Covington, a small Upper Peninsula town near the M-28 and 141 junction, is a quiet place. It consists of a few homes, a post office, a striking church, and an abandoned general store. Founded in 1895 and named by its first postmaster, John Lyons, after his Kentucky hometown.
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The shipping season has ended for the winter on the Great lakes, and the ships are in winter layup, but the Sand Point Lighthouse still shines over Escanaba. The lighthouse has a red light, and from what I’ve learned, red is used because it shows up better in fog. I have also noticed that lighthouses at harbor entrances usually have a red light. Whatever the reason, the old lighthouse looks majestic and faithful, shining in the night sky.
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This uniqe one of a kind house stands in Harbor Springs. It was designed and built by Ephraim Shay the inventor of the geared Shay locomotive. He left a lasting mark on Harbor Springs, Michigan. His innovative locomotive, with its superior traction and ability to navigate tight curves, was favored by logging and mining companies worldwide. Thousands were built in Lima, Ohio, and some even ran on Shay’s own Hemlock Central Railroad, a fifteen-mile line north of Harbor Springs.
In 1891, Shay, an Ohio native born in 1839, built a unique hexagonal house in Harbor Springs. The six-winged structure, featuring a central core and utilized stamped steel for both its interior and exterior walls. Shay, a dedicated mechanic, contributed much to the town, including building and later donating its waterworks. His company also explored boat and automobile design, and he even built sleds for local children. Shay resided in Harbor Springs from 1888 until his death in 1916.
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In southern Saginaw County, near the intersection of Burt and Bishop Roads, a weathered wooden church stands serenely amidst the farmlands. Just a short distance east, where Burt Road crosses Fairchild Creek, once thrived the town of Luce. Established in 1890 with its own post office, the town faded away when the post office closed in January 1914. Luce, named for Michigan’s 21st governor, Cyrus G. Luce (1887-1890), shares this honor with Luce County in the Upper Peninsula. Governor Luce was the last Michigan governor to have a county named after him.
The age of the church remains unknown, as does whether it was built by Luce’s residents. However, its proximity to the former town site is undeniable. A nearby cemetery and the church itself are likely the only remnants of the once-bustling community.
I took a pic of this old church about ten years ago and the photo graces the photo of my first book. In the decade since, the roof of the old church has collapsed. It is sad to see it deteriorate.
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I have driven past the The Keweenaw Snow Gauge on US-41 between Mohawk and Phoenix in Summer a few times. You get a whole new appreciation for it in the winter when the snow is waist deep in the woods and piled high on the sides of the roads. The life-sized snow gauge shows the Keweenaw’s record snowfall that was set during the winter of 1978-79. During that winter, the Keweenaw received 390.4 inches of snow. Each spring the Keweenaw County Road Commission moves the arrow to indicate how much snow fell during the most recent winter. I wonder when the record will be broken and the gage made taller.
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The Cross Village Presbyterian Church, built in 1890, was destroyed by fire in 1918. Reverend John Redpath, an 80-year-old missionary, led the rebuilding effort, raising funds and even doing manual labor. The church reopened in 1921. After his death in 1926, it was renamed Redpath Memorial Presbyterian Church in his honor.
Over the years, the lumbering people moved away and the population in Cross Village dwindled. This small picturesque stone church stood empty. At one point, it was slated to be a retail store. Several attempts to reopen it and have services failed, and it became a community eyesore from neglect and vandalism. Finally, in 1965, two summer resident couples, the Archers and the Mungers, obtained permission to hold summer services. Attendance grew, and by 1967, services were held weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day and over time the little stone church was renovated and restored to its former glory. The church continues to thrive, supported by summer residents and locals. It operates informally, and gives back to the community through college scholarships.
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Near the town of Hubbell, along M-26 in the Keweenaw Peninsula, are massive concrete blocks. They look like something from an ancient civilization, but the mechanical device on one of them shows they are more modern. They are the remnants of the Ahmeek Stamping Mill. It was built in 1910 and pulverized rock into a sand-like material for copper extraction. The mill closed down in the 1940s, and the concrete structures remain as a reminder of the Copper Country’s past.
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This big old house stands along county road 426 in the center of the Upper Peninsula. The road runs along the old Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad tracks. Weeds and small trees are growing up between the rusty rails, so I assume they have not been used in years. This old abandined house stands between Cornell and Watson on the other side of the tracks. Most of the old abandoned houses I see in the Upper Peninsula are smaller shacks and cabins. I couldn’t help but wonder what the story was with this old building. I found on an old county map and it shows the name of the town of Woodlawn. A reference stated that the town was originally called White, but the name was changed to Woodlawn when it got a post office in 1905. I am wondering if this is the remains of the old town, and maybe it was a boarding house or something. I took a pic from the road and you can see the old railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo. I often wonder about these old places, and I also wonder if I am the only person who drives past them and is curious about their history.
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Herman is located in a remote section of the Huron Mountains between L’Anse and Nestoria. On December 19, 1996, the town received one of the largest snowfalls in Michigan history, with 30 inches of the white stuff falling in the single day.
The town was named for Finnish lumberjack Herman Keranen, who purchased forty acres and began farming in the area. Over the decades, the population has dwindled, and it is mostly a ghost town. A few people continue to live in the historic community. The train still passes through but no longer stops in Herman. This large old house sits in the town of Herman. It is the old Dantes house and it is named for its original resident, Charles T Dantes, who was a Finn from Northern Sweden who settled in Herman in 1907. He worked for the railroad and owned the general store. He was the town’s postmaster, and sheriff of Baraga County. Today the old house is barely standing under the wieght of all the snow.
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A massive canon sits in front of the Alpena city hall. It once stood on the deck of the U.S.S. Maine battleship. The mighty American warship exploded in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, ignited the Spanish-American War. After the ship’s remains were raised in 1912, Alpena resident and Republican Congressman George A. Loud forwarded resolutions from the city’s chamber of commerce and common council to the Navy Department, requesting a loan of “a piece of naval ordinance of historical interest.” The Navy granted the request, loaning Alpena a six-inch gun from the Maine in March 1912.
The cannon’s arrival in Alpena on May 19, 1912, was met with great excitement. The city planned a grand Independence Day celebration for its unveiling, drawing over 7,000 visitors eager to see the relic from the “martyred” U.S.S. Maine. Alpena holds the distinction of being the only city in the United States to possess a cannon from this historic battleship. This silent tribute to the Maine continues to stand in front of City Hall, at the corner of Water Street and First Avenue.
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