May 2020 - Page 3 of 3 - Lost In Michigan

Michigan’s Fireman’s Memorial

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses .

I have only visited the Fireman’s Memorial near Roscommon a few times, I am not sure why, since it’s right of I75, and the memorial is a quiet peaceful place to visit. Detroit born sculptor Edward Chesney created the sculpture of the firefighter rescuing a young child. Next time you are headed up north on I-75 stop by the memorial if you have never seen it. it’s not far from Exit 239 on Robinson Lake Rd about a half-mile east of M-18

Thank you to all the firefighters, law enforcement, and all first responders for your dedication and sacrifices to protecting and saving human life.

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Michigan’s Longest Covered Bridge

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

Michigan has a few historic wooden covered bridges but this one about twenty miles from the Indiana border is almost the length of a football field. Spaning across the St Joeseph River the Langley Bridge 282 feet long. It was built in 1887 by Pierce Bodmer of Parkville, using the best quality white pine for the frame timbers. The bridge was named after a family in the nearby town of Centreville. When the Sturgis Dam was built in 1910, the Langley Bridge had to be raised eight feet. In 1950-51 extensive repairs and replacement of parts on the bridge were done to preserve this historic bridge which is still a vital river crossing.

The bridge is a one-lane bridge and is interesting to drive through. You have to be sure a car is not entering from the other direction before you enter otherwise someone is backing up a long distance. If you are in the area be sure to take a trip across this historic bridge. It would make for an excellent drive in the Fall when the leaves are at their peak along the St Joseph River.

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Cabin Fever

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses .

I saw this old cabin in the woods in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. It looks as if it has been abandoned for a long time as the trees are growing around and through it. It’s not a big deal for me to hop into my Jeep and drive a few hundred miles exploring one of the state’s peninsulas.

I imagine back when this cabin was built and before the automobile, it was rare for a Michigander to travel a few miles from their home. Being isolated is something strange to us but for people in northern Michigan over a century ago it was just life as they knew it. There was no such thing as cabin fever back then. They were probably happy to have a cabin to go home to.

P.S. There are times I would like to just live in the middle of the woods with nobody around, but I could not go for long without access to the internet.
P.P.S I took this pic from the road, I do not trespass. Even though it looks abandoned, it is still on someone’s property.

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Zig Zagging in Snay

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

I was zig-zagging the gridwork of rural roads surrounding the farm fields in the Thumb. I came across this old brick building with a cobblestone foundation. I am not sure if it was a school or some other government building but it was interesting looking. Not far down the road was the Snay cemetery. Michigan had a post office for the town of Snay in a general store operated by Charles Snay. It was opened in 1889 and closed in 1901. It looks like the cemetery and possibly this building is all the remains of the little town.

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Davenport’s House

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

If you have ever driven through Saline along US-12 you have probably seen this big Victorian house not far from downtown Saline. The historical marker next to it reads:

This handsome two-and-a-half story residence, constructed in 1875, was the home of William H. Davenport (1826 – 1909), prominent Saline citizen. In 1851, Davenport entered into a partnership with H. J. Miller in a general store. He bought out Miller’s interest in 1853 and became a leading city merchant. Later, Davenport started a private bank in 1885. Since 1902 this bank has been known as the Citizens’ Bank of Saline. Well-known Detroit architect William Scott designed Davenport’s elegant Second Empire home, built at a cost of $8,500.

They don’t build houses like this anymore.

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The Ghost Town of Sauble

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns .

This old log cabin stands in the Huron Manistee National forest about 15 miles northwest of Baldwin. The hand-painted sign above the door reads “Sauble Station est 1937” The town started in 1898 with a depot on the Manistee and Grand Rapids railroad. A post office was opened up in the general store in 1910. I could not find anything that tells the story of the demise of the small sawmill town, but I can only assume the trees were cut by the lumberjacks. With no trees left for cutting up into lumber, the lumberjacks moved on and the town faded away.

This little log cabin stands along the road where the town once stood. I am not sure if is old enough to have been part of the town originally, but it is a reminder of the long-forgotten town in the western Michigan forest.

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