August 2023 - Lost In Michigan

Ten Hours or no Sawdust

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers .

A Michigan historical marker stands near downtown Bay City and reminds us of a time when lumberjacks and sawmill workers labored for little pay and long hours. It reads:

When Bay City’s sawmills opened in 1885, mill owners notified workers that wages would be 12 to 25 percent lower than in 1884. On July 6, 1885, Bay City millhands began to walk off the job. Their slogan, “Ten Hours or No Sawdust,” represented the demand for a ten-hour day, higher wages, and semimonthly pay. On July 9, 1885, D.C. Blinn, editor of Bay City’s Labor Vindicator and a member of the Knights of Labor, held a rally at Bay City’s Madison Park. After the rally, millhands left by barge for Saginaw, where they closed the mills the next day. The demands of the millhands were rejected, and the sporadic violence that followed led the mayors of Bay City and Saginaw to seek help from the state militia and private detectives.

On July 19, 1885, Governor Russell A. Alger, a wealthy lumberman came to Bay City to attempt to resolve the strike that had closed Bay City and Saginaw mills. From the steps of the Frazer Hotel, across the street from this site, he spoke to a crowd of millhands, warning against further violence. On July 29, Terence V. Powderly, Grand Master of the Knights of Labor, came to the valley. He urged the millhands to return to work with a ten-hour day and reduced wages. Nevertheless, the strike continued for several weeks, with support from the people of Bay City. The mill owners, however, remained intransigent, and by late September the strikers were defeated. The ten-hour workday went into effect on September 15, 1885, by an act of the state legislature, but wages remained low.

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The Grice House

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

This beautiful fieldstone house stands along M-25 north of Harbor Beach in front of the Marina. It was built by James Grice who came to the Thumb in the 1860s from England. The house survived the great fire of 1881 and remained in the family until the 1960s when it was acquired by the city of Harbor Beach. It is now a museum displaying artifacts to remind visitors what life was like decades ago.

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Presque Isle Lodge

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

Lumberman Newell A. Eddy, Sr.and his wife Marianna purchased the land around where the Lodge sits for their personal recreational use. The land was purchased in several transactions from 1908 to 1913. With the Construction of US-23 tourists began visiting the area. The Eddy’s son, Newell A. Eddy Jr. who also vacationed at the property constructed a lodge in 1920. Eddy also built the knotty pine furniture within the Lodge, with the help of area craftsmen. After the opening of the Lodge, Eddy established the “Habitant Shops of Presque Isle Lodge,” which constructed similar furniture for guests. The shop first operated from the Presque Isle Lodge property, but by 1922 had moved to Bay City.

Newell A. Eddy Jr. died in 1940 and his family sold the Lodge in 1944. The lodge, placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. It is an example of rustic architecture popular in Michigan in the first half of the twentieth century. During this time Michigans lumber industry became a leading manufacturer of rustic-styled, board-and-batten siding, and rough-hewn logs. The historic lodge still operates to this day.

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The Stone House in Alma

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses .

Alma is located in the center of the Lower Peninsula and standing in the heart of Alma is an old stone Richardsonian-design house. Built in 1888 by lumber baron and business man Ammi Wright, the house was advanced for its time with its own hot water system. The Wright family owned the house until it was sold in 1934 and converted into Smith Memorial Hospital. For years the old building served the community treating patients, and over three thousand babies were born in its rooms. As medicine advanced, the hospital outgrew the old house and in 1959 Northwood Institute moved in, using the rooms to educate students. Eventually the college moved to its current location in Midland. After a few other businesses used the old mansion it was left empty.

I see that is has a new roof which will help limit the determination from water but it would be nice to see this magnificent home restored and used for something.

If you love exploring Michigan, I hope you will take a look at my Lost In Michigan book series available on Amazon HERE

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Alder Falls

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

I have been to a lot of different waterfalls in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula but my favorite is Alder Falls. Located northwest of Marquette it can be a little tricky to find on a two-track road off County Road 550 near Big Bay. After parking near a little wooden sign for the falls you need to hike down into a gorge to see the waterfalls. There are no steps, so it can be tricky to climb down and back up, especially for someone out of shape like me. I think that is why I like these falls so much, they are hard to access, and find, so there is not a large crowd of people. When I was there, no one else was around and it was a peaceful place to relax and enjoy the falls as the water rushed around the large rocks in the river.

Besides the falls, you are near the Big Bay lighthouse ( you can see my post about it HERE) and the Tavern that was made famous in the Jimmy Stewart movie Anatomy of a Murder

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The Old Store

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store, small towns .

I saw this old general store in the small town of Burnips. It’s located southwest of Grand Rapids and got its start in the 1850s when James Burnip settled in the area. He built a general store and the intersection that it sat on was known as Burnip’s Corners. In time the town became to be just Burnips.

This is probably not the store that James Burnips built but I could imagine back in the day getting an ice cold bottle of Faygo out of the cooler and sitting on the porch on a hot Michigan summer day.

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The Depot Under The Bridge

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Thumb, Train Depots .

Underneath the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron is the old Grand Trunk Railway Depot built in 1856. This is the depot a young Thomas Alva Edison worked at while selling newspapers and books to passengers. This is the part where I am supposed to write about Edison’s accomplishments, but I am thinking most people already know what Edison did, and how he impacted the way we live with his light bulb and other inventions. The depot is now a museum and welcomes visitors.

P.S. Maybe it’s just me, but I think Port Huron is one of the most underrated tourist cities in Michigan. I love walking along the river watching the ships sail past. Checking out the historic buildings and visiting the lighthouses. There is a lot to see and do in Port Huron and I think many Michiganders overlook it for trips and vacations.

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The House with a Broken Back

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses .

I saw this old farmhouse south of Traverse City somewhere near Buckley. It looks as if it has a broken back with the center of the roof collapsed inward. I don’t know any history of this old home but it looks as if someone is cutting the grass. I like how the bushes or trees or whatever they are, are almost as big as the house. I see these old houses and it reminds me of the challenging times our ancestors had back in “the good ol’ days” I don’t know how they survived without air conditioning and the internet.

P.S. As usual I take pics from the road and advise against trespassing and respect peoples personal property.

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Irish Hollow Cemetery

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

Rockland is located in the western Upper Peninsula. The town was an old mining town where several Irish Immigrants came to mine. Southeast of town, off US-45 is the Irish Hollow Cemetery. It sits in the woods and the tombstones are surrounded by tall grass and ferns. It may be a little overgrown but it is a beautiful old cemetery.

According to MIGenweb, A cemetery was dedicated on July 4th, 1892, ( I am not sure if it was this one or another nearby cemetery, since it does not specify which one) A little girl from town ran up to the ceremony to tell the people the town was on fire. Her parents let her stay home, instead of going to the dedication. She said she found a firecracker and lit it in her home. When she threw it out the window, it caught the curtain on fire and spread through the town.

After the mines closed in the early 1900s the population of the town declined and about two hundred residents live there today. If you go through town and you like old cemeteries be sure to check out the Irish Hollow Cemetery.

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 Pink Schoolhouse

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

This little pink schoolhouse stands in Bicentennial Park in the city of Mason. The school was built in 1854, and moved to its current location in 1976. The exact reason why the school is pink is unknown. One of the predominant theories is that red paint was donated, but there was not enough to paint the entire building. It was mixed with white paint turning it into a pink hue but creating enough to paint the entire school.

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