August 2019 - Lost In Michigan

Deerfield General Store

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store, upper peninsula .

On my way to visit the Peninsula Lighthouse HERE near Little Bay De Noc in the Upper Peninusula, I passed this old general store. The sign above the door reads Deerfield and that it was built in 1902. I am not sure if Deerfield was the name of the proprietor since the village of Deerfield is located southwest of Dundee. I was not able to find any history about it but I thought it was a nice looking old building. The sun was shining on it so I thought I would stop and take a photo of it and share it with you.

P.S. I see a lot of old building and houses in the U.P. if walls could talk I wonder what stories they would share.

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The Church On The Lake

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

This beautiful brick and stone church overlooks Lake St. Clair in Gross Point Shores. By the 1790s, French priests were ministering to farmers living along the lake. In 1825, Father Francis Badin dedicated a log church to St. Paul near the Lake in present-day Grosse Pointe Shores. In 1850 a frame chapel was erected on the current site. Built in the 1890s, during Father John Eisen’s pastorate, the present French Gothic-inspired church was designed by Detroit architect Harry J. Rill. The first mass held in the church was Father Eisen’s funeral in 1899.

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The Town That Moved

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

The town of Thompsonville does not consist of a lot of houses or buildings these days. It was originally by the Betsie River when it was founded by Sumner S. Thompson who operated the Thompson Lumber Company. After the railroad bypassed the town the buildings and houses were moved next to the tracks. I am guessing if they had not done it, that it would not show up on the map today.

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The Other Sand Point Lighthouse

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

Michigan has two Sand Point Lighthouses in the Upper Peninsula. One is in Escanaba HERE, and this red brick lighthouse is near Baraga. It was constructed in 1872 and sits on L’Anse Bay across from the town of L’Anse. In 1922 a light was placed on top of a metal skeletal structure and the old brick lighthouse was decommissioned. It was sold to private hands and is now in the ownership of the Keweenaw Bay Indians. When I visited it the grounds were open to the public and it is a nice place to stop if you are traveling between L’Anse and Houghton on US-41.

P.S. if you are wondering L’Anse is French for “the cove”

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Gaylord Barn

Posted on August 15, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I was going through some of my old photos and I came across this pic of a barn I took a few summers ago. I know I was somewhere near Gaylord but I can’t remember where I was exactly when I took this pic. Anyways. I thought it was a nice looking barn on a beautiful sunny day. I hope your summer is going well and you are out exploring the Mitten State.

P.S. I might be a little sporadic with posts for the next few weeks. I am busy with finishing up my calendars and volume 3 of my book so I will have them available this fall.

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A Haunting on Blood Road

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places .

Heading home from Detroit on 75, the expressway suddenly became a parking lot, and I hate sitting in traffic, so I got off and headed north on M24. I somehow ended up going down Blood Road near Metamora, I remember reading about it being haunted in the book Weird Michigan. Searching Google I found several rumors and legends of witchcraft and satanic worship, it is said that during the witch trials people migrated to the area in the 1600’s, there is also a story about a man that murdered his wife and the body was dumped into the swamp and at night the swamp turns red. Urban legend has I that if you drive down the road at night the branches of the trees fall behind you and the road will turn red. But the most logical thing I found was someone said the road has a lot of clay in it, and when it rains the road turns red, and the puddles look like blood. Of course, everything I found was on the internets, so it has to be true. Besides who doesn’t love a good urban myth, and the road is named Blood Road.

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The Upper Peninsula Pickle Barrel House

Posted on August 11, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, upper peninsula .

Eccentric people have built interesting looking houses around the county and this Upper Peninsula house is one of the most unique. In downtown Grand Marais is a giant barrel with a long and fascinating history. The Pioneer Cooperage Company of Chicago designed this small vacation cottage, which stood on the shores of nearby Sable Lake from 1926 until about 1937. It was built for William Donahey, creator of the Chicago Tribune cartoon story The Teenie Weenies. The house was constructed as a typical barrel would have been, only on a much larger scale. The main barrel contained a living area on the first floor and a bedroom on the second. A pantry connected this barrel to a smaller single-story one, which housed a kitchen. Donahey spent ten summers at the cottage with his wife, Mary, herself a noted author of children’s books. The structure was then moved to its current site and used as a tourist information center.

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Onaway Barn and Book Winner

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I like this old barn I saw somewhere near Onaway. I figure it’s an old barn since it has a stone foundation. I wish I had a story to go with it but I don’t, so I figure now is a good time to announce the winner of the Lost In Michigan Vol 2 book giveaway. Congratulations to Jason Smith he was chosen at random from the comments. Please email me at mike@huronphoto.com with your address and I will send out your book.

Thank you to everyone who commented. I wish I could send you all a book but If you want to purchase one they are ON SALE for a few more days on my website HERE or from Amazon HERE

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A Miracle at Peterboro and Park

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in castles, Detroit .

In Midtown Detroit on the corner of Peterboro And Park is the old James Scott mansion. The transformation that has occurred is nothing short of miraculous. It was not divine intervention that restored this historic old building, but good old fashioned hard work and money. If you want to see what it looked like before check out my post about it a couple of years ago HERE

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The Old Mill School

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

Between Romeo and New Haven is this old white schoolhouse in Ray Township. In 1863 Ray area farmers built what became known popularly as Mill School. Kindergarten through eighth grade students attended here until 1953. That year the school district consolidated with Romeo School District and it transferred the property to the township. Elections and community meetings were held in the building for many years. In 1983 the simple Greek Revival-style School became the Ray Township Library.

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