Monthly Archives: November 2021

Going Old School in Copemish

Posted on by Posted in Schools .

This faded green two-story school sits empty in the town of Copemish. It was built in 1910 replacing a school that burned down in a fire on the same site. There were not enough elementary students to utilize the second floor. It was used as a high school and a gymnasium was built next to the school. The Copemesh Cyclones were county champions in basketball several times and in 1950 made it to the state finals losing to Fowler. By 1960 the school was not able to serve its function like many modern schools of the time. The parents of the students decided to merge with Benzie Central School District and in 1963 this old building saw students for the final time.

P.S. If you live in the Saginaw area I will be at the Arthur Hill High School Holiday Bazaar selling books Saturday, December 4th from 9-3. If you are in the area I hope you will stop by and say hello.

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Comstock House

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Houses .

I was roaming around Marshall Michigan admiring all the old historic homes when I came across this pale yellow house blanketed in golden Autumn leaves. I figured it was an important house with the historical marker standing in the front yard. It reads:

Oliver C. Comstock Jr. (1806-1895) built this Gothic Revival house between 1849 and 1856. Comstock, born in Fairfield, New York, migrated to the Marshall area in 1836. He left a well-established medical practice in Trumansburg, New York, to start anew on the Michigan frontier. Later that year, he erected the first brick business building in Calhoun County on Exchange Street. It housed his pharmacy and office.

Oliver C. Comstock Jr. served as the state’s third superintendent of public instruction (1843-45). In 1847 he was one of the abolitionists who prevented Kentucky slaveholders’ taking the fugitive slave family of Adam Crosswhite. In 1848 he and several prominent Marshall citizens were convicted and fined for conspiracy to harbor the fugitives. Comstock was superintendent of the construction of the Michigan Central Railroad between Jackson and Kalamazoo and a founder of the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society.

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Morris Chapel Church

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

This white chapel with green shutters stands among the farmland north of Niles Michigan. The Morris Chapel Church was built in 1867 and was named in honor of Methodist Episcopal Bishop Thomas A. Morris.

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Crisp Point Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

Crisp Point Lighthouse stands along a remote and wooded section of the Lake Superior Shoreline. It is about 15 miles west of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse. Crisp Point Lighthouse was built in 1903 and decommissioned in 1993 and is now the property of Luce County and maintained by the Crisp Point Light Historical Society. The roads to the lighthouse are not plowed in the winter so the summer months are the best time to visit it. If you are looking to get away from the crowds at the Tahquamenon Falls take a trip out to this secluded location. It is also a great beach to go rock hunting while you are there.

If you love lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my new Lighthouse book HERE

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The Tar Paper Tower

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places .

I saw this old building in the small town of Lincoln west of Harrisville. It is rather intriguing with the tall tower covered in tar paper. I am not sure what it was originally used for. It looks like it was a grain elevator or maybe something for the railroad years ago but I am not sure. Anyways, I thought it looked rather interesting and I stopped to take a pic of it.

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Blessed

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to travel and explore the Great Lakes State and the beautiful country that we live in. I have to remind myself how fortunate I am and lucky to have so many supportive friends and family. Thank you for following my journey and I hope you enjoy seeing my daily posts. I am thankful for your support and kind words of encouragement for what I do. I hope you are a blessed and lucky as I am.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Mike Sonnenberg

The Bra Tree

Posted on by Posted in upper peninsula .

I have seen a lot of strange things while traveling the back roads of Michigan but this bra tree is at the top of the list for strange sights. I was heading up the back way to the Tahquamenon Falls and I came across this tree with women’s bras hanging from the limbs. The sign reads BREAST CANCER AWARENESS.

I definitely support the need for breast cancer awareness but thought it was strange to see this in the middle of nowhere. The forest road I was on also doubles as the snowmobile trail in the winter so I am assuming that is when most people see this tree.

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Rawson King Mill

Posted on by Posted in Grain Elevators, Parks .

This historic mill was built in 1872 northwest of Leonidas. It closed in the 1960s due to changing regulations for grinding grain. Eston and Lydia Rawson purchased the mill and surrounding property and began restoring the old mill along with planting gardens and updating the landscaping. The Rawsons shared their little slice of heaven with the surrounding community often allowing for neighbors to use it for weddings and other gatherings. in 2015 the property was converted into a county park after Eston and Lydia donated it to St Joseph County.

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The Log Cabin Hidden Inside A House

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Houses .

This old log cabin stands near the Shiawassee River next to the Curwood Castle. It was the first permanent residence in the settlement that became Owosso. Built in 1836, it was the home of Judge Elias Comstock and his wife, Lucy Lamson Comstock.  The cabin was the site of the first church services (Baptist) as well as the first school classes and the place where newly arrived settlers could stay until their cabins were built. Each cabin required the owner to fell forty logs after which the men of the settlement would gather to erect a cabin in one day.

The Comstocks continued to build onto their little cabin. Eventually, it was completely framed in by the house they lived in until their deaths in 1886 and 1890. The home sold a few times until the property was purchased in the 1920s for the location of a gas station. When the house was demolished the original log cabin was discovered as part of the home and used as a living room. That is when it was moved to Bently Park where it stands today.

P.S. Lost In Michigan books are Buy 3 for the price of 2 on Amazon HERE I am not sure how long the sale will last but I thought I would let you know.

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South Haven Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Lighthouses .

The South Haven Lighthouse shines a bright red light for sailors to find their way into the harbor at night. The steel tower at the end of the pier was constructed in 1902 and replaced a wooden one. It was originally painted white but changed to red. I assume to make it look different than the nearby St Joseph Lighthouse which has a similar construction.

Keeper James S. Donahue was a veteran of the Civil War. After being shot in battle one of his legs was amputated. He requested a job with the lighthouse service and to convince him to find employment elsewhere they gave him the job of keeper at South Haven. They figured he would grow tired of walking out to the end of the pier to maintain the light. He did the job for over 35 years and made it to the light every night regardless of the weather and Lake Michigan storms. If you love lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my new Lighthouse book HERE

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