September 2020 - Page 3 of 3 - Lost In Michigan

Williamston Depot

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

This beautifully restored depot is the third railroad depot to serve the community of Williamston. It proudly stands along Grand River Avenue away from the railroad tracks. That is because it was moved to its current location in the 1970s. It was built in 1892 and after passenger traffic ended the depot closed in 1962. Saved from the wrecking ball it has been converted into a museum and an office for the chamber of commerce.

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The Barn Theatre

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

Between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek near Agusta, it is hard to miss this barn with gold-colored lettering painted on the roof. The Barn Theatre was originally constructed in 1943 by Robert M. Cook as a dairy barn. in 1946 when Jack Ragotzy, Betty Ebert founded the Village Players and a few years later purchased the barn to use as a theater. It is Michigan’s oldest resident summer stock theatre. Such theatres use a group of actors who perform consecutive productions of different shows. The company has performed over 300 plays and musicals and played to over one million patrons.

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The House that a Broken Heart Built

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

Henry Richardi moved to Bellaire with his father in 1881 after moving the family business from Missouri. They made wooden utensils and with the hardwood forests around the Bellaire area, they thought it was the perfect location to set up shop. Partnering with Frederick Bechtold the established the company of Richardi & Bechtold. Henry Richardi purchased the business from his father in 1895. The successful company had over 100 employees making wooden utensils and bowls.

The same year Henry purchased the business, he fell in love with a young woman in Germany. In an attempt to get her to move to the United States and marry him he built this ornate house just north of downtown Bellaire. His employees skilled at woodworking, created all the ornate woodwork outside and inside the house. It featured a hand-carved staircase and different types of wood adorn each room. As beautiful and grand as the home was, for reasons lost to history, the woman Henry loved did not come to this country and marry him. She stayed in Germany marrying another man. With a broken heart, he sold the house and never lived in it. Tragedy struck in 1905 when Henry’s factory burned down. He never rebuilt it and moved to California leaving behind the mansion had built. The house has changed owners several times over the years, and now operates as a Bed and Breakfast called the Grand Victorian.

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The Historic Powerhouse

Posted on September 6, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

When we plug something into the electrical outlet on the wall no one thinks about where the power comes from as long as it works. The small village of Shepherd in central Michigan built a powerhouse to provide electricity for its citizens. It was shut down decades ago a historical marker on the building tells its story.

The Shepherd Village Power House was built in 1908-09. It housed the community’s first electric plant and water pumps. The thirty-five-kilowatt dynamo, driven by a coal gas engine operated from 1909 to 1912. From 1913 to 1925 outside power was transmitted through the facility. In 1925 Consumers Power purchased the village distribution system and the Power House ceased operations. Part of the building was used as a village council hall until 1957. The Shepherd Area Historical Society began using it in 1982.

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End Of The Earth

Posted on September 5, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

After the long journey from southern Michigan and across the Upper Peninsula this sign made me laugh as it felt as if I had driven to the end of the earth.

I don’t have a story to go with this pic. I just want to say thank you for following me on this journey and taking the time to read my posts.

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The Brick Walker Tavern

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

South of Brooklyn at the junction of US-12 and M-50 is the historic Brick Walker Tavern. It was built in 1853 as a stagecoach stop and inn for travelers on their journey between Detroit and Chicago. The historic structure is now used as a wedding venue. It stands across the street from the original Walker Tavern that is now a historic site and park, but that is a post for a different day.

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Mission Point Lighthouse

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses .

After a ship hit the rocks off Mission Point and sank in the 1860’s construction on the Mission Point Lighthouse began. It was not completed until the 1870s because of the Civil War. The white-sided little lighthouse guided ships around the Grand Traverse Bay until 1938 when an illuminated buoy was placed offshore. The light shining from the lighthouse was no longer needed. After the lighthouse was deactivated visitors continued to visit the area including the lighthouse. The tip of the point became a park operated byPeninsulaa Township and you can visit the lighthouse and walk along the shoreline. It’s a beautiful drive out the lighthouse from Traverse City through the cherry orchards and wineries.

If you go don’t forget to stop to the Mission Point General Store HERE not far away on the east side of the point. If you are visiting in the evening be sure to stay for the sunset over the bay and the Leelanau Peninsula. Of all the lighthouses I have visited in Michigan I think this one is a favorite because of the natural beauty surrounding the lighthouse plan on spending some time walking around and enjoying your visit.

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Upper Peninsula Asylum for the Insane

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, upper peninsula .

This old house stands on the edge of Newberry in the Upper Peninsula. It was once part of the state hospital that was first built in 1895 as the Upper Peninsula Asylum for the Insane. It was funded by the state to treat patients in the Upper Peninsula. By 1911 the name had changed to Newberry State Hospital and had grown to a rather large complex consisting of a main hospital and several other buildings including a nursing school. At its peak, the hospital cared for a thousand patients living at the facility.

The hospital closed in 1992 and a portion of the 750 acres was converted into the Newberry Correctional Facility. As you drive into Newberry from the south it is hard to miss the shiny razor wire fence and guard towers. Behind the prison are some of the old buildings used for the state hospital. You can see some of them from the road but I was not about to get out and explore them with signs posted PRISON PROPERTY DO NOT TRESPASS.

The State Hospital in Traverse City was converted into public space with stores, restaurants, and office space. The Newberry hospital was repurposed just into something I would not want to be a resident of or have to visit. It is strange that of all the times I have been through Newberry I never know the old hospital was there.

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