Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

The Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

“Just go with the flow, like a twig on a mighty river” Del Griffith

I got some pics at Tahquonomon Falls state park, and since I mostly see photos of the upper falls, I figure I would post a pic from the lower falls. I like visiting both when I get the chance to see the falls, but it seems like the upper falls are more popular, maybe because they are taller, or maybe because there is beer there. ( that seems to boos the popularity of just about anything) I do like the lower falls and I still need to rent a boat or kayak to get out to the falls way in the back, I guess on another trip when it’s warmer, and I have more time.

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The Breathtaking Beauty of Iargo Springs

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Landscapes, Waterfalls .

Lying off of River Road National Scenic Byway in the Huron National Forest west of Oscoda, Iargo Springs provides a panoramic view of the Au Sable River. Used as a drinking water source since pre-settlement times, dams were constructed on the springs by early loggers before the turn of the century. The dams were useful in diverting water to the logging camps nearby. Most of Cooke Pond was dry land then.

Europeans have visited the springs for recreation since the 1920s. A trail to the springs was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corpsin 1934. Early photographs show the dam being repaired and reinforced by the CCC’s. The dams lasted until 1981 when a storm took them out. The site was renovated in 1991. Steps were added and boardwalks along the springs, as well as the dams being rebuilt.

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The Tragic Tale and The Ghost Of Minnie Quay

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places .

There is a legend of a young woman’s ghost that roams the beaches of Lake Huron waiting for the return of the Sailor she loved. As the story goes Minnie Quay grew up with her family in the town of Forester, on Lake Huron, halfway between Port Huron and the tip of the thumb. Her family owned a tavern in forester, and during the lumbering years in the late 1800’s ships would dock at the small town. When Minnie was 15 years old she fell in love with a young sailor, that worked on one of the ships, that stopped in Forester. Her parents did not want her involved with a sailor, and forbid here to see him. She was not able to say goodbye to him when his ship sailed away. Distraught, she was said to walk thru the center of town, and then walked out to the end of the pier and jumped into the icy waters of Lake Huron on April 27^th 1876. She was buried in the cemetery next to Lake Huron north of town and her ghost is said to walk the shoreline waiting for her lover.

After learning about the story of Minnie Quay, I decided I need a photo to go along with the story, so I wanted to get a pic of the Lake Huron shoreline near Forester, and I found a beautiful county park north of town to take a pic. When I looked south along the shoreline out to a point that protruded into the lake I was shocked to see what looked like a person on the shoreline. After I looked thru my camera I saw that it was only a lone pine tree growing on the beach, but I wonder if that is the spirit of Minnie waiting for her sailor to return.

I have more about the town of Forester and Minnie Quay in my Lost In Michigan books which are ON SALE HERE

Oh and by the way, I saw this old house in Forester that could have been where Minnie’s family had their tavern, and where she lived, it’s only a guess, but I can’t help but wonder.

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The Journey To Crisp Point Lighthouse

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

I have a goal of visiting every lighthouse in Michigan, and I have seen most of the lighthouses that are easy to access, but now I need to start working on those, not so easy to see, lights on the Great Lakes. Crisp Point lighthouse is the “other light” on Whitefish Point. The Whitefish Point lighthouse north of Paradise is pretty easy to get to, but the Crisp Point lighthouse is about 20 miles of dirt road thru the Upper Peninsula forest. West of Tahquamenon State Park on M123 you head north on County Road 500 which ain’t to bad of road, but then you get to County Road 412 which is a seasonal road and that road is a winding twisty road thru the woods. When I was there ( in October of 2016) the road had standing water about every couple hundred yards, and you need to drive about 7 miles to the lighthouse down this road. Thankfully I drive a jeep, and it was not much of a problem for me, but I could see it being a problem for the average passenger car.

So I am heading down the road, fording the water holes, getting deeper and deeper into the wilderness and there ain’t no cell service, voice, text or internet on my phone out there in middle of whitefish point. Then I get to a point in the road where there is a sign on the side of the road marking the location where two sisters were stranded for 13 days in there SUV in April of 2015. I am hoping I don’t have any breakdowns or anything. There are signs about every mile saying there is an emergency telephone at the lighthouse, which must have been added after the sisters got stranded.

After about 20 minutes of driving the seasonal road, I rounded a curve and there was Lake Superior and the top of the lighthouse peeking out over the trees. I get to the lighthouse and a couple people come out to greet me saying “ we were wondering if we were gonna get any visitors today” it was a husband and wife from Minnesota that were volunteer light keepers for a few days, and they were camping at the lighthouse welcoming visitors.

After taking some photos and visiting with the Lighthouse Keepers, which you can follow their blog HERE, I made the trek back to civilization. I took me an hour to get from the lighthouse to Tahquamenon Falls, but it was well worth the trip. If you have the time to do it, I would highly recommend it, just make sure you have a reliable car, or better yet, a truck or SUV, and you have plenty of gas, I burned about a ¼ tank getting there and back, and I would say to make sure you have some water and food just in case.

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The Peak of Autumn In Michigan

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, upper peninsula .

I took this pic yesterday (10/20/16) on M123 at the entrance to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls during my road trip thru Michigan. This weekend would be the perfect weekend to head up to see the spectacular fall foliage. It’s like driving thru a Bob Ross painting. The colors north of Gaylord and Alpena are sure to peak this weekend. I did not make it over to the west side of the state near Petoskey so I can’t say for sure what the color is like over there but I am thinking they must be vibrant as well.

I also went along the Au Sable River from M65 to Oscoda, and I would say its just a little before peak color, I think it will peak in a few more days, but it is still really breathtaking looking out over the river at Lumberman’s Monument.

I hope you can get out and enjoy this once a year magical time in Michigan before it’s gone. I have lots of pics and stories to share over the next few weeks. I hope you will sign up for email updates so you won’t miss anything.

Now that I am back from my trip Lost In Michigan Calendars are back on sale this weekend I hope you will take a look at them HERE

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The Ghostly Tale of the Rear Range Lighthouse

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Lighthouses .

While I was researching the history of the old Saginaw River lighthouse, I came across some interesting stories of the old lighthouse being haunted. The current lighthouse was built in 1876 in a swampy area north of Bay City to guide ships into the mouth of the Saginaw River, replacing an earlier light that was built in 1831. The Lighthouse was deactivated in the 1960’s, but still used by the coastguard as living quarters until the 70’s, when a new station was built across the river. Servicemen stationed there claimed to have heard footsteps inside the old lighthouse, even though he was the only one there and all the doors were locked.

The mystery of the footsteps are believed to be one of two light keepers that died while serving at the lighthouse.Peter Brown was appointed Keeper of the old Lighthouse in 1866, being disabled he had help from his son, and his wife Julia to maintain the light. Keeper Peter Brown passed away in 1873 before the new range lights were built, but his family remained at the station, and Julia was placed in charge.

The new lighthouse was opened, and Julia served as head keeper until 1877, when George Way, whom Julia had married, was placed in charge of the light. Julia was made first assistant keeper, and served in this role until the position was abolished in October 1882. The position was reinstated the following spring, but the coast guard appointed Leonidus Charlton as the first assistant keeper. Keeper Way passed away in November 1883, and sixty-seven-year old Julia left the station, which had been her home for seventeen years. There are rumors that Julia may have murdered her husbands, to be Head Lighthouse keeper, but that has never been proven and it may be the spirits of the old lighthouse keepers that remain at the lighthouse.

The Lighthouse is on Dow, or I guess now it’s Dupont’s property, and is only open to the public on special occasions.

If you love Michigan lighthouse and ghost stories, be sure to check out the book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses by Dianna Higgs Stampfler and available at bookstores and Amazon HERE.

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The Garfield Inn at Port Austin

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

Last time I was in Port Austin, the Garfield Inn was for sale, and the paint was peeling off. It looks as though it has new owners, and they have fixed up the grand old home. I am happy to see someone is taking care of this historic place.

the Historical Marker sign out front reads:

A native of New York, contractor Charles G. Learned helped build New York City’s water-works system and the Erie Canal. Around 1837 Learned and his brother-in-law purchased several thousand acres of pine land in Michigan’s Thumb area. Two years later, Learned and his wife, Maria Raymond, came to Port Austin and bought a house and three acres at this site. Learned’s cutover pine land became a 2,000-acre farm where he prospered as an agriculturalist and dairy farmer. With profits from his lumbering and farming enterprises Learned enlarged and updated this house in the French Second Empire style. In the 1860s Ohio congressman, later president, James A. Garfield, a family friend, was a frequent guest here. From 1931 to 1979 the house served as the Mayes Inn and Tower Hotel.

There were rumors that President Garfield was smitten for Charles Learned’s wife Maria and that president requested that he travel to Port Austin to see her after being shot, but he was not permitted to travel.

You can read more about this place and many other locations around Michigan in my books available HERE

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The Ruins in the Kewenaw

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places, upper peninsula .

Halfway between Calumet and Hancock on M26 in the Keweenaw Peninsula, I came across these massive concrete blocks, standing like giant dominoes, and I could not help but wonder what they were. Doing a little research, I found out they are the remains of the old Ahmeek Stamping Mill built in the early 1900’s. Atop the concrete blocks were stamping machines, part of which remains today, and they would pound the rocks down to a sand like material, and extract the copper from it.

This is an old post, you can read some of my newer posts by CLICKING HERE

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Lost In The Thumb

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms, Forgotten Places, Houses .

I took a trip out to the tip of the thumb today, and I saw this old farmhouse near Carsonville along the way. I had to stop and get a pic of it. I took M25 along the lake, and it sure is a beautiful drive, I am looking forward to sharing some more pics and stories from my trip in the near future.

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The Grand Old Home at Finlandia

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, upper peninsula .

The Lieblein House was built in 1895 in the city of Hancock by William Washburn, who owned a local Hancock clothing store. In about 1905, Washburn sold the house to Edward Lieblein, a wholesale grocer who owned stores in Hancock and Calumet. The house remained in the Lieblein family until 1979, when Edward Lieblein Jr. sold it to Suomi College (now Finlandia University). The college renamed it the “Vaino & Judith Hoover Center” after the patrons Vaino and Judith Hoover who funded the purchase. As of 2009, the building houses the offices of the President, Institutional Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Communications. The house was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

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