February 2017 - Lost In Michigan

Climax Michigan RFD

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Iconic Buildings, small towns .

Delivering packages with drones seems really far fetched, but a century ago delivering mail to everyone in the united states seemed like an impossible task. Many small rural towns had a post office that was in a local general store, saloon, or inn. The farmers or ranchers would come into town and pick up their mail. In 1893 legislation was passed in the United State congress that required the post office to implement rural free delivery ( R.F.D). On December 3rd 1896, the post office in the town of Climax between Battle Creek and Kalamazoo was the first to start an R.F.D. route in Michigan. The letter carriers delivered the mail by bicycle and horse and buggy to the surrounding citizens. This is a pic of the old stone post office in Climax which is now a library.

The local business that contained the post offices were not too fond of the new delivery system since people did not have to pick up their mail, and possibly purchase something at their business while they are in town. It’s strangely similar to the online vs brick and mortar store competition. who knows in a hundred year there will be something new, some sort of outer space colony delivery system and they will think what we do now was old fashioned.

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Remembering The Oscoda County Courthouse

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

The internet can sometimes be like that friend who tells you things without any regards to your feelings, kinda like Dr. Sheldon Cooper. I was doing some research on Mio and then I saw it in big bold text on google Oscoda County Courthouse Destroyed by Fire May 6th, 2016. I remember making an image of the old courthouse a few years ago but for some reason, I never got around to posting it. I guess I can share it with you now. I suppose finding out on google is better than being in the area and stopping by to get a photo finding out that it’s gone, it’s happened to me before.

The old courthouse had a Michigan Historical Marker and here is what was written on it.

When the county government moved from a town called Union Corners to Mio in 1882, temporary offices were set up in a rented building owned by John Randall, one Mio’s founders. For permanent quarters the county supervisors purchased land from Randall in 1885. The county hired Bay City architects Pratt and Koeppe to design a courthouse. In contrast to the elaborate stone and brick courthouses being built at the time, the firm designed this modest wood frame structure, completed in 1889, for Oscoda County. Two wings were added in 1908 to house vaults for the county clerk and treasurer. In 1889 – 90 a courthouse almost identical to this one was built for Arenac County in Omer. That courthouse became a Masonic hall in 1892.

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Melonheads and Hauntings at Felt Mansion

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Historic Places, Houses .

Six weeks after Dorr E. Felt and his family moved into the completed mansion in 1928 near Holland, his wife Agnes suddenly died. A year and a half later Mr. Felt died never having much time to enjoy their magnificent new home. Some believe their spirits still haunt the 25 rooms.

There is also an urban legend about an old hospital nearby where a doctor performed experiments on children with large bulbous heads and that some of the children escaped and lurk in the woods. I am not sure about the hauntings or the so-called melonheads, but it is a beautiful old mansion. It’s owned by Laketown Township now and the estate is a park with a disc golf course. ( if it were up to me, I would put some manikins with big heads hidden in the trees to mess with the disc golfers, but I guess that’s why I am not in charge of anything)

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

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Lost In Southwest Michigan

Posted on February 12, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses .

I went on a whirlwind tour of southwestern Michigan, and after stopping near Benton Harbor, I wanted to go to St Joseph but somehow I made a wrong turn. As I was driving I knew something was wrong and made a turn to head a different direction and then I saw this old house next to the road in the clutches of the trees. I stopped and got a pic, but I really had no idea of where I was so retracing my steps on google maps I found out I was near Hollywood, I guess I went a little too far but now I know there is a town called Hollywood in Michigan. Sometimes going the wrong way may be correct after all.

I got lots of great pics and stories to share from my trip. Thank you if have already signed up for email notifications if not I hope you will so you won’t miss any new posts

The Fate of the Brimley Granary

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Grain Elevators, upper peninsula, Winter Wonderland .

Michigan winters can be so cruel, if it’s not the brutal cold and gusting winds it’s the heavy snow. The old Granary in Brimley which has been standing over a hundred years since it was built in 1913 could not take the weight of the snow and half of it collapsed on January 23rd, 2017. I am not sure what the fate of the old building will be. I took this photo a few years ago, sadly many places I have photographed are gone now, I guess that’s what happens when you take pics of old buildings and houses.

Besides the granary, the snow collapsed the roof on the old fire hall in Brimley next to the old wooden water tower, you can see my post with a pic of the tower HERE

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