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Monthly Archives: May 2023

The Dreadful Reality of the Downtrodden at Eloise Asylum

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, Detroit .
eloise asylum haunted michigan

one of the few remaining buildings from the Eloise complex.

Some say that the Eloise Asylum near Westland on Michigan Ave. is one of Michigan’s most haunted places, I am not sure about that claim, but I would say it’s one of Michigan more interesting places, with a lot of history both good and sad.

The place began in 1839 when a log cabin known as the Black Horse Tavern and its property was converted into a poor house and 35 of the overcrowded tenants at the Wayne County poor house in Hamtramck were transferred to the newly constructed buildings. For years it was known as the Wayne County Poor House until a post office was opened in 1894 and named after Eloise Dickerson Davock the daughter of Detroit’s postmaster.

In 1913 there were three divisions: The Eloise Hospital(Mental Hospital), the Eloise Infirmary (Poorhouse) and the Eloise Sanitarium (T.B. Hospital) . Over the years the complex continued to grow with about 10,000 residents at its peak during the Great Depression. It had its own police and fire department, railroad and trolley stations, bakery, amusement hall, laundries, and a powerhouse. It also had many farm buildings including a dairy herd and dairy barns, a piggery, a root cellar, a Tobacco curing building, and employee housing.

Eloise was one of the first if not the first hospital to use x-rays for diagnosis performed by Dr.Albarran. Patients came from Detroit and other communities to have x-rays done.  It also housed the first kidney dialysis unit in the State of Michigan and was a pioneer in the field of Music Therapy.

eloise cemetery bw

the old Eloise Cemetery on Henry Ruff Road.

The other part of Eloise that remains, are the cemeteries and with a complex that had about 10,000 people living there, death was a regular occurrence. There were a few different locations that the bodies of the patents and residents of the poor house were buried. One of the cemeteries is about a mile away down Henry Ruff road and is nothing more than a field with small stone markers engraved with only a number for the body buried below. It seems rather cruel and inhumane that a person is remembered as a number and not even a name was placed on the marker. They used the cemeteries up until 1948 after that a law was enacted to use the bodies as cadavers for medical training. ( was not able to get a pic of the markers since the cemetery is fenced off and says no trespassing, and I really don’t want to go to jail)

eloise kay beard building

The main building left standing from the former Eloise Complex

The farm operations ceased in 1958 and some of the large psychiatric buildings were vacated in 1973. The psychiatric division started closing in 1977 when the State of Michigan took over the psychiatric division. The general hospital closed in 1984. Many of the buildings are gone and some of the property has been redeveloped into a golf course and condominiums. There is a Michigan Historical Marker near the parking lot.

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Decoration Day

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

After the Civil War, American began decorating the graves of loved ones killed in the war. An association of Union Civil War veterans, the Grand Army Of the Republic, began promoting May 30th, as Decoration Day. A day to remember the soldiers that gave their life during the war.

By 1890 each state had officially declared Decoration Day a holiday. After the two World Wars most Americans began calling the day Memorial Day and a day to remember the fallen Military heroes. In 1968, the U.S. government passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which put major holidays on specific Mondays and officially declared the last Monday in May as Memorial Day.

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The Old Burial Ground

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery .

A few blocks north of Downtown Monroe on Monroe Street is and old cemetery known as The Old Burial Ground. It was established in 1794 and is the oldest cemetery in the city and one of the oldest in the Great Lakes State. The cemetery is home to the graves of many early settlers, including soldiers who fought in the War of 1812. It is also the final resting place for some of Michigan’s earliest Europeans that were instrumental in the formation of the Michigan Territory including Laurent Durocher, Francois “Francis” Navarre, and Capt John Paxton. Many victims of the cholera epidemic of 1832 are buried in the cemetery.

I wonder how many cars pass by the old burial ground and the people riding inside do not know the history of the Old Burial Ground. If you like old cemeteries and reading old headstones, this is an interesting place to visit.

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The Heroes in Pinery Cemetery

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

A few miles northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the Pinery Indian Cemetery. The land has been used as a Native American burial ground since the 1600s. Many of the graves have spirit houses. They provide a place for loved ones to leave food, arrows, beads, and items needed for the deceased to travel to the spirit world.

I have been to the national cemeteries in Holly, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek and I have seen veterans sections in other cemeteries. I usually see American flags next to the headstones. It was inspiring to see an American flag next to the spirit houses. It is a reminder that people came from all walks of life and different backgrounds and religions to fight and defend freedom in this country.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula available on Amazon HERE

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The Thompson House

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

This Queen Anne house was built in 1890 in the southern Michigan town of Hudson. It was built by banking pioneer Gamaliel Thompson. Three generations of the Thompson family lived in the house before it became a museum. It is one of the most original Queen Anne style homes in Michigan both inside and out.

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The Nonesuch Mine

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, upper peninsula .

The Porcupine Mountains in the western Upper Peninsula is the largest state park in Michigan. It is known for its hiking trails, waterfalls, and the Lake Of The Clouds. But few people know that hidden among the trees are the ruins of an old mining town. It also has an old stone lined shaft that sinks into the ground. It is rather spooky how it curves out of a hill and I can not imagine descending down into the earth from it. The hole is fence off now but you can still see it in the forest of the Porkies

Nonesuch is a type of copper ore that exists in sandstone and the town was named after the ore. Mining began in 1867 and ended in 1912.At its peak, the town had a population of 300 people and besides the mining buildings, it had a school, boarding houses, stables, and even a baseball team. Today stone walls can be found in the area where the town once stood. I also found some old cast iron machine parts including a large gear half-buried in the ground and held in place by a tree root.

The ruins can be found near the Little Iron River. A parking lot can be found off South Boundary Road with a trail that is about a half-mile long that will take you to the ruins. To find the parking lot drive straight south of the visitor center. A short road keeps going south where South Boundary Road curves to the west. Down that short road, you will find a small parking lot and an informational sign for the town of Nonesuch.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula available on Amazon HERE

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One Eye Pete

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, people .

I was roaming around the Monroe Cemetery located north of Greenville. I saw a tombstone with the words ONE EYE PETE that caught my attention. On the other side is the name of Corp. Peter Nelson.

From what I could find on the internet Peter Nelson came to the United States from Denmark to avoid conscription into the Danish army. He ended up in the Civil War instead. He got the nickname One Eye Pete because he had lost an eye at a young age when a animal swiped at his face and damaged his eye with its claw.

As part of his severance pay from the military he was offered what he saw as swampland in Illinois. He felt you couldn’t grow anything there of he refused it. Today it is part of downtown Chicago, Il. He came to the Greenville area and died in 1904 and was laid to rest in the Monroe Cemetery.

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Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Book

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

I am proud to announce my most recent book  Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is now available. I have had several people request I do a book on places in the U.P. and this book has many of my favorite places. Some locations have been published in my other books and some are new. I also have some tips and advice for traveling the Upper Peninsula that I have learned over the many trips I have taken.

Books are available on Amazon HERE

Here is a list of some of the locations in the book. Each location has a story and a detailed address or GPS coordinates so you can find it if you want to visit.

Gros Cap Cemetery.
Fiborn Quarry
Gros Cap Cemetery.
Mission Hill
Naomikong Bridge
Camp Raco
Fayette
Kitch-iti-kipi
Seul Choix Lighthouse
Crisp Point Lighthouse.
Two Hearted River
Vermillion Point
Mansfield
Peninsula Point Lighthouse
Sable Falls
Sand Point
Bay Furnace
Rock Cut
Mt Arvon
Alder Falls
510 Bridge
Redridge Dam
Quincy Dredge
Cliff Mine
Rocket Range
Nonesuch
Skoglund Homestead

You can see a preview of the inside on amazon HERE. (note: you need to be on a desktop or notebook to see the preview)

Thank you so much to everyone that has purchased one of my books. Your support and kindness means a lot to me and helps me with expenses to explore Michigan and create more posts.

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The First Women’s Club In Michigan

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Library .

The Ladies’ Library Association of Kalamazoo officially incorporated in 1852 and it was the first women’s club organized in Michigan and the third organized in the United States. Its purpose was to promote the cause of equal education for women. The organization built This building in downtown Kalamazoo in 1879, and it is the building first in the nation erected for the use of a women’s club. Yearly subscriptions cost fifty cents and were available to both men and women, however, only women could be members of the organization. In addition to creating Kalamazoo’s first lending library, the LLA activities have included advocating for the right for women to vote, the creation of day nurseries for working mothers, founding Kalamazoo’s first art club, and establishing a community education program for women

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The Real McCoy

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in people .

A historical marker stands in a small park next to the library in downtown Ypsilanti. It stands in memorial of a African American engineer that created a memorable idiom for something genuine.

Elijah McCoy was trained as a mechanical engineer and the son of former slaves. He made his living as a fireman stoking fires and oiling engines for the Michigan Central Railroad. McCoy sought to end the delays caused by frequent oil stops. In his Ypsilanti workshop he developed a lubricating cup that continuously fed oil to steam engines. His device automated steam engine maintenance that was previously done by hand and he patented an automatic lubricator in 1872. By 1926 he had patented more than forty lubricating devices used internationally on trains and boats and in factories. Other people and companies began “knocking off” his invention with inferior products. McCoy began marketing his oil cups as “The Real McCoy” to separate his products from poor quality imposters. As steam engines faded in use the oil cups did too, but they saying “The Real McCoy” has remained and it all began with an engineer from Ypsilanti.

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