July 2022 - Lost In Michigan

The Haunted Ghost Town of Iva

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, Haunted Places .

I found out about the old town of Iva north of Hemlock, in Richland Township, on the corner of Iva and Dice roads and I had to take a trip to see it since I don’t live far away. (Click HERE, if you wanna know where I live). I was expecting to find a few houses, but when I got there, I found this beautiful old building that looked like it used to be a general store. According to records, the post office in Iva opened December 7th 1894 with John F. Shovan as its first postmaster. The post office closed in October of 1904. I could not find any other information about the town, but I can only assume it was another lumbering town that existed until the trees were gone, and then the lumberjacks moved away becoming a farming community. I would think some of the residence of Iva who died are buried in the cemetery on Dice Road.

The general store was featured in a documentary by Haunted Saginaw HERE

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Shelter at Black Lake

Posted on July 29, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in State Parks .

Onaway State Park sits on the southern shoreline of Black Lake. At the western edge of the park a trail leads from the boat launch along the lake to a stone shelter that over looks the lake. It is a nice little hike through the trees for a nice view overlooking the water.

While I was there I noticed a little American flag and a stone memorial next to the shelter. It reads: In Memory of Al Sutton Park Ranger 1993 to 2002 Onaway State park.

Thank you to all the rangers. While I am at a park, I am on vacation and enjoying nature and you are there working to keep things running for all of us trying to relax.

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The Light In The Storm at Frankfort

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses .

The light at the end of the north breakwater in Frankfort is rather peculiar looking than your traditional round light tower. The four sided tower used to stand at the end of the pier until the breakwater was constructed in the 1930’s then the tower was moved to the end of the breakwater. Rather than just placing it on the end a two story structure was constructed for the tower to stand on giving it a unique look.

If you’re wondering, yes I got a little wet taking some pics of the lighthouse, or in this case, just the light since the house is gone now. I don’t mind being out in the storm taking pics of lighthouses and to be honest I kind of prefer it. The purpose of a lighthouse is the be there standing tall and resolute no matter how harsh and unkind the weather may be.

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The Keystone Bridge

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, upper peninsula .

The small town of Ramsay sits a few miles east of Bessemer. One of Michigan’s largest and oldest stone bridges can be found there. The keystones at the peak of the arch stand 57 feet above the Black River. The bridge was constructed in 1891 by Chicago and Northwest Railroad at a cost of $48,322. The tracks above it are gone and it has been a long time since any trains traveled over the bridge but it still looks as good as the day it was first constructed.

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Easy In Silverwood

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns, Thumb .

The small town of Silverwood sits in the Thumb between Mayville and Marlette. I always thought the name sounds like something from a TV western or movie. It was not the first name of the town. When the railroad was built through here in 1882, the residents applied for a post office. One suggested naming it something easy to remember, and the post office named “Easy” and opened on 13 April 1882. I am not sure why but in 1890 The name changed to “Rollo” and changed again in 1892 to “Silverwood”, after the nearby stands of white pine.

P.S. There is a nice old building in town that is used as a store. For years I have been trying to get a nice pic of it but every time I am in the area, there are a bunch of cars parked in front of it. So instead, I took a pic of this building. I am not sure what it was but the stone at the top reads. H. C. BEARUP 1896.

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Historic Fort Wayne

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Detroit, Forgotten Places .

Fort Wayne sits near Detroit along the Detroit River and was built to defend and invasion by Canada. The invasion never happened but the fort served the military for a long time. The building in the photo was the enlisted men’s barracks. I believe that is where they stayed before and after being sworn into service in the United States Military. It was built in the 1890s and I can only imagine how many men stayed in the old barracks going to war from the first World War all the way to Vietnam.

Some say the old fort is haunted, you can see my post about that HERE

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The Old Jail in Cheboygan

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

This old building stands a few blocks south of downtown Cheboygan and block off of M-27. The words COUNTY JAIL are still chiseled in the block above the door. This old building built in 1880 served as the Cheboygan County sheriff’s residence until 1969. In the late 1800s many drunken and rowdy lumbermen sobered up in the jail. The inmates often did chores in exchange for their bed and meals prepared by the sheriff’s wife. By 1911 the jail was inadequate and a two story addition was added to the original building. It was supposed to have 8 cells on each floor, but due to safety regulations, the second floor was never finished. The county used the jail until 1969 when a new modern jail was built to replace it. In 1972 the building became a museum ran by the Historical Society of Cheboygan County.

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The Communal Cup

Posted on July 17, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in cities .

The Jeffers Memorial fountain stands in downtown Saginaw. It stands in a small park dedicated to early saginaw pioneer Michael Jeffers. After his death, his brother and niece donated land and money for a park. It was decided that a drinking fountain for the citizens of Saginaw was needed. This beautiful fountain with a bust of Jeffers on the top and lion heads spewing water out of their mouths was built. It was dedicated in 1906 and the water came from a well that was drilled below. There was also a space where Ice could be placed around pipes to cool the water. Cups connected to the fountain were placed for people to drink from. It was not until 1915 that the health department decided it was not a good idea to have thousands of people sharing and drinking from the same cup and removed them from the fountain.

P.S. The ornate building behind the fountain with the tower is the Castle Museum. If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and check it out. you can see my post about it HERE.

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Hanging Out In Horton Bay

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store .

The small town of Horton Bay is located on the north side of Lake Charlevoix and it’s where a young Ernest Hemingway liked to hang out. I can see why with its beautiful northern Michigan scenery and the old general store in town. Unlike the big box stores or the convenience stores with beer posters plastered on the exterior, the old general stores have a small town community feeling to them. If you are near Lake Charlevoix I highly recommend taking a trip around the lake there are some interesting places to see and things to do. But I am saving that for a later post. By the way, I wanted to stop and do some shopping and check out the inside but it was closed. I guess that just means I need to take a trip back up there which is fine since I love the Charlevoix area.

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Quincy Stamp Mill Ruins

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

This massive crumbling building stands along M-26 north of Hancock. It is the remains of the Quincy Stamping Mill No. 1. Built in 1890 it was used to pulverize ore to extract the copper from it. The mills production peaked during World War I. After the war the demand for copper diminished and the mine’s production slowed. The mine closed in the 30s when the Great Depression hit. The mine reopened for a short time during World War II but closed for a final time shortly after the war ended. The ruins stand along the road as a reminder of the booming copper industry in the Keweenaw.

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