Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

Mason County Courthouse

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

Ludington became the Mason county seat in 1873, when county offices were moved from the now-vanished village of Little Sauble. At that time Ludington was the county’s most prosperous settlement. Formerly called Pere Marquette, Ludington was platted in 1867 by Milwaukee lumberman James Ludington. The town served as a shipping center for West Michigan lumber. Erected in 1893-94, this is the fourth structure to serve as Mason County’s courthouse since the county was established in 1855. Grand Rapids architect Sidney J. Osgood designed the Richardsonian Romanesque structure, which was built of Jacobsville sandstone from Houghton County in the Upper Peninsula. The tower clock was built by Nels Johnson as one of his Century tower clocks and installed in 1907. The courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

I always marvel at the construction of these old brick buildings. I like to stop and get pics of them and I think they are a wonderful representation of a community. I wonder if the people who live near them take there beauty and impressive construction for granted.

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The Old Firehouse

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Fire Houses .

I was roaming around the city of Jackson and I came across this old firehouse. I like to have an interesting story to go with my pics, but I was not able to find any information about it on the internet other than it is closed. The ENGINE HOUSE No. 4 sign over the garage doors is the only thing I know about it. I can only imagine over the years many firefighters have gone on runs to save lives and property. It now stands empty and forgotten, I guess that is why I was compelled to stop and take a pic.

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Camp Michigan Book GIVEAWAY

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Giveaways .

Thank you so much for following Lost In Michigan and reading my posts. If you are not aware of it, I also do the Camp Michigan website which you can see HERE. I am giving away a copy of the Unofficial State Park Handbook to one of my lucky followers. It’s really easy to enter. Make sure you are a subscriber to email notifications, if not you can do that HERE. Then post in the comments at the bottom of this post where your favorite place is to visit Michigan in the summer

If you want to learn more about the book or order a copy you can do it HERE or from Amazon HERE

I will pick a winner at random from the comments on Monday, April 1st and announce the name of the winner on a post that day on www.lostinmichigan.net

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The Most Famous Silo In Michigan

Posted on March 24, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

Michigan has a lot of barns with silos but this one stands out among all of them in the Mitten state. It is hard to miss this red yellow and black silo with the New Era Potato Chips logo painted on it. It stands on East Grand River Rd. not far from the town of Portland.

New Era was founded in Detroit in the 1920s. They had four plants throughout the Midwest and was one of the dominant potato chips in the region. During the’70s, potato chips sales declined. The company was bought out by Frito Lay and closed in 1981. The barn and silo near Portland still remain as a reminder of the long-gone Detroit company.

P.S. I like how their slogan was “Scientifically Processed” I wonder how that would work out for them today, it sounds like the opposite of Organic.

If you found this interesting Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon you can find them by clicking HERE

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The Ghost Houses

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, upper peninsula .

Michigan has a few lumbering and mining ghost towns scattered around the state. Near the old historic Quincy Mine north of Hancock, I saw these old forgotten houses. They are on US-41 in Franklin Township. I call them ghost houses because the area still has people living and working in it, but I assume these were old miners’ houses. The name of the town where these houses stand is or was Franklin Mine, named after the mine in the area. They look as if the historical society or someone is preserving them. They make me wonder about the people who lived in the Keweenaw and worked in the mines. It must have been a hard life back in the day.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

I am fascinated by the beauty and the history in the Keweenaw Peninsula and have more pics to post and stories to share. I hope you will subscribe to email notifications so you won’t miss any new posts.

Marlette Train Depot – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers, Train Depots .

Flint and Pere Marquette Depot

The first twenty-five miles of track for the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad opened from Port Huron to Croswell in 1879. Marlette residents lured the railroad by raising $15,000 toward construction of the tracks. The line extended from Saginaw Junction in St. Clair County to Marlette in January 1881, and Marlette and Mayville line opened in the fall. The Flint & Pere Marquette purchased the Port Huron & Northwestern in 1889. Flint contractor E.M. Stewart built this depot in 1890 with a double waiting room, an office and a baggage room. The Marlette Historical Society bought the building in 1999.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

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Posen Barns

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw these two old barns standing together like an old married couple watching over their family. They are just outside of the town of Posen. it’s northwest of Alpena, and the area was settled by Polish immigrants in the late 1800s. They named the town Posen after a providence of Poznan in Poland.

These two old barns must have seen a lot of Michigan winters. I assume they are old since they have stone foundations.

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The House in the Blizzard

Posted on March 16, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Winter Wonderland .

I know it’s starting to warm up outside, and spring will be here soon. However, I still have a few pics from winter that I have not posted yet. I saw this little old house fighting through another Michigan blizzard near Dighton. It looks as though it has seen many winters and is close to giving up, but it’s still standing. I am looking forward to it getting warm and green again. It’s been a long and strange winter.

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The Peanut Barrel

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Restaurants .

North of Michigan State University campus across the street from the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum ( AKA the sand crawler) on Grand River Boulevard is the Peanut Barrel. Amongst several chain franchise restaurants, the Peanut Barrel is a locally owned pub that serves delicious made to order hamburgers.

The menu consists of mostly sandwiches and burgers, but they do them very well. The one thing that makes their burgers stand out is the fresh homemade buns and you have your choice of white, wheat, or my favorite rye. The burgers come with chips, but you can upgrade to fries and for less than $10 it’s the best deal in town.

Located at 521 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823 it’s a little tricky to find since it’s inset from the other buildings but it also has a nice patio area for those warm summer days. If you go, be sure to go to the back of the building where the parking lot is and there is a door from the parking lot. Just to let you know, you will have to pay for parking. To visit the Peanut Barrel’s website click HERE

I don’t do many restaurant reviews, but if I eat someplace I like, readers have asked me to share it. If you want to see more of the restaurants I have been to click HERE

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Bach Michigan, but not that Bach

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store, Thumb .

Southeast of Sebewaing is the little town of Bach which is home to this old general store. If you are like me and think the town was named after the famous composer than you would be incorrect. You know what they say about assuming, you make an ass out of you and… well I guess I better get back to the town of Bach. The town was named after Fredric Bach who founded it in 1889. The little town even got a station on the Michigan Central Railroad and a post office in 1912.

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