January 2022 - Lost In Michigan

Hoyt Library

Posted on January 31, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

I spend a lot of time doing research for Lost In Michigan and one of my favorite places is Hoyt Library in downtown Saginaw. I love roaming the shelves of this historic building. A historical marker stands next to it and reads:

The Saginaw Evening News declared the Hoyt Library “a noble institution” and “the pride of all Saginawians” when it opened in 1890. The library was a gift to the people of Saginaw from New York businessman Jesse Hoyt (1815-1882), who had real estate and lumber interests in the Saginaw Valley. Hoyt’s will set aside $100,000 for a public library here. After a national competition among leading architects, the Hoyt Trust chose the Boston architectural firm of Van Brunt and Howe. When the Richardsonain Romanesque style building was completed it exemplified modern library construction. The present building includes a 1921 addition by Edward Tilton of New York and a 1960 addition by Frederick E. Wigen Architects of Saginaw.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Mail Order Church

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

Michigan has several historic churches. Some are enormous gothic style churches with huge stained glass windows and tall steeples that reach towards heaven. Some are smaller wooden churches in rural northern Michigan where they proudly sit among nature’s beauty. I have seen many churches on my travels around the state but not many of them surprise me like this little white chapel in South Lyon. It stands in the Historic Village Park along with an old schoolhouse and the witches hat depot. ( more on that in a future post ). I stopped to see the depot but was taken back by the proud little standing quietly nearby. I took a few pics then walked up to see what was written on the plaque near the front doors.

To my surprise, I read that the chapel is a Sears and Roebuck mail-order portable chapel. I was aware that Sears sold kit homes but not chapels. It makes sense now that I think about it since it is basically a house with a steeple. I guess it gives new meaning to “House of worship.” The chapel was built on East Liberty Street in 1930 and then moved to the Historic Village in 2000.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Winter Barn

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw this old barn somewhere near Tawas. It looks like it has seen a lot of Michigan winters. I don’t have a story to go along with this old barn. I just want to say I hope you are having a good year so far and thank you for taking the time to look at my posts.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Frozen Fishtown

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns, Winter Wonderland .

Fishtown in Leland is one of Michigan’s unique places. During the summer it is bustling as tourist visit the shops and restaurants. Although everything is closed for the winter months, I still like to visit for the tranquility as the water flows over the dam and past the historic buildings.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Star Township Hall

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Iconic Buildings .

the small town of Alba sits in northern lower Michigan near Mancelona. It is situated in Star Township and the first township hall built in 1897 still stands in Alba..

Reminder: I will be at the Tyrone Township Hall giving a presentation this Saturday January 29th from 2-4 pm 8420 Runyan Lake Road, Fenton, MI 48430

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Town of Michigan

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

Michigan officially became a state on January 26th 1837. One of the most influential cities in Michigan is the state’s capital city of Lansing. Strangely, when Michigan first became a state Lansing was not much more than swampland. Michigan’s constitution required the state have a permanent capital ten years after it acquired statehood. The temporary capital was in Detroit, but many representatives wanted somewhere more central in the state. Several cities including Jackson, Marshall, and Ann Arbor lobbied hard to be the new home of the capital.

James Seymour, a land speculator with a mill in what is now North Lansing, campaigned for Lansing Township. He argued that it is equidistant from Detroit, Monroe, Mt. Clemens, and the mouths of the Grand and Kalamazoo rivers. In 1847, after voting fifty one times, out of frustration they finally agreed the permanent capital would be in Lansing township. The densely wooded and marshy township had less than one hundred residents when it was chosen.

The citizens of Michigan were highly skeptical of the new plan, many even though it was a joke. In the beginning, the city did not even have a name. The location was simply known as the “Town of Michigan” when it was first platted. A wooden two-story building was quickly erected to serve as the state capital. Many of the legislators and representatives had to sleep on the upper floor of the new capital or in people’s private homes while governing the young state. In April the state legislature considered naming the capital Pewanogowink, Swedenborg, or El Dorado, but chose Lansing.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Hanging Out at the General Store

Posted on January 25, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store .

When I was a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s we would hang out at the mall in the winter since there was not a lot to do on a cold Michigan day in the suburbs. You could put some quarters in Galaga and check out the CDs at the music store and get a snack. I saw this old General Store at the Sanford Centennial Museum and it got me thinking about what It must have been like back then. That must have been a big deal to go to the store with the horse and wagon. Inside the clerk with his white shirt and apron was stocking the shelves. A couple of old farmers in overalls sitting around a barrel next to the pot belly stove playing checkers talking about what crops they are going to plant in the spring. If we’re lucky maybe mom will get us some penny candy.

This was L.P. Larson’s General Store in Olsen. It was moved by the Sanford Historical Society to its current location at the Museum. To check out the old photos of the store and the history of the building at the society’s website click on the link HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Lost In The States

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

I mentioned a while ago that I was looking to explore beyond Michigan. I am exited and nervous to announce my new website www.LostintheStates.com. I feel like I am biting off more that I can chew, but I had that same feeling about 10 years ago when I started Lost In Michigan. I still plan on posting daily to Lost In Michigan but figured it was time to start my new website since I have stories outside of the Great Lakes State that I want to share.

Thank you all so much for your support and kindness. It is a lot of fun posting my stories of Michigan and I am looking forward to sharing locations and stories from other states.

I hope you will check out and subscribe to Lost In the States. You can see it and learn more by clicking HERE

Girard’s Church

Posted on January 23, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, small towns .

I was traveling through southern Michigan and I went through the town of Girard. I saw this old building which I can only assume was a church. The stained glass above the door prominently displays the date 1876. A hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I can only imagine what the town was like back then.

As with most of the places I visit I did a little research to find out some history of the town and as usual I learned something new. The town was named after Stephen Girard. The fourth wealthiest person in United States history. Born in 1750 in France he was a sea captain transporting good between France and the port of New Orleans. In 1776 the British forced his ship into the port of Philadelphia where he settled there as a merchant. He eventually worked his way up to purchasing the First Bank of the United States. Towards the end of the war of 1812, when the financial credit of the U.S. government was at its lowest, Girard placed nearly all of his resources at the disposal of the government and underwrote up to 95 percent of the war loan issued, which enabled the United States to carry on with the war.

Girard was struck by a horse and carriage and died in 1831. At the time of his death, Girard was the wealthiest man in America and he bequeathed nearly his entire fortune to charitable and municipal institutions of Philadelphia and New Orleans. It including an endowment for establishing a boarding school for “poor, male, white orphans” in Philadelphia, primarily those who were the children of coal miners, which opened as the Girard College in 1848.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Point Betsie Lighthouse

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses .

Completed in 1858 the Point Betsie Lighthouse, north of Frankfort, is the oldest building in Benzie County. Standing along the shores of Lake Michigan marking the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage. In 1875 one of the first life saving stations was established by the U. S. Life Saving Service at the lighthouse. This was the last manned lighthouse on Lake Michigan, and the last Michigan lighthouse to lose its keeper after it was automated in 1982. It is a unique looking lighthouse with its red gambrel roof and green trim.
If you love lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my new Lighthouse book HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.