April 2019 - Lost In Michigan

Michigan’s Hidden Castle

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in castles .

Hidden away in a private community known as the Canadian Lakes is a marvelous concrete castle. In 1974, Developer Donald Bollman purchased swampy farmland between Mount Plesant and Big Rapids. He converted the area into a private community with lakes, golf courses and tennis courts for the residents and their guests to enjoy. He built this castle on one of three golf courses in the community. The lower floor serves as a banquet center and the upper floor was used as a residence for the Bollman family. After Donald died the family sold the castle to the Canadian Lakes Property Owners Corp. The castle is known as the Highland Castle for the name of the golf course which is located next to it. The castle is used for weddings and private functions for residents of the community.

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A Scandinavian Church

Posted on April 28, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

North of Manistee on M-31 is this beautiful old white wooden church. If you have ever driven past it and never stopped to read the historical marker, here is what is written on it:

In 1864 Norwegian and Swedish immigrants created the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Society of Brown Town. The congregation alternated the language of services between Norwegian and Swedish to satisfy both groups. In 1884 Ole and Mary Johnson donated this land for the construction of the society’s first church and cemetery. The church was built circa 1888. The society began using the cemetery around 1893. Many of those buried here were descendants of the society’s founders.

In 1916 the Scandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Society of Brown Town’s first church burned down. That same year, they began to build this church, based on plans drawn by Reverend Ole Stenson and an unknown carpenter. Craftsman John Olson led the construction effort. He made the altar, baptismal font, pulpit, lectern and window frames in his basement. The building was dedicated in 1920. It later became known as Norwalk Lutheran Church and has been renovated several times.

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The Mansion Built With Trading Stamps

Posted on April 27, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

When I was a kid I remember going to the grocery store and getting trading stamps. After collecting enough stamps you could redeem them for products like dishes and silverware. The most common stamps were the S&H Green Stamps. The company was started by Thomas A. Sperry and Shelley Byron Hutchinson. It was a young Shelly Hutchinson who came up with the idea for the trading stamps. He was working at his family’s shoe business in Battle Creek when he used the stamps to promote their shoes to local businesses. A few years later he met Sperry and they became partners relying on Sperry’s financial backing and business connections. Hutchin’s built this mansion in 1902 in Ypsilanti and after he and his wife divorced the house was sold at auction by the bank to pay the unpaid mortgage. It is now used as commercial property for a few different businesses.

The S&H Green Stamps continued on for several decades. The program had its greatest popularity during the mid-1960s, but a series of recessions during the 1970s slowed the use of green stamps and the company was sold in 1981.

The posts I share on my website are a short version of the story. If you want to read more about some of the locations around Michigan check out the Lost In Michigan books available on Amazon HERE

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Michigan’s Oldest and Possibly Haunted Inn

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Iconic Buildings .

It was a long trip for people traveling by stagecoach between Chicago and Detroit. A popular stopping point was the National House Inn located in Marshall Michigan. The Inn was built in 1835 by Colonel Andrew Mann who used lumber from the Ketchum sawmill and bricks that were molded and fired on the site. The building was a popular rest stop for weary travelers and when the railroad came through town many passengers disembarked to dine at the inn.

When the railroad began using dining and sleeping the old inn no longer had the guests it once had. By 1878, it was converted into a factory for windmill and wagon parts. In the early 1900s, it was converted into apartments. During the 1970s the historic inn was renovated and restored back to its original use.

Like many old buildings with a long history, some say it is haunted. I am sure over the years there have been a few tragic events that occurred inside its brick walls. One can only imagine what has taken place since it was constructed almost two centuries ago. It’s believed to be a stop for escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. I am not sure about it being haunted, but it is a fascinating old building in one of Michigan’s most historic towns. Today it is a quaint little Inn for guests to step back into time and relax.

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Think USA

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw this old barn in the thumb with the sign “THINK USA” then I realized I was in the Unionville Sebewaing Area which just so happens to also be in the USA. I am thankful to live in a country where I am free to roam around and take photos.

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Michigan’s Alcatraz

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

The unofficial motto of the U.S. Lifesaving Service was “You have to go out; you don’t have to come back.” Vermillion Point that was the most remote and desolate lifesaving station around the Great Lakes. Located on the shores of Lake Superior in Whitefish Point the station was situated between Crisp Point Lighthouse and Whitefish Point Lighthouse. The men and their families stationed in the remote outpost referred to it as the Alcatraz of the Lifesaving Service.

The station began operation in 1876 and received supplies by boat. In the wintertime, supplies were delivered by dog sled to the isolated place far from any town. The station remained in operation until 1944 when it was abandoned. The buildings were left to defend themselves from the harsh northern Michigan weather. In the early 1970s, the Vermilion Life Saving Station and the surrounding 1.5 miles undeveloped shoreline was privately purchased for preservation and restoration. Many of the buildings’ exteriors have been restored. The one in the photograph is one of the remaining buildings to be restored by the non-profit group S.O.S. Vermillion.

The property is open to the public for quiet recreation. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the preserve and the areas around piping plover nests and bird-trapping nets are restricted. It is about a 10 mile drive down sandy forest roads to reach Vermillion Point. It’s worth the trip, but I suggest doing it in the summer or fall when it is dry. The first trip I tried to make to the point the road was flooded over about a mile from the parking lot and I had to turn around.

If you like this story and are looking for interesting places in Michigan to visit, check out the Lost In Michigan books on Amazon HERE

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The Real Coopersville

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

A while back I posted about a small one-man town near Grayling called Coopersville. Many people let me know that there is an actual town called Coopersville. Since I was near it recently I had to take a trip through the town of Coopersville between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. I thought it was a beautiful town, but I did not have much time to explore it, so I guess I will have to take a trip back to it sometime now that I know where it is.

You can check out my post on the other Coopersville HERE

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A Religious Experience

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Nature .

I usually post a photo of a church on Sunday, but this being one of the most famous Sundays I was not sure which one to post. I figured I would post my favorite place to go for a religious experience. I think a nice walk through nature is a good way to replenish your soul and remind yourself how beautiful this world is. I am fortunate to live in Michigan which has so much public land to explore. It won’t be long and it will be green again. Michigan in April tends to be a bit rainy and gray. That is why I take a lot of photos of houses and buildings in towns and cities. I have some places in the forests and parks I want to visit and photograph, but I am waiting for the trees to come alive with green leaves.

If you are wondering this pic is from Ringwood Forest, a Saginaw County park near St Charles.

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The Kazoo Home

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

I saw this beautiful old house in Kalamazoo, I don’t know anything about its history, but I liked it, so took a pic of it. I like the curved glass windows that wrap around near the front porch. I wonder if you can find a craftsman or craftswoman who can even make windows like that anymore.

P.S. yeah I know it’s kind of a gloomy looking pic but it’s been a gloomy Michigan Spring.

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Palms: Almost A Ghost Town

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

You could possibly call it a ghost town but a few people still live in Palms located in the Thumb between Cass City and Lake Huron. I figured a name like palms it was named after the palm tree but as any astute Michigander will tell you there are no palm trees in Michigan. The village was settled in 1850 by Canadians John Smith & Michael Dyer. It was businessman Francis Palms who owned most of the land for timber, and when he brought the railroad to the little community in 1881 they named the town in his honor.

Palms owned the most land in Michigan in the mid-1800s in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. After harvesting the timber he sold the land but retained the mineral rights. He made a fortune off the copper that was discovered under the property he once owned. He was the president of the Michigan Stove Company and vice president of the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad. At the time of his death, his estate and savings were worth over ten million dollars. The largest estate in Michigan at the time.

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