April 2021 - Page 2 of 3 - Lost In Michigan

The Fire Barn

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses .

This brown building with a green roof sits in the town of Manton north of Cadillac. A small sign over the front door reads MANTON FIRE BARN 1872. I am guessing the bell was to alert firefighters to a fire and summoned them to the fire barn. The tower in the back was to hang and dry hoses. I did a little research, I am not sure, but I think this is one of the oldest fire stations still standing in Michigan. I did find this old photo of the fire barn and firefighters

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The Baby Food House

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

This brick house in Fremont was the home of Daniel and Dorothy Gerber. If you have cared for a baby or not that last name is probably familiar to you. I know when my kids were babies we went through a lot of those little jars of baby food with the Gerber label on them. In 1927, When the Gerber’s children were babies, a physician recommended they eat strained vegetables. After cooking and painstakingly straining the vegetables she told her husband that there had to be a better way. Daniel’s family owned the Fremont Canning Company. They could can pureed tomato sauce, why not strained vegetables. After a little bit of trial and error, they came up with their first five flavors. They were a big hit and within six months Gerber baby food was sold in stores across America. Ther Gerber house is now a bed and breakfast and the Gerber processing plant in Fremont still produces Gerber products.

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Port Sanilac Lighthouse

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, Thumb .

The Port Sanilac Lighthouse was built in 1886 to bridge the gap between the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, at the mouth of the St Clare River, and the harbor beach Light farther to the north of Port Sanilac. It is one of the more unique lighthouses on the great lakes with the 59 foot tower narrowing at the top, and then flaring out to support the lantern. This was done to cut costs by designer E. L. B. Davis because congress only approved half of the $40,000 requested to build the lighthouse. The lighthouse is privately owned, but contains the original fourth order Fresnel lens and is still used as an aid to navigation. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, there is a parking lot next to it and a break-wall that you can walk on to get a good view of it and some pics.

Michigan’s Haunted Castle

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Houses .

Henderson Castle sits on a hill overlooking Kalamazoo. The massive stone mansion was completed in 1895. It was built for local businessman Frank Henderson and his wife Mary. Sadly Frank died shortly after moving into the house. He could only enjoy his beautiful home for about five years. Mary lived in the house until her death in 1908. Both of them are buried in the cemetery across the street from their former house.

The home changed owners a few times but now it is owned by Master Chef Francois Moyet who runs the stone mansion as an inn allowing guests to experience this historic home and his french cooking. Hospitality may not be the only thing you experience. According to paranormal experts, the home is haunted by the ghosts of Frank and Mary. They loved their home so much that it is believed that their spirits are spending eternity together in their Kalamazoo home.

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I Found Mt. Forest while Lost Among the Farm Fields

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

It’s been a while since I had time to go on a road trip, so I took a short one north of Saginaw to see what I could find. North of U.S. 10 is mostly farmland and more farmland, with ranch style houses and more ranch style houses. I meandered along the back roads seeing what I could find. Somewhere between Pinconning and Rhodes, I saw this old building and my first thought was ” I wonder what that is” then I saw the corner-stone Mt Forest Community Church 1933. I guess now I know what it is, and I found the old sawmill town of Mt Forrest, or at least what is left of it, an old church and a few houses.

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Michigan’s Russian Train Depot

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

This beautiful wooden depot in Lake Odessa was built in 1888. The depot was originally the property of the Detroit, Lansing, and Northern Railroad and eventually become part of the C&O Railroad. The depot served Lake Odessa for over 82 years until the last tickets were sold to passengers in 1971. The building unique because it is the only Russian Ornate-style depot in the state of Michigan. In 1987 the railroad sold the depot to the historical society which uses it as a museum.

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Camp Raco’s Chimney

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

This stone chimney and a few foundations are all that is left of Camp Raco in the Upper Peninsula. It was a CCC camp then used as a prisoner of war camp in World War II. It is located in the Marquette National Forest. You can find it off M-28 on a two-track near the town of Raco southwest of Brimley. You can read more about Camp Raco in Lost In Michigan Volume 3 available on Amazon HERE

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Philip Parmelee, Michigan’s Skyman

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in people .

In the center of the Lower Peninsula near the Maple River is the East Plains Cemetery. Next to a headstone is a small historical marker for “Skyman” Philip Parmalee. He was born in 1887 not far from the cemetery near the small town of Hubbardston. He worked at a machine shop in St. Johns and was skilled at building small engines. He moved to Flint and became and fell in love with racing cars while working for Buick.

In 1910, he submitted an application and was chosen to join the Wright Flying School run by Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright. After training, he joined the Wright Exhibition Team. With his blond hair, dashing good looks, and fearless flying abilities, he was given the nickname “Skyman”. He was credited with the first commercial flight of an airplane, establishing a world cross-country speed record, holding the world flying endurance record, piloting the first aircraft to drop a bomb, conducting the first military reconnaissance flight, and piloting the first aircraft involved in the world’s first parachute jump.

Tragically his life was cut short in 1912 when his airplane flipped over in turbulence and crashed during an exhibition flight in Yakima Washington. His body was sent back to Michigan and he was laid to rest near the town where he was born. Few people know his name or his story but he was an early pioneer in the history of flight and his contributions should not be forgotten.

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The Water Tower in the Upper Peninsula

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula, Water Tower .

The Manistique Water tower and pumping station, a 200,000 gallon capacity water tower, is a 137′ tall Roman Revival-style building primarily faced with red brick with limestone trim, and sits on a concrete foundation. Casement windows near the top of the tower sit beneath a decorative frieze. The domed roof is made of copper. The tower has been designated of outstanding historical and architectural significance to the United States. Built in 1922 at a cost of $62,450. The system constructed was in use until 1954, when a new pumping station was put into operation. The structure was used for offices and as a comfort station until 1973, when the Schoolcraft Historical Society took the building over. It was placed on the state historical register in 1979 and on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The water tower site at the west bank of the Manistique River on Deer Street in Manistique, and is also the site of the “Log House” and “Putnam House” museum buildings. The water tower and museum buildings are maintained and operated by the Schoolcraft County Historical Society.

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Charlton’s Village

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Parks .

In 1936 Irving Charlton donated property to Barry County for a park. Over the years several historic buildings around Barry County were moved to the park. Today they create a historic village including the two-story brick building that was the offices for the Hastings Mutual Insurance Co from 1908 to 1924. You can learn more about the park at their website HERE

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