Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

The Mid-Michigan Castle

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

If you have ever traveled through the central Lower Peninsula on M-46 you have probably seen the ornate Victorian mansion in St. Louis. The massive white wooden castle-like home was constructed by Colonel John Elwell. He invested in the Chicago, Saginaw, and Canada Railroad and made a fortune when he turned the company around after it had been struggling to make a profit. John Elwell rose to the rank of Colonel for his service to the civil war and he moved to St Louis in 1875. He purchased the whole block on Delaware Street in 1880 and finished construction of his elaborate home in 1884. He lived in the home until his death in 1910.

Find Interesting locations throughout the Mitten State with a Lost In Michigan book Available on Amazon by clicking HERE

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Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE this weekend until January 29th or until supplies run out. I have some in stock but they sell quickly so order yours before they are gone.

you can order books from my website HERE

Thank You to everyone who has purchased a book your support really means a lot to me. I have had many people tell me how much they have enjoyed reading my book and that they are looking forward to visiting some of the places.

Getting Lost In Frankenmuth and Finding Beer

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Grain Elevators .

I don’t live far from Frankenmuth and have been there many times. I stopped and took a pic of the Lager Mill that stands along the Cass River. For some reason, I have never been in this building for some reason I thought maybe they sold sacs of flour and grain. After I took a pic of it I did a google search to see if I could find a little info about it. I never knew there was a brewery museum inside. It makes sense since Frankenmuth was founded by German Immigrants and has a long-standing tradition of brewing beer. There is also a beer store inside so in a way they do kinda sell grain just it’s fermented into a golden bubbly liquid. I guess next time I am in Frankenmuth I will have to check it out.

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Old Detroit in Downtown Lapeer

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Restaurants .

This post is a little different than my normal post so I hope you like it. I was at my son’s high school swim meet in Lapeer and after the meet ended we went out to get something to eat. We skipped the usual fast food places near the expressway and went to downtown Lapeer. I can’t pass up the chance to get a good burger so we ate at the Old Detroit Burger Bar. We sat down and they said they had coke on tap and I can’t have caffeine at night so I ordered a root beer and the waitress brought out a can of Faygo rootbeer. I said to her” Wow Faygo, does that mean you have a can of redpop too.” “yes” she replied. I knew I was in the right place when Detroit is in the name and they have Faygo. We ordered burgers and after a few minutes of looking at the old photos of Detroit on the walls and listening to old school blues music the waitress brought out these enormous burgers. The top bun was branded with the bars logo and for good reason. They are proud to serve the burgers they make. They were some of the best burgers I have eaten. I don’t really do restaurant reviews but sometimes I find a place that really impresses me. I really admire them for being a local burger joint and serving local food. I think if you are going to have a restaurant in Michigan you should support Michigan companies like Faygo, Kogels Better Made Chips or any other supplier from Michigan. If you are in southeast Michigan check out the Old Detroit Burger Bar there are 7 different locations. Here is a link to their website.

P.S. I don’t plan on doing a food blog. Thank for taking a quick break with me, now it’s time to get back on the road and see what I can find.

Lost In Michigan Books are ON SALE until Monday, you can order your copy HERE

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The Old Stone Church

Posted on January 14, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Michigan Historical Markers .

I love stone churches. I can imagine the people in the congregation donating stones they have collected from their farm fields to build the church. Traveling the back roads near East Jordan in the north-west part of the lower peninsula I came across this beautiful old stone church. Thankfully there was a Michigan Historical marker in front of it with some history of the church. It reads:

In 1885 Bohemian immigrants founded Saint John Nepomucene Catholic Church named for the patron saint of Czechoslovakia. The settlers, most of whom immigrated from Prague, named their community Praga. This Gothic Revival church was built as a frame structure in 1890; the steeple and bell were added in 1893, in 1926 the church was clad in fieldstone. The altar and some statues date from 1894. Since its founding, Saint John Church has been served by neighboring priests.

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

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Michigan’s Stone Home

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

Coming into Alpena from the south on US-23, you can’t miss this magnificent stone house that looks like a castle facing towards Thunder Bay. The house was built in 1902 by Charles R. Henry. After he died in 1926, it was inherited by his son the prominent Alpena attorney Carl R Henry, who was the president of the Michigan Bar Association in the 1930’s.

The house took two years to build and most of the stones used in the construction of the 18″ thick walls came from Cathro north of Alpena, but some of the stones were given to Mr. Henry by friends. One of the largest stones came from the Bottom of Lake Huron when it was brought up in a fishing net. There are stones from Hubbard Lake, Black Lake, Long Lake and Onaway and one stone from Colorado.

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

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Lost In Michigan Book Giveaway

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Giveaways .

Want to win a Lost In Michigan book? enter your email below to get notifications on new posts and you will be entered into the contest. If you have already subscribed you are already entered into the giveaway. The contest ends Monday at midnight March 5th. The winner will be selected at random from the list of subscribers and notified by email on Tuesday, March 6th.

Many people tell me they look forward to getting my emails for new posts. I don’t send out any spam or advertising. it’s just an email to let you know when I post something new.

If for any reason you don’t like getting my notifications you can unsubscribe at any time but I do my best to post interesting stories and places from around Michigan that I think you will enjoy.

you can order books from my website CLICK HERE

Books are also available on Amazon HERE

Enter your email for your chance to win a Lost In Michigan book

Congratulations to Kathryn Montgomery, she was the winner of the previous giveaway. Br Sure to enter the current giveaway for your chance to win a book.

A Cold Michigan Day, A Castle and a Book

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in castles, Winter Wonderland .

If you have followed Lost In Michigan for a while you have probably seen photos of Curwood Castle in Owosso. It was the writing studio of James Oliver Curwood. He was a very successful author in the early 1900’s. Reading a good book is something I like to do on a cold winter day ( shameless plug for my book HERE) and I thought I would read one of his books. I went to my local library to find out they did not have any of his books on the shelves. I went on google and found there are several of his books that can be downloaded for free. They were published so long ago that they have fallen into the Public Domain. You can download Curwood’s books on Gutenberg.org HERE I am currently reading The Flaming Forest by Curwood and it’s an excellent book.

P.S. if your wondering Gutenberg invented the printing press and there is where Gutenberg.org gets its name from. they have many classic books available for download for free.

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The Dryden Depot

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

I love this little red depot in the middle of downtown Dryden. It seems a little out of place but then after reading the Historical Marker in front of it, I know why.

here is what the sign reads:
This area now known as Dryden was settled in 1834. By 1880 it was a hamlet of about 300 people. A marketing center surrounded by rich farm land, it turned to the railroad to increase its prosperity. Its citizens, spurred by the Local Ladies Library Association, contributed $11,000 to help defer construction costs in order to bring the railroad to Dryden. On October 3, 1883, the Pontiac, Oxford, and Port Austin Railroad passenger train rolled into town. Over 500 spectators, the Thornville cornet band and a cannon were on hand to salute the train.

This modest board-and-batten structure was erected in 1883 as a depot on the Pontiac, Oxford and Port Austin Railroad (known as the Pollyann and later named Pontiac Oxford and Northern). As with most small-town depots, it soon became the center of community activity. In 1884 it was the setting of a gala “leap year” party. Purchased by the Grand Trunk in 1909, the station continued to be used for passenger service in 1955 and as a freight agency until October 9, 1973. It was moved here in 1970 and opened as a museum in 1981.

This Saturday I will be at Charlin’s Book Nook in Frankenmuth selling and signing books. If you’re in the neighborhood stop by and say hello.

Books are available from my website HERE or from Amazon HERE

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Church In The Storm

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

In 1848, James G. Birney and his wife led Bay City’s earliest Presbyterian services in a schoolhouse. Birney twice ran unsuccessfully for president of the U.S. on the antislavery ticket. The Reverend Lucius Root organized the First Presbyterian Church of Lower Saginaw on September 5, 1856. Services continued to be held in the schoolhouse and other public buildings until the first church was built in 1863 on Center Ave in Bay City. In 1886 church elder Alexander Folsom donated $50,000 for the founding of a college in “northern” Michigan. His donation funded the organization of Alma College. In 1906 the college established the J. Ambrose Wight Memorial scholarship fund in honor of First Presbyterian’s minister.

In 1884 the Reverend J. Ambrose Wight challenged the members of the First Presbyterian Church to “go forward and build a church that will be a lasting gift to the future.” The Reverend Wight (1811 – 1889) feared that Bay City’s prosperity, gained through the lumber and salt industries, would not last. When the church was dedicated on June 4, 1893, the Bay City Times-Press declared it a “Magnificent Temple.” Like the City Hall, which was built four years later, the Ionia sandstone church was designed in the Richardsonian style by local architects Pratt and Koeppe, and reflects Bay City’s wealth at that time. The bell, cast in 1866, served as a public timepiece and tolled three times daily.

Lost In Michigan books are available from Amazon HERE

If you like what I post it would really mean a lot to me if you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

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