November 2018 - Lost In Michigan

The Christmas Train Station

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

This is the old train depot in Saginaw. It’s known as the Potter Street Depot because. you guessed it, It’s on Potter Street. It is the second largest depot in Michigan, second to only the Michigan Central Station. The enormous brick depot in Saginaw is not abandoned, although the railroad no longer uses the building, a preservation group still maintains and preserves it. Hopefully one day it will be given a new life like the depot in Detroit. For now, it quietly sits along the tracks with some holiday lights hoping Santa will not forget about it.

If you are not aware of it, Saginaw is my hometown where I was born and raised. I will be at Arthur Hill Highschool’s Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, December 1st. from 9-3 selling books and calendars. If you are in the are in the area stop by and say hello. If you can’t make it to the bazaar books are on sale this week and you can order them HERE

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The Ghost Town’s Two Story Outhouse

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns .

I wandered around the historic ghost town of Fayette in da Upper Peninsula. It was fascinating to go through and explore the buildings since the state park that the town sits in has the doors open for tourists to explore. I was roaming around inside the old two-story hotel, reading some of the info they had on the walls, when I came across a little photo and a sign for a two-story outhouse.

It’s not the greatest photo, I guess their camera phones were very primitive back then LOL, but you can see the arrow pointing to the tall privy with a bridge from the second floor to the outhouse. I wrote about a historic two-story outhouse in my first book and I thought that was the only one I would ever learn about. To my surprise, I saw the old photo in Fayette. Yeah, I know there is a lot of interesting things to see in the old ghost town, but it’s weird crap that sticks with me but not literally. The old privy is gone now but I really enjoyed exploring Fayette. I will have more posts and most likely a story or two about it in the next volume of my book.

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

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Michigan’s Oldest Schoolhouse

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

The Sessions Schoolhouse is the oldest cobblestone schoolhouse still standing in Michigan and possibly the oldest one-room schoolhouse in the state. The School was built in 1847 with local fieldstone by Alanzo Session, a New York school teacher who moved to the Ionia area. He built the school on his property to educate the local children. Session’s house is gone, but the old schoolhouse still stands in the northern part of the Ionia State Recreation Area.

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

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Maple River Shack

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Forgotten Places .

The leaves may be gone but my Autumn photos are not. I took this pic of an old shack near the Maple River State Game Area. I wish I knew a little history or anything about it to share, but your guess is as good as mine as to its story. I could not pass up a photo of it surrounded by the golden autumn trees.

I am getting really low in wall calendar inventory. I have a bazaar coming up Saturday, Dec 4th in Saginaw and there is a good chance I will sell out of them. If you want one before they are gone you can order them HERE

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The Lonely Depot

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

The old stone train depot in Harrisville sits a few blocks from downtown. It seems so lonely isolated from the heart of town. The historic depot was built in 1901 and welcomed passengers traveling from Alpena to Bay city until 1951. It’s a beautiful little depot and the Alcona county historical society must be maintaining it. It looks sad with the boards on the windows. but It was late in the fall when I was visited. I am thinking they put those on to protect it from the harsh Michigan winters.

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The Not So Famous Farmhouse

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

David Henry Day was chosen by the President of the Northern Transit Company, a steamship company that shipped cargo on the Great Lakes, to oversee the operations in Glen Haven. In the 1880s D.H. Day built this farm which now stands in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The farm, comprised of 400 acres, and was also known as “Oswegatchi” after the New York community where his father was born. Day grew hay and corn to feed his 400 hogs and prize herd of 200 Holsteins.

The barn is probably the most famous barn in Michigan and likely the most photographed barn in the state. I have not seen many photos of the house, but I think its a beautiful old farmhouse. It’s privately owned and I am not sure what the plans are for its future. I figured I would share a pic of the old house since it seems forgotten about next to the historic and restored barn.

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

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The Hobbit Hole

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” J.R.R. Tolkien

I saw this Hobbit hole not in the shire, but near the Mill Creek in Yale. It’s on private property, but you can see it from the road and that is where I took this photo from. It’s amazing the things you find when you are out wandering the Mitten State. Now for my favorite Tolkien quote ” Not all who wander are lost”

Volume 1 of the Lost In Michigan books is ON SALE at Amazon, you can order it or the other volumes by clicking HERE

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Upcoming Book Signing

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in presentations .

The Saturday after Thanksgiving November 24th I will be at Charlin’s Book Nook at the River Place Shops in Frankenmuth from 10:30 to 2:00 pm. I will have copies of my books for sale along with wall calendars. If you have already purchased a book and you want it signed stop by and I will be happy to sign it for you. The River Place Shops are at the south end of town next to the Cass River. You can find out more about them HERE

If you want to know more about Charlin’s Book Nook check out their facebook page HERE

If you are in the area I hope you will stop by and say hi. If you can’t make it to Frankenmuth you can order a book from my website HERE

P.S. I am curious if anybody remembers the old brewery that used to stand where the shops are now?

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The Strange Story of Wellington Burt’s Fortune

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, people .

In the back of Saginaw’s Forest Lawn Cemetary is a massive stone mausoleum where lumber baron and railroad tycoon Wellington R. Burt is entombed. At the time of his death in 1919, he was the 8th wealthiest person in America and the second richest person in Michigan with Henry Ford holding that title. He is the only one who knew why he had one of America’s strangest last wills. It had a “spite clause” where he stated his money was to be given out 21 years after the death of his last surviving grandchild who was alive at the time of his death. No one knows why he had such a strange request in his will. He left money for some of his servants who had worked for him at his Mansion in downtown Saginaw. He must have really hated his family. Burt’s last grandchild, Marion Lansill died in November of 1989. 21 years later his trust, valued approximately 100 million dollars, was split between 12 descendants in 2010.

There is a lot more to this story and you can read about it, along with several other interesting stories from around the Mitten State, in my book available on Amazon by clicking HERE

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The Ghost Town of Melbourne and the Boxing Champion

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns .

The town of Melbourne was a sawmill town along the Saginaw River between Bay City and Saginaw. It was one of the largest lumber mills in Michigan in its heyday. It’s most famous citizens was George “Kid” Lavigne, the world lightweight boxing champion. After a devastating fire, the town was mostly destroyed and never rebuilt. The remaining buildings were moved to Zilwaukee. Nothing remains of the old town. This old shack, slowly falling into the marsh, sits near the town’s original location. The complete story of the town is told in the first volume of Lost In Michigan on sale at Amazon HERE

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

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