This old schoolhouse stands in the thumb southwest of Columbiaville. Called the Vermilya school It was constructed in 1875. The school closed in 1941 and the students sent to Columbiaville. It looks as if this old schoolhouse has been forgotten and is slowly deteriorating.
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The history of this house near the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula begins with Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian missionary who arrived in the Grand Traverse Bay area in 1838 to establish a mission for the Ojibwe and Odawa tribes. After initially settling in Elk Rapids, he relocated here at the request of Chief Ahgosa and proceeded to sketch some of the region’s first maps in 1839-1840. Following his marriage to Maria Higgins, Dougherty and local Native Americans constructed this residence, the Dougherty Mission House, in 1842. Beyond providing religious sermons and caring for the sick, Dougherty significantly contributed by translating biblical lessons and scripture into the Anishinaabemowin language, which he published in the mid-1840s. The structure was later renamed the “Old Mission House” in 1852 when the Dougherty family moved to establish a new mission in Omena.
The property entered its next phase in 1861 when it was purchased by Solon Rushmore, who used profits from local fruit crops to remodel parts of the building. Following Solon’s death in 1870, his cousin Duranty Rushmore acquired the estate. Capitalizing on the growing resort industry driven by improved transportation, Duranty began welcoming tourists in 1876, establishing the site as the Rushmore House, an inn that could host up to thirty guests. After Duranty passed away in 1894, his son William and daughter-in-law Minnie continued operating the inn until William’s death in 1916. The house remained in private hands until 1961 when Virginia Larson purchased it from the Rushmore family. In 2006, local citizens bought the property and gifted it to Peninsula Township, leading to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.
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The Memphis Cemetery, situated south of Memphis, Michigan, is home to a truly puzzling monument marking the grave sites of the Miller family. At the back corner of the grounds rests an enormous, 2,800-pound black marble sphere set atop a granite pedestal. Erected following Eli Miller’s death in 1903, the monument quickly captured local attention when the massive sphere began to inexplicably turn on its base. This mysterious rotation earned it the enduring local nickname: the “Witch’s Ball.” The physical evidence of this movement is visible in a circle of rough marble on the sphere’s surface; this unpolished area was originally the base when the monument was placed, facing down. Over the years, it has moved significantly upward, demonstrating the complete, unassisted turning of the heavy stone.
The rotation of this 2,800-pound mass defies simple explanation. It is certainly too heavy to be manually pushed or rotated by individuals. While environmental factors, such as freeze-thaw cycles, are often posited for similar phenomena, experts largely discount them as the cause of such substantial and sustained movement in this specific case. Despite decades of observation, no definitive, scientific reason has been established for how the sphere manages to slowly rotate on its pedestal, cementing its status as a genuine local mystery. This persistent enigma is the foundation of the supernatural lore surrounding the monument.
The unsolved movement has naturally fostered a host of local beliefs and superstitions surrounding the Witch’s Ball. Some people claim the sphere holds mystical powers, suggesting that looking into its polished surface may reveal apparitions and spirits reflected back at the viewer. Others have reported hearing strange, unexplained noises emanating from the woods directly behind the cemetery. Though I personally found the cemetery beautiful and quiet during my own visit, filled with ornate old headstones, the enduring legend of the rotating marble sphere ensures that it remains one of the most fascinating and discussed sites in the region. Visitors are, however, always reminded to remain respectful and adhere to all cemetery regulations.
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A towering B-52 Stratofortress is on permanent display near Gwinn, located on the former grounds of KI Sawyer Air Force Base. Situated in the center of the Upper Peninsula, the base closed in 1995 and has since been repurposed for civilian uses. This iconic bomber, which was flown in and decommissioned in 1983, rests alongside several historic fighter jets. If you’ve ever wanted an up-close look at a true American bomber, this is the place; its massive scale is truly striking when you stand next to it.
Thank You to all the men and women who have served or continue to serve in the military’s. Your dedication, commitment and sacrifice to uphold the Constitution allow me to freely travel this great nation.
The small, quiet town of Leer is situated in a scenic location northwest of Alpena, lying in close proximity to the natural beauty of Sunken Lake Park.
Leer owes its name and founding to a community of immigrants from Lier, Norway, who settled the area. This heritage remains a defining part of the town’s identity and history.
The most notable place in Leer is the old historic Leer Lutheran Church. This magnificent structure was dedicated and built in 1899, making it a key fixture of the community for well over a century. Standing as a testament to the enduring faith and history of the Norwegian settlers.
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The town of Dollarville sits a few miles west of Newberry. These old building stand along the road and go back to a time when the town was a bustling stop along the railroad. Dollarville owes its existence to the American Lumber Company. The community was established in 1882, growing up around the company’s mill and general store. This initial development was significant as it also marked Dollarville as a station on the crucial Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad, connecting it to the broader regional transport network. The town was named in honor of the company’s general manager, Robert Dollar, who would later achieve considerable wealth and fame in the shipping industry.
The Post office closed in 1919 and the town slowly declined to a few homes and some old buildings. If you drive through it you may notice the old buildings. The faded and pealing blue building has the sign HUNTING LODGE above the door and some antlers attached to the front façade. I imagine there were some good stories that were told within its walls.
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The Historic Hopkins Manor in St. Clair, MI stand on a hill overlooking the St Clair River in the town of St. Clair.
The mansion was originally called “Rio Vista” and is one of two grand homes built in 1880 by the wealthy Hopkins family in St. Clair, Michigan. The family’s fortune originated from Mark Hopkins, one of the “Big Four” co-founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, whose death in 1878 resulted in a $5 million inheritance for his brother, Samuel Hopkins, a St. Clair resident. Samuel, along with his son Mark, erected matching Second Empire Victorian mansions on North Riverside Avenue overlooking the St. Clair River, demonstrating their immense success and establishing a significant architectural legacy in the city. The homes were built for opulence and security, featuring one-foot-thick solid brick walls, 12-foot ceilings, and black walnut woodwork, including a large safe in the butler’s pantry for the family’s silver service.
Rio Vista, the focus of the historical narrative, later became the summer residence of Samuel’s son, William Hopkins, who had also invested his inheritance into local St. Clair businesses like the Diamond Crystal Salt Company and the luxurious Oakland Springs Hotel. The home was originally capped with a mansard roof, extending its height to four stories, and featured an architectural curiosity: a tunnel that ran between the two Hopkins mansions and continued out to the river, providing private access to the family’s yacht.
Next time you pass through St. Clair on M-29 look for the big brick mansions that stand on the hill just north of downtown.
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Glen Park sits off Forth Street in the northwest Lower Peninsula town of Onekama. A path over a wooden footbridge leads to the Onekama Springs in a majestic ravine.
The town is a resort community welcoming vacationers to relax in the Michigan sunshine. In the late 1800s, after the local lumber industry began to decline, lumberman A.W. Farr purchased the site due to the mineral water believed to possess healing properties bubbling up around Portage Lake. He established a popular summer resort, constructing the grand “Glen House” hotel, which drew visitors from across the country, with some even calling the area the “Saratoga of the West.” Although the hotel was destroyed by fire in 1892, the springs remained a public draw, and the land was eventually deeded to Onekama Township in 1961, ensuring public access to the picturesque Glen Park and its unique springs.
The path to visit the springs is about a couple hundred yards but it has some staircases, hill to walk over and some tree roots. It is not ADA compliant, but it is not to difficult if you are careful to not trip on the tree roots.
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The Blue Pelican Inn & Restaurant in Central Lake, on the northwest part of the Lower Peninsula. Originally built in the early 1900s, the building has gone by several names, including the Central Lake Hotel and Murphy’s Lamplight Inn, and its lengthy history seems to have attracted several permanent, spectral residents. The most famous is the ghost of Mrs. Gill, a former manager who returned later in life and died in one of the upstairs rooms in the 1950s; she is frequently seen looking out a window in that same room.
The Inn’s other well-known ghosts are often tied to tragic or memorable events from the building’s past. One recurring apparition is the Young Bride, believed to be a woman who fell to her death while attempting to elope from a second-story window by climbing down in her wedding gown. Her spirit is said to walk the upstairs halls. Another is the Little Girl seen peering out of the attic dormer, often with school books. This sighting is linked to a time when the Inn temporarily served as a schoolhouse after the town’s original school burned down.
Beyond the specific figures, staff and guests have reported a range of unexplained paranormal activity that supports the Inn’s reputation. These include the sightings of a ghostly couple in 1920s attire dancing near the bar, cold spots, disembodied noises, and even instances of objects moving on their own, such as glasses flying off shelves. These numerous reports from witnesses, including paranormal investigators, firmly cement the Blue Pelican Inn’s status as a must-visit location for those interested in Michigan’s spooky history.
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This smoke stack rises into the sky next to Lake Independence near the town of Big Bay in the Upper Peninsula. It was part of the Big Bay Ford Sawmill and holds a unique place in the history of Ford Motor Company’s operations. Henry Ford, aiming for complete vertical integration and self-sufficiency in automobile manufacturing, acquired over 313,000 acres of timberland in the UP. In 1943, he purchased the existing sawmill in Big Bay, which had previously belonged to the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company and was once famous for producing most of the country’s bowling pins. Ford refurbished and reopened the factory to manufacture wood panels for his popular “Woody Wagons.” However, Ford’s involvement in Big Bay went far beyond just the mill; in 1943, he purchased not only the sawmill and power plant but nearly every other building in the town, effectively turning Big Bay into a Ford company town.
Big Bay became a personal retreat for Henry and Clara Ford, as well as a popular vacation spot for company executives. Ford personally oversaw changes to the town’s layout, even having certain houses and the local Catholic church relocated to improve his view of the sawmill from the remodeled company store (which he converted into the Big Bay Hotel, now the Thunder Bay Inn). Ford’s vision for Big Bay, however, was short-lived. The lumbering venture proved unprofitable, and the Ford Motor Company abandoned the operations and sold its assets shortly after Henry Ford’s death in 1947, closing the mill around 1951. Despite its brief run as a Ford company town, the legacy of the Big Bay Ford Sawmill and the town’s connection to the industrialist remain a significant part of the community’s history.
I tried to dive to the sawmill but the road leading to it was private. You can see the smoke stack from Perkins Park and Campground just outside of Big Bay.
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