October 2020 - Lost In Michigan

Autumn Cemetery

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Cemetery .

I was out roaming the backroads around Lakeview and I came across the old Dickerson Whitsell Cemetery. Maybe I am a little strange, but I think these old cemeteries with their ancient headstones are beautiful. It is especially nice with a blanket of freshly fallen leaves. I was not able to find out any history on the old cemetery, but I do find it, and other old graveyards fascinating. I think you can get a good sense of the history of an area by the graveyards of the people who settled in the area years ago.

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The Carland Elevator

Posted on October 29, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Grain Elevators .

Northwest of Owosso this old grain elevator stands quietly along the railroad tracks in the small town of Carland. I don’t have a story to go with it, I just like the way it looks with the hand pained sign on the front of it.

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Boekelodge in Autumn

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Houses .

The Boekelodge is in the southern part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The cabin was originally built in the 1930’s and then left abandoned after a few years. In 1945, the cabin was purchased by the Boekeloo family and updated. A canal was dug from the Platte River to flood the low-lying areas for a cranberry bog. The cabin overlooks a pond and is now owned by the National Park Service. A seasonal road off M-22 leads back to the cabin where you can hike the area including a trail that goes to Lake Michigan. It’s a lesser-known part of the National Lakeshore, and you have to know where to find Boekeloo Road, since there is no sign along M-22 telling visitors there is a lodge hidden in the woods. You can find more info and a detailed location of the Boekelodge and many other interesting locations in Lost In Michigan Volume 3 available on Amazon HERE

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Mt Pleasant Indian Cemetery

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

Northwest of downtown Mt.Pleasant is a quiet little cemetery. The historical marker standing in it reads:

In the 1850s, the Methodist Episcopal (Indian) Church established the Bradley Mission School and Indian Cemetery in this area. The cemetery served the mission until the late 1860s. Only a few grave markers are visible, and it is not known how many Indians are buried here. The best-known Indian buried here was Chief Shaw – Shaw – Waw – Na – Beece (1817-1868). As leader of the Saginaw Swan Creek and Black River Band of Chippewa, he signed the Treaty of 1855, which set aside six adjoining townships of land in Isabella County for his tribe.

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A Big Church in a Small Irish Town

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

After the 1836 Treaty of Washington opened up the land for Europeans, Irish immigrants settled the area north of Grand Rapids. By 1844, it is estimated that 20-30 Irish families were settled in the area now known as Parnell. The town was named after Irish political leader Charles Stewart Parnell. The community came together to worship with a priest sent from Grand Rapids, most frequently in the home of Michael Farrell. By the end of the 1840s, planning for St. Patrick’s Catholic Church had begun. The original church was replaced by two other churches that burned down. The current structure and fourth church to be given the name Saint Patrick’s was built in 1878. It was renovated in the 1990s and still stands proudly over the farm fields surrounding Parnell.

Lost In Michigan wall calendars are available on Zazzle.com HERE

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The Devastating Metz Forest Fire

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

The tracks are gone, and a rail trail for biking and hiking remains where they used to be. Autumn trees of reds and yellows stand alongside the path with memories of the tragic forest fire that burned the town of Metz.

A photo of the warped tracks from the fire ( photo from the roadside park in Metz)

The historical marker in Metz reads: On October 15, 1908, raging fires swept the pine forests of Presque Isle County. When the flames approached the village of Metz, a train jammed with women and children left for Posen, five miles away. At Nowicki’s siding, two miles out of town, huge piles of blazing wood lined the track. As the engine raced past the siding, where intense heat had warped the rails, the train left the track, leaving an open car full of refugees in the center of the flames. Sixteen were killed and dozens of others badly burned. Throughout this part of the state hundreds were left homeless, as many homes and farms were devastated. Supplies soon poured in so that shelters could be erected before the onset of the northern winter.

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Lost In Michigan Wall Calendars

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in calendars, Uncategorized .

The short version of the story is two sizes of Lost In Michigan wall calendars are available on Zazzle.com HERE

The longer version of the story is with covid and the issues I had with the Post Office losing several of my packages, and not doing presentations or bazaars, I have decided not to print my own calendars this year. I found that Zazzle.com can print and ship calendars for me. It is not ideal and the pricing is higher than what I prefer but they usually have coupon codes to lower the price. It’s not what I wanted but I have had people ask me about wall calendars so if you want one you can order them from Zazzle.com HERE Note: There are two different sizes, an 8.5×11 and an 11×14

Thank you all so much for your support. Your kindness has meant a lot to me over the years I have been doing my website. I have met so many wonderful people in person or virtually. I do my best to post things you will enjoy reading and although things have changed this year I am continuing doing what I have been and that is exploring Michigan and finding interesting places and stories to share.

Applegate’s Station No. 1

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses, Thumb .

I was passing through the small town of Applegate in the thumb and this little building caught my eye. The sign on the front reads: APPLEGATE FIRE DEPT. MUSEUM STATION NO. 1 EST 1914. There is a newer fire station down the street. This was the original fire station. I can still imagine the old firefighting apparatus coming out of the wooden doors, racing down the street to help someone in need.

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Wilson’s Store

Posted on October 22, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

West of Escanaba I came across this old store, or at least what is left of it. The empty store looks like it closed several years ago and is surrounded by a few houses. It’s about all that remains of the old town of Wilson in the Upper Peninsula.

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The Barn House

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

Somewhere north of Tawas I saw this old dilapidated wooden structure. From a distance, it looked like an old barn. As I got closer to it I could see the windows, or at least opening for windows, and a brick chimney. I figured it must have been a house. The walls are not talking so I will probably never know its story but it is an interesting looking place.

Please note: I take pics from the road and do not trespass. please be respectful of other people’s property.

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