July 2020 - Lost In Michigan

Pike Lake Mini Mall

Posted on July 31, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

I was traveling from the Two Hearted River over to Crisp Point Lighthouse along the roads in the Upper Peninsula. When I say roads I mean rough seasonal dirt roads that are used as snowmobile trails for half of the year. I had been traveling quite a bit and I looked at my gas gauge in the Jeep and it was half full or half empty depending on your disposition. I was thinking after miles of dusty roads and trees that this would be a bad place to run out of gas. It was a few minutes later that I thought I saw a Mobil sign sticking out of the trees. I rounded the bend and there it was. The Pike Lake Mini Mall. I did not need any gas but an ice cream sounded good. Unfortunately, the mini mall was closed and it looks as if it had been a while since it served its last customer.

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The Company Store of Johannesburg

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

About 15 miles east of Gaylord on M32 is the town of Johannesburg. I saw this old building painted white and had to stop and take a pic of it. I thought it looked like an old general store or something. later that day I was in the grocery store in Gaylord and they had some old photographs hanging on the walls. I saw a photo of a building with two arches over the windows then it hit me. That’s the building in Johannesburg I saw earlier.

In the late 1800s, the town was built by Johannesburg Manufacturing Co who operated a sawmill in the area. The town and the company were named after Johanna Hanson the wife of one of the founders of the company. The town was given a post office in 1901 with Thorwald W. Hanson as the first postmaster. The company built this store which still stands today. It must have worked out well for the company, they paid their workers and then got their money back when they bought what they needed at the store. I would assume they also lived in company owned houses too. I know the mining companies would pay with company money only good in the company store. I am not sure if that was done in the sawmills or not, but it must have been difficult to leave town as Tennesee Ernie Ford sang “I owe my soul to the company store”

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The House Down The Road

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms, Forgotten Places .

In my half-century of living in Saginaw, I have traveled to Bay City countless times. I can’t even tell you how many times I have passed by this old farmhouse and never even noticed it. I probably missed it because there was a large gas station that stood in front of it. Now that it has been torn down I saw this magnificent looking old wooden farmhouse standing back off the road. I am still surprised I never noticed it before. I guess when you travel somewhere frequently you stop paying attention to what is around you.

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The Old Benton Schoolhouse

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

Somewhere south of Cheboygan I came across this old boarded-up building. I thought it looked like a schoolhouse so I stopped and took a pic. When I zoomed into the pic I can read BENTON 1918 on a stone in the front above the entrance.

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Sky Pilot of the Great Lakes

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in people .

A few miles north of the Upper Peninsula town of Hessel is the Rockview Cemetery. Reverend William Hainstock Law is laid to rest in the small township graveyard. In 1852 Law was born in Canada and in his late 20s he traveled to the Upper Peninsula to minister to the Lumberjacks. He settled in the town of Hessel and sailed to the many islands in the Les Cheneaux Islands. During a storm, he was rescued by the U.S. Lifesaving Service and stayed with them for a few days until the storm subsided. He got to know the men and the families living there and vowed he would support them through ministry. He collected books for the keepers along with toys and crafts for their children. Many were isolated from civilization and had little contact with the outside world. The reverend brought much joy and comfort to many keepers and their families. He also worked tirelessly to help pass legislation giving the men pensions after their retirement.

“Sky Pilot” is slang that sailors used for a chaplain. He continued his dedication to the families of the Life Saving Service until his death in 1928. His great-grandson, John Kotzian, wrote a book about Rev. Law titled Sky Pilot of the Great Lakes. It is a well-writen book about both Rev. Law and the hardships early keepers and life saving stations had on the Great Lakes. I think it is out of print but you may still find copies of it at your local book store, library, or used copies on Amazon HERE

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Elk Rapids’ Island House

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Library .

Michigan has some spectacular and impressive library buildings throughout the state. This library in Elk Rapids is rather unique being in a historic house on an island. Known as the Island House, it was built in 1865 by local businessman Edwin S. Noble. He converted a four-acre sand bar into an island by covering it with clay and dirt and planted over sixty different species of trees on it. After building a bridge to the island he lived in the house with his family. Noble died in 1922 and in 1949 the house became a public library.

It reminds me of a quote by Lemony Snicket “A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.”

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The Old Mill in Hart

Posted on July 23, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Mills .

This old mill sits near downtown Hart near Silver Lake. The building is part of a complex of buildings that make up Hart’s Historic District. Next time you are over on the west side of the state near Pentwater and Ludington be sure to take a trip through the historic district. You can learn more at their website HERE

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Ghost Town of Tyre

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, Thumb .

The old town of Tyre is in the middle of the Thumb not far from Ubly. It is not a ghost town like in the wild west movies, but the town has for the most part disappeared. It no longer shows up on the map and only a few houses remain. The town was founded in 1857 and given the name Tyre for its stony terrain. This old grain elevator slowly being overcome by trees still stands next to the railroad tracks.

An old cemetery nearby marks the graves of some of the former residents or should I say, permanent residents. Among the people laid to rest are the Sparling men who were murdered. The court case involving the accused became a national sensation. You can read about it in my post HERE.

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Church of Our Savior, Friend of Children

Posted on July 19, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

This little wooden church stands on the northern side of Sugar Island. It was built for Bishop Frederic Baraga by Michael Payment in 1856. In 1845, Payment moved to Sugar Island and established a small settlement, known at the time as “Payment’s Landing” or “Payment Settlement.” Bishop Baraga was a frequent visitor to the settlement, and after purchasing lumber he asked payment to construct the church. It was used continuously until 1953 when it was closed. In 1982 it was reopened and used for annual masses to celebrate Bishop Baraga’s Birthday. The church is currently called Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church but it was originally called Church of Our Savior, Friend of Children.

You can find out more about Sugar Island HERE

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Chum’s Corner

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

If you have ever been to the Traverse City area you have probably driven through the M-37 and US-31 intersection. It is a busy intersection with a lot of traffic and businesses. Fast food restaurants, a Rite Aid, and Walgreens ( where there is one you will find the other) and Menards along with a gas station. I never stopped to take any pics since most places are rather common and ordinary.

The thing that is not ordinary is the name. On Google maps, it is called Chum’s Corner. The question of who is Chum and why was the corner named after him or her stuck in my brain. I came across this old photo showing Chum’s Service station. The writing on the photo reads “Ask Chum- He might know” I wish I could because I am sure he could tell some stories of travelers back in the day. The station is gone but the corner is still named after him. So I guess if you are wondering about Chum and his corner like I was. As Paul Harvey would say ” now you know the rest of the story” or at least some of it.

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