January 2025 - Lost In Michigan

Harvey Randall House

Posted on January 31, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

Constructed in 1898, this Queen Anne residence was the home of Tekonsha businessman Harvey N. Randall (1859-1917) and his wife, dressmaker Adell Warboys Randall (1863-1943). A successful entrepreneur, Randall thrived in the produce, livestock, and hardware trades. By 1905, he had established the Harvey N. Randall Company, specializing solely in hardware, with Adell serving as the company’s secretary-treasurer. Randall actively contributed to his community, holding the position of village president, serving as a school board trustee, and acting as a director of the First State Bank of Tekonsha.

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The Moore House in Caro

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

This beautiful old house with a thached Tudor style roof sits in a nieghborhood near downtown Caro. Originally built around 1868, the house was purchased in 1914 by William and Lovila Moore. William owned a telephone exchange company that had initially been based in Sandusky, Michigan, before relocating to Caro in 1896. When they acquired the property, it was designed in the Queen Anne style. In 1923, the Moores undertook a significant renovation of their home transforming it into the Tudor Revival style we see today. They also added a swimming pool, tennis courts, and various modern amenities. Lovila Moore resided in the house until her passing in 1937, while William J. Moore continued to live there until his retirement in 1947 and remained until he died in 1955.

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Fourtowns Grange

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

This old wooden building sits in the farmland of southern Michigan near the town of Quincy. Above the door is a faded sign that reads “Fourtowns Grange” It looks as if it has been a while since the old building haas been used for a Grange Hall.

The National Grange, a prominent agricultural advocacy group, was established in the United States in 1867 following the Civil War. Officially known as the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, it is a social organization that encourages families to unite to improve their economic and political standing, particularly within the agricultural sector.

As the oldest American agricultural advocacy group with a national reach, the Grange has a long history of political activism. They successfully lobbied for crucial legislation, including the Granger Laws, which aimed to regulate railroad rates, and the establishment of rural free mail delivery.

In 2005, the Grange boasted a membership of 160,000, with a presence in over 2,100 communities across 36 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., in a building constructed by the organization in 1960, the Grange continues to play a vital role in many rural communities. Numerous towns still maintain Grange Halls, serving as social and community centers for local farmers and their families.

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The Burnham Building

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Iconic Buildings .

The Burnham Historical Building, an Italianate-style mansion built during the Civil War, stands as a testament to Adrian’s past. Originally constructed for prominent merchant George Bidwell, it occupied a prime location on Broad Street, within easy walking distance of the city center.

In 1877, Bidwell sold the property to banker William H. Waldby for a substantial sum of $18,000. Years later, it was acquired by W. H. Burnham, president of the then-dominant Lamb Fence Company. However, the advent of the automobile era shifted the preferences of Adrian’s affluent residents towards suburban living. Facing the threat of demolition in 1957, the building was repurposed as the offices of the Adrian Public Schools, ensuring its preservation. Today, it continues to serve as an office building.

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Wahjamega and the Farm Colony

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

Near Caro, across from the Airport on M-81, is a complex of buildings. They were part of the farm colony of Wahjamega. The name “Wahjamega” is an acronym derived from the initials of its founding sawmill partners: William A. Heartt, James A. Montgomery, and Edgar George Avery.

In 1914, the state established a Farm Colony for Epileptics in Wahjamega, intended to address the overcrowding at the Lapeer State Home for Epileptics. It started out with good intentions for helping people, but the facility gained notoriety for its involvement in eugentics and the forced sterilization of patients, a practice conducted under Michigan law from 1914 to the mid-1960s.

Over the years, the facility has operated under various names. Today, a portion of it continues to function as the Caro State Psychiatric Hospital. Many of the old buildings are gone. This one still stands not far from the hospital. I assume it was patient housing at one time but I am not sure.

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The Old House in Forester

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Thumb .

In the small town of Forester, nestled on the shores of Lake Huron in Michigan’s Thumb, stands thid old boarded up house. Its weathered appearance suggests long vacancy, hinting at a bygone era. I wondered if this house witnessed the tragic fate of Minie Quay, Forester’s most infamous resident.

At just 15 years old, Minie tragically took her own her life on a cold April day in 1876, by jumping off a dock into the icy waters of Lake Huron. She was devastated by the news of her sailor boyfriend’s demise in a Great Lakes shipwreck. She was laid to rest in the cemetery overlooking the lake north of town, and her ghost is said to walk the shoreline looking for her lover.

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Lost In Deefield

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Grain Elevators, small towns .

I saw this old building along the River Rasin in the southeast Michigan town of Deerfield. I am guessing it was some sort of grain elevator or somthing agraculture related, but I am not sure. Deefield was first settled by William Kedzie in 1828 who named the town Kedzie’s Grove. It was renamed to Deerfield in 1837. The name came from the numerous deer in the area.

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The Hobo Hotel

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Iconic Buildings .

The small town of Tekonsha is located between Coldwater and Marshall. Next the the histrical society’s building is a small gray building witht he sign “Tekonsha Jail and hobo Hotel. The historical marker denotes it was constructed in 1878. It is not much bigger than a garden shed and I would not want to be locked up in it. The town was named after Chief of the Pottowatomies Te-kon-qua-sha in 1871. The outer sheeting covers thick logs and the inside has a flat iron bar cell. carved in the wall is the name “Lansing Kid” which begs the question, who was the Lansing Kid. Unfortunatly I could not find any info about him. Maybe he was just another hobo that spent a night there.

P.S. If you are looking for something to read while you are staying warm indoors I hope you will take a look at my Lost In Michigan books. You can see all of them on Amazon HERE

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Lost In Jerome

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, small towns .

The small town of Jerome is located in southern Michigan, northeast of Hillsdale. In 1871, the Detroit, Hillsdale, and Indiana Railroad ran a rail line through the southern Michigan forest. In anticipation of the new railroad, landowner Jerome Smith purchased land and plotted a new town named after himself. He served as the town’s first postmaster and worked as an agent for the railroad. The town’s population grew rapidly, with several businesses relying on the trains that stopped at the town’s depot. In 1906, a large two-story brick schoolhouse was built.

Eventually, the train no longer stopped in the town of Jerome, and the community began to decline. The school was closed in 1960, and the students were bused to nearby North Adams. The businesses faded away, and the two old, dilapidated buildings still stand on Main Street, remembering a time of a prosperous Jerome. A few houses still stand in the little town, and the old school has been converted into a community center.

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