February 2020 - Page 3 of 3 - Lost In Michigan

Southwest Michigan Presentations

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in presentations .

I wanted to let you know I have two presentations coming up in March in southwest Michigan. I will be talking about my travels around the state and how I got started doing Lost In Michigan. I am also sharing some of my photos and telling stories about them. After the presentation, I will be selling and signing books, If you have a book already and you would like me to autograph it, please bring it with you and I will be happy to sign it.

Admission is FREE and everyone is welcomed

The first Presentation will be

Sunday, March 1st at 2:00 PM

In Cascade near Grand Rapids.

Presented by the Cascade Historical Society

Kent District Library Cascade Twp. Branch
2870 Jacksmith SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

The second presentation will be

Wednesday, March 18th at 7:00 PM

Downtown Kalamazoo

Van Deusen Room
Central Library
315 S. Rose St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

I hope you will be able to join me, it is always nice meeting people that enjoy reading my posts.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Star City: a Fallen Star and Ghost Town

Posted on February 4, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, Schools .

I love the name Star City, It sounds like a promising place full of celebrities with glitz and glamor. In reality, it is or was in the middle of nowhere west of Houghton Lake in the center of the Mitten. An old schoolhouse and cemetery are all that remains of the town. I found a couple of different references to it but I am not sure how accurate they are.

One story I found claimed that Star City was originally named Starvation Lake after a local trapper who was found dead in his cabin from starvation. In an attempt to sell property for farming and hunting around the small city, developers renamed the area Star Lake. Unfortunately, the name change did not help and the developers went bankrupt. Eventually, people began referring to the small town as Star City.

The other reference I found says that the settlement dates from approximately 1872. A post office named “Roy” Opened February 27, 1880, with Chauncey Brace as the first postmaster. The name changed to “Putnam” on June 6, 1883, with Elizabeth Putnam as postmaster. The name changed again to “Star City” on February 13, 1885 and was discontinued on December 15, 1923.

Whichever is true ( maybe a little bit of both ) the town is mostly forgotten now. This old schoolhouse knows the story but unfortunately, walls don’t talk.

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

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Abandoned Places In Michigan to Explore

Posted on February 3, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Ghost towns .

Over the years Michigan has seen several booms and busts from lumber to manufacturing. Many places have been abandoned, from factories to whole towns. Some of these locations in the Mitten State can still be seen and visited. They may have been abandoned for their original purpose they are still maintained by state and local parks or by historic groups.

Here is a list of interesting and abandoned locations that you can visit. Some have more artifacts and buildings than others but all are something worth visiting and a fun way to learn about Michigan’s history. A couple of locations are in parks that require a small fee or a state Recreation Passport on your license plate to enter the park. A few locations are on property owned by an organization that has been kind enough to allow visitors.

Remember they may be abandoned for their original purpose but they are still maintained and cared for. If you visit please be respectful and obey any posted signs or fences so that they remain open to the public.

For more information about places on the list, be sure to check out the Lost In Michigan book series available on Amazon by clicking HERE Books are also available at select locations in Michigan, you can see the list HERE

Now on with the list (please note a couple of places were close together so I used the same number.)

1 Central Mine Ghost Town

2 Powerhouse Falls

3 Ardis Furnace

4 Sand Point Life Saving Station

5 Bay Furnace Ruins

6-A Fayette Historic Town

6-B Peninsula Lighthouse Ruins

7 Vermillion Point Life Saving Station

8 Fiborn Quarry

9 Camp Raco

10 Cheboygan Lighthouse Ruins

11 Bell Ghost Town

12-A Frankfort Ironworks

12-B Aligator Hill Kilns

13 Groen Nature Center Sawmill Town

14 Durant Castle Ruins

15 Hamlin Ghost town Cemetery

16 Lake rail-trail coal tower

17 Grousehaven Celler

18 Port Crescent

19 Lincoln Brick Factory

20 Peninsular Paper Powerhouse

21 Dyer Kiln ruins

22 Fort Wayne Detroit

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The Witch’s Hat in Michigan

Posted on February 1, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

Michigan has a few train depots with a cone-shaped roof but the most well known one is called “The Witch’s Hat Depot.” It proudly stands in South Lyon. It is no longer used for passengers to ride the rais but is a historical museum. The historical marker next to it reads:

In the late nineteenth century, the community of South Lyon was served by three rail lines operating from the 1871 Pere Marquette depot, which burned in 1908. By the time this one-story Queen Anne depot was erected by the Grand Trunk Western railroad system in 1909, only two lines came to South Lyon. Featuring a rounded front and a conical roof, the wood-frame structure served as a passenger station until 1955. The City of South Lyon acquired the depot in 1975 and in 1976 moved it to this site. In 1981 the station began its service as the Witch’s Hat Depot Museum and community center.

Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE at Amazon. You can see more by clicking HERE

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