January 2020 - Lost In Michigan

Michigan’s Ghost Town Bridge

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns .

Nestled among the trees and over a small creek is an old iron truss bridge. The sign hanging from the top beams reads: MICHIGAN BRIDGE AND PIPE CO. LANSING MICHIGAN. You can see the old bridge from M-25 near Port Austin and it was part of the old sawmill town of Port Crescent. The town started back in 1844 when Walter Hume built a hotel and trading post near the mouth of the Pennebog River. A few sawmills sprang up in the area around the river and the town was known as Pennebog but another town upriver had the same name. It was decided to change the name of the town to Port Crescent for the crescent shape the river made as it flowed into the Saginaw Bay.

The lumber town continued to thrive and even survived the Great Fire of 1871. Woods and Company built a large steam-powered sawmill with a brick smokestack that soared into the sky. The town had several houses and even built a large two-story schoolhouse to educated the children. By 1881 the lumberjacks had cut most of the timber, and what was still standing, was mostly destroyed by the great fire that swept through the thumb. Slowly houses and buildings were moved or dismantled and taken to the surrounding towns such as Port Austin and Bad Axe. By 1894 all the buildings were gone and very little remained of the once prosperous town. The trees were gone, but a few people realized the sand was valuable for glass making and copper smelting and began mining and shipping the sand around the Great Lakes.

By the 1930s sand mining operations have ceased and that would have been the end of the land being used for anything. After WWII and the prosperity that followed Michigan families began vacationing during the summer. The state of Michigan acquired the property along the shoreline in 1959 and established the Port Crescent State Park. Little remains of the town of Port Crescent. The old bridge is used for a hiking trail and the foundation for the sawmill chimney stands near the entrance to the campground. Next time you visit Port Crescent State Park, or drive past the sign for it on M-25, maybe you will remember the town and the hard-working lumberjacks who lived there.

P.S. If you like camping in Michigan I hope you will check out my other website www.CampMichigan.org. you can find it by clicking HERE

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The Weight Of Snow

Posted on January 30, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms, Forgotten Places, Houses .

I have shoveled enough snow to know that it can get pretty heavy, especially the wet stuff. I saw this old farmhouse somewhere near Kalkaska and the roof had collapsed. I assume it was from the weight of all the snow over the years. I don’t know its story, if only walls could talk.

I have had several people ask me about Lost In Michigan T-Shirts. I was screening and shipping them myself but I am limited in the colors and sizes I can do. Plus it takes away from my time to create more posts. I have decided to go with Teespring for making shirts. I like the prices and options they offer, plus it gives me a chance to do more designs. I hope you will take a look at my new apparel store on Teespring by clicking HERE

Thank you for all your support, books and T-shirts help me with expenses to do this website and I hope you enjoy seeing my posts every day.

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Bellevue’s Kiln and the Capitol Building

Posted on January 29, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places .

It’s hard to imagine how this crumbling structure had an important role in the construction of Michigan’s capitol building. This odd-looking stone building sits along Sand Road in a small county park just outside of the town of Bellevue. A small fence surrounds it protecting it from visitors or maybe protecting visitors from it. The Dyer Kiln was used for burning limestone in the preparation of cement in the late 19th century. A small wooden sign nearby declares the kiln was built by Thomas Roberts in 1880 and the Limestone ash it created was used in the mortar to build the state capital in Lansing. The property surrounding the old kiln was turned into a small park in 1975, allowing visitors to see this long-abandoned kiln.

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The Stone Barn

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I see a lot of old barns on my travels around Michigan but I have not seen many constructed with fieldstones. I saw this magnificent barn near Elmira. I don’t have a story to go with it, so I will just let you know how much I appreciate you taking the time to look at my posts.

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The Engine House in Adrian

Posted on January 27, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses .

In downtown Adrian, stands one of the oldest firehouses in Michigan. Engine House No. 1 was built in 1856 making it the oldest continuously operating firehouse in Michigan when it closed in 1987. Originally built for horse-drawn fire fighting equipment the building was converted to hold mechanical fire engines in 1912.

I love the weathervane that sits atop the old fire station. After it closed it was converted into an office building and is still used for that purpose today.

If you are wondering what the oldest operating firehouse is in Michigan Click HERE

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The Rocks In The Church

Posted on January 26, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

I see several old historic churches in Michigan and some of them are made with fieldstone. The church in Olivet really surprised me with the huge rocks used to construct the church. If you look at the front door you can get an idea of how large the boulders were used in the construction. If you have ever tried to move or lift a rock that large you know how heavy they are. It is impressive that they were able to lift them that high without modern hydraulic equipment.

The historical marker next to the old church gives a little bit of history of the old building. It reads:

The First Congregational Church grew out of the evangelical movement that swept the country during the early nineteenth century. The congregation and its anti-slavery and temperance societies were organized in 1845. Temperance activities continued into the 1930s. Dedicated in 1894, this is the third building used for worship. In 1968 the church became the Olivet Congregational Church, United Church of Christ.

When this church was dedicated on June 20, 1894, the Olivet Optic called it a monument to the “self-denial, self sacrifice and loyalty to the cause of religion” shown by the citizens of Olivet. Milwaukee architect Henry F. Starbuck designed the Ionia sandstone, Richardsonian Romanesque Church. The 3,000-pound bell was cast in Baltimore and George Androvette of Chicago provided the stained glass windows.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead. If you want to read more about Olivet check out this post by clicking HERE

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The Strange tale of Nefarious Arthur Curry

Posted on January 25, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Murders, people .

If you have been to Petoskey to enjoy shopping or eating in one of the many establishments you have probably seen the historic pale yellow Perry Hotel. It was Built in 1899 by Norman J. Perry to accommodate tourists arriving by train to enjoy the fresh air of Northern Michigan. Today the hotel is owned by Stafford Smith and is a shining example of Luxury and elegance. Before Smit took over the hotel it was owned by Arthur Curry who had brought hope to a struggling city and ended up being a con man and a criminal.

In the mid-1980s Petoskey and especially the historic hotel was struggling in a slow economy. That was when Chicago stockbroker Arthur Curry came along and promised hope to the community when he purchased the Perry Hotel along with the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City. He was a very charismatic guy and people who met him were optimistic about his investments in Northern Michigan. He was able to convince people to invest in his hotels with the hopes that they will be restored and revitalize the other businesses surrounding them.

Things were going well for a short time but as expenses began piling up, investors were having a hard time finding Curry. After being ousted from the brokerage firm in Chicago he was desperate for money and came up with a scheme to rais some more money. In March of 1989, he kidnapped Gayle Cook the wife of William Cook from their Bloomington Indiana home. William and Gayle together built a medical manufacturing firm and were worth over 250 million dollars. Curry kidnapped Mrs. Cook as she carried groceries into her home. After tying her to the back chair in his van he demanded 1.3 million dollars in cash and another half-million in gold bullion. About 24 hours later the FBI found Curry’s van and rescued Gayle Cook and arrested Curry. He was convicted in 1990 and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

If you are like me you are probably doing the math in your head and thinking he will be released because it has been 30 years. He and his brother have been charged with bank robbery. Together the two are accused of robbing about 20 banks in southern Indiana and Kentucky.

Despite being owned by a short time by Mr. Curry, the Perry Hotel continues standing proudly in downtown Petoskey welcoming tourists and guests.

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Seven Bridges: Waterfalls In The Lower Peninsula

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Waterfalls, Winter Wonderland .

Between Mancelona and Kalkaska is the breathtakingly beautiful Seven Bridges Recreation Area. It contains, you guessed it, seven bridges that cross several streams that snake their way through the landscape. There are several little waterfalls and paths to explore. If you live downstate and you want to get some photos of waterfalls and nature it is a nice little place to stop. It’s not the same as visiting Tahquanomon Falls but it is a lot closer to the southern cities in the palm of the mitten.

If you are near Mancelona, Lost In Michigan books are available at Rooted. A Michigan products gift shop next to the Iron Skillet Restaurant. You can get a good meal at the restaurant and pick up a copy of Lost In Michigan. you can find more about Rooted at their website by clicking HERE You cand find the website for the Iron Skillet HERE

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The House Thermometer

Posted on January 23, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms, Forgotten Places, Houses .

I saw this old farmhouse somewhere in central Michigan. I took some pics of it from the road and when I got back home to my computer I zoomed in on the photo. I was wondering about the yellow square on the side of the house. It looks like it was an old thermometer. I think it is broken since the needle is pointing somewhere warm. But I am not sure since the numbers are worn off the old metal thermometer. I did not need a gage to tell me what the temp was outside. with the snow and the wind whipping across the empty farm fields, I knew it was cold out.

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The Oscoda Mystery

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

I saw this old building in Oscoda with a faded mural on the side. It has faded with time but it has a B-52 and the emblem for the Strategic Air Command. I can only assume it was painted before the Wurtsmith Air Force Base was decommissioned in 1993.

It was not until I got home and really looked at the photo that I noticed it has a garage door on the second floor. It looks as if they bricked in the opening bellow and added it up above. I have no clue as to why there is a second story overhead door. If you know please post a comment below because it has me baffled.

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