January 2018 - Lost In Michigan

The Extraordinary Old General Store

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

Roaming the back roads of Michigan I find some interesting places, but I think the old general store in Kilmanagh has to be one of my favorites. It looks like it’s from a movie set with its wooden porch. You would think John Wayne tied up some horses in front of it. The town of Kilmanaugh or whats left of it is kind of between Sebewaing and Bay Port. It was first called Thompson’s Corners, for Francis Thompson, an Irish homesteader who arrived in 1861. The name Kilmanagh was first used to describe the nearby Shebeon Creek, which would overflow each spring. A post office named Kilmanagh operated from February 1873 until June 1904. maybe even in this old General store. It’s believed the store was built sometime in the 1870s and operated by Richard Martini. In the 1890’s he sold the store to John Rummel and Albert Woldt. In the early 1900’s Alberts son Clemens P. Woldt took over the business naming it C.P. Woldt & Co. Growing the store and even became a John Deere dealership and possibly the first John Deere dealership in Michigan. by the 1960s the old general store had fallen on hard times and closed sitting vacant for many years. The current owner is in the process of restoring the old building you can learn more about their efforts on their facebook page HERE .

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The Mid-Michigan Castle

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

If you have ever traveled through the central Lower Peninsula on M-46 you have probably seen the ornate Victorian mansion in St. Louis. The massive white wooden castle-like home was constructed by Colonel John Elwell. He invested in the Chicago, Saginaw, and Canada Railroad and made a fortune when he turned the company around after it had been struggling to make a profit. John Elwell rose to the rank of Colonel for his service to the civil war and he moved to St Louis in 1875. He purchased the whole block on Delaware Street in 1880 and finished construction of his elaborate home in 1884. He lived in the home until his death in 1910.

Find Interesting locations throughout the Mitten State with a Lost In Michigan book Available on Amazon by clicking HERE

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Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE this weekend until January 29th or until supplies run out. I have some in stock but they sell quickly so order yours before they are gone.

you can order books from my website HERE

Thank You to everyone who has purchased a book your support really means a lot to me. I have had many people tell me how much they have enjoyed reading my book and that they are looking forward to visiting some of the places.

Getting Lost In Frankenmuth and Finding Beer

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Grain Elevators .

I don’t live far from Frankenmuth and have been there many times. I stopped and took a pic of the Lager Mill that stands along the Cass River. For some reason, I have never been in this building for some reason I thought maybe they sold sacs of flour and grain. After I took a pic of it I did a google search to see if I could find a little info about it. I never knew there was a brewery museum inside. It makes sense since Frankenmuth was founded by German Immigrants and has a long-standing tradition of brewing beer. There is also a beer store inside so in a way they do kinda sell grain just it’s fermented into a golden bubbly liquid. I guess next time I am in Frankenmuth I will have to check it out.

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Old Detroit in Downtown Lapeer

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Restaurants .

This post is a little different than my normal post so I hope you like it. I was at my son’s high school swim meet in Lapeer and after the meet ended we went out to get something to eat. We skipped the usual fast food places near the expressway and went to downtown Lapeer. I can’t pass up the chance to get a good burger so we ate at the Old Detroit Burger Bar. We sat down and they said they had coke on tap and I can’t have caffeine at night so I ordered a root beer and the waitress brought out a can of Faygo rootbeer. I said to her” Wow Faygo, does that mean you have a can of redpop too.” “yes” she replied. I knew I was in the right place when Detroit is in the name and they have Faygo. We ordered burgers and after a few minutes of looking at the old photos of Detroit on the walls and listening to old school blues music the waitress brought out these enormous burgers. The top bun was branded with the bars logo and for good reason. They are proud to serve the burgers they make. They were some of the best burgers I have eaten. I don’t really do restaurant reviews but sometimes I find a place that really impresses me. I really admire them for being a local burger joint and serving local food. I think if you are going to have a restaurant in Michigan you should support Michigan companies like Faygo, Kogels Better Made Chips or any other supplier from Michigan. If you are in southeast Michigan check out the Old Detroit Burger Bar there are 7 different locations. Here is a link to their website.

P.S. I don’t plan on doing a food blog. Thank for taking a quick break with me, now it’s time to get back on the road and see what I can find.

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The Old Stone Church

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Michigan Historical Markers .

I love stone churches. I can imagine the people in the congregation donating stones they have collected from their farm fields to build the church. Traveling the back roads near East Jordan in the north-west part of the lower peninsula I came across this beautiful old stone church. Thankfully there was a Michigan Historical marker in front of it with some history of the church. It reads:

In 1885 Bohemian immigrants founded Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church named for the patron saint of Czechoslovakia. The settlers, most of whom immigrated from Prague, named their community Praga. This Gothic Revival church was built as a frame structure in 1890; the steeple and bell were added in 1893, in 1926 the church was clad in fieldstone. The altar and some statues date from 1894. Since its founding, Saint John Church has been served by neighboring priests.

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The Stone Home in Alpena

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

Coming into Alpena from the south on US-23, you can’t miss this magnificent stone house that looks like a castle facing towards Thunder Bay. The house was built in 1902 by Charles R. Henry. After he died in 1926, it was inherited by his son the prominent Alpena attorney Carl R Henry, who was the president of the Michigan Bar Association in the 1930’s.

The house took two years to build and most of the stones used in the construction of the 18″ thick walls came from Cathro north of Alpena, but some of the stones were given to Mr. Henry by friends. One of the largest stones came from the Bottom of Lake Huron when it was brought up in a fishing net. There are stones from Hubbard Lake, Black Lake, Long Lake and Onaway and one stone from Colorado.

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The Strange Story about The Rise and Fall of the House Of David

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Iconic Buildings .

Near Benton Harbor is this massive palatial looking building. It was part of the Israelite House Of David a religious commune that was started by Benjamin and Mary Purnell in 1903. The members of the commune were prohibited from alcohol, tobacco, meat, owning property, and having sex. Their belief in not cutting their hair made the members of the commune stand out with their long hair flowing down to their waist, including the men.

Members of the House Of David band

To occupy their time when they were not out working in the farm fields or doing chores they played music and sports and even built an amusement park called Eden Springs which was known for its miniature train. The House of David opened their park up to the community and became very popular with people traveling for miles to visit it. The members played a lot of baseball to occupy their time, and because of that, they excelled at the sport. The House of David baseball team began traveling the country playing teams in exhibition matches defeating some of the best teams in the country. They were never allowed into the major league because of the rule banning facial hair. Their musicians traveled the country playing music to audiences in the vaudeville circuit. By 1916 the commune had more than 1000 members and attracted over half a million visitors to their amusement park. The House of David owned over 1000 acres and they had their own hotel, cannery and operated a power plant to supply electricity.

The group became rather wealthy and well liked by the public until the 1920s when 13 young women confessed to having sex with the group’s leader Benjamin Purnell when they were minors. Purnell died in 1927 before he was convicted. The accusations caused the commune to split with Benjamin’s wife Mary Purnell taking half it’s members and creating a new commune down the street known as Mary’s City Of David. Over time the membership declined in both communes and the amusement park closed. Today there are a few members left. The Eden Springs Park has reopened restoring one of the trains. The park is not what it used to be but the train still gives rides to passengers.

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Lost In Michigan Book Giveaway

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Giveaways .

Want to win a Lost In Michigan book? enter your email below to get notifications on new posts and you will be entered into the contest. If you have already subscribed you are already entered into the giveaway. The contest ends Monday at midnight March 5th. The winner will be selected at random from the list of subscribers and notified by email on Tuesday, March 6th.

Many people tell me they look forward to getting my emails for new posts. I don’t send out any spam or advertising. it’s just an email to let you know when I post something new.

If for any reason you don’t like getting my notifications you can unsubscribe at any time but I do my best to post interesting stories and places from around Michigan that I think you will enjoy.

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Congratulations to Kathryn Montgomery, she was the winner of the previous giveaway. Br Sure to enter the current giveaway for your chance to win a book.

Hanging Out at the General Store

Posted on January 7, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

When I was a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s we would hang out at the mall in the winter since there was not a lot to do on a cold Michigan day in the suburbs. You could put some quarters in Galaga and check out the CDs at the music store and get a snack. I saw this old General Store at the Sanford Centennial Museum and it got me thinking about what It must have been like back then. That must have been a big deal to go to the store with the horse and wagon. Inside the clerk with his white shirt and apron was stocking the shelves. A couple of old farmers in overalls sitting around a barrel next to the pot belly stove playing checkers talking about what crops they are going to plant in the spring. If we’re lucky maybe mom will get us some penny candy.

This was L.P. Larson’s General Store in Olsen. It was moved by the Sanford Historical Society to its current location at the Museum. To check out the old photos of the store and the history of the building at the society’s website click on the link HERE

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