the book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses by Dianna Higgs Stampfler and available at bookstores and Amazon HERE.

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The Garfield Inn at Port Austin

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

Last time I was in Port Austin, the Garfield Inn was for sale, and the paint was peeling off. It looks as though it has new owners, and they have fixed up the grand old home. I am happy to see someone is taking care of this historic place.

the Historical Marker sign out front reads:

A native of New York, contractor Charles G. Learned helped build New York City’s water-works system and the Erie Canal. Around 1837 Learned and his brother-in-law purchased several thousand acres of pine land in Michigan’s Thumb area. Two years later, Learned and his wife, Maria Raymond, came to Port Austin and bought a house and three acres at this site. Learned’s cutover pine land became a 2,000-acre farm where he prospered as an agriculturalist and dairy farmer. With profits from his lumbering and farming enterprises Learned enlarged and updated this house in the French Second Empire style. In the 1860s Ohio congressman, later president, James A. Garfield, a family friend, was a frequent guest here. From 1931 to 1979 the house served as the Mayes Inn and Tower Hotel.

There were rumors that President Garfield was smitten for Charles Learned’s wife Maria and that president requested that he travel to Port Austin to see her after being shot, but he was not permitted to travel.

You can read more about this place and many other locations around Michigan in my books available HERE

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