Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

Vickeryville

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

The small town of Vickeryville is located in the central Lower Peninsula west of Carson City. It was plated in 1857 by John Vickery in Bloomer Township. The town was originally called West Bloomer but its name was changed to Vickeryville. The little town thrived at the turn of the century, ( yes I mean the early 1900s) but over time the little town declined. By 1953 the post office closed and not much remains of the little town today. A few houses and some old buildings. The most prominent building is the old grain elevator. It still has a faded sign that reads:  CENTRAL BEAN AND GRAIN.

If you like this post, I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Ghost Towns and Similar Places. I just released it on Amazon HERE 

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The Stations Of The Cross in the Irish Hills

Posted on by Posted in Churches .

The beautiful an historic stone church of St. Joseph’s Shrine stands along US-12 in the Irish Hills next to Iron Lake. The church was constructed in 1854 by Irish pioneers. Next to the church are 14 stations of the cross that depict scenes of Jesus’ walk to Calvary.

It was created in 1932 by two Mexican artisans, Dionicio Rodriguez and Ralph Corona. They sculpted steps, archways and railings from wet cement to resemble stone and timber. The crucifixion scene is sculpted from Carrara marble. The footpath begins at a replica of Pontius Pilates’s palace then winds past balconied houses, through the judgment gate and ends at Christ’s tomb.

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The County Poor Farm

Posted on by Posted in Barns and Farms .

I was roaming the backroads near Greenville and I came upon this enormous farmhouse. I figured out it was the old Montcalm county poor farm since it was on County Farm Road.  It was a different time in our society when people went to live on the farm and worked to support themselves. The old farm was used as an adult care facility. New owners have been working on the historic structure. You can see more at their Facebook page HERE https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554576433189

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Michigan’s War Dog Memorial in Honor of K9 Veterans Day

Posted on by Posted in Cemetery .
Michigan War Dog Memorial

Michigan War Dog Memorial in South Lyon

 

Michigan War Dog Memorial

Michigan War Dog Memorial Cemetery

In 2013 The State of Michigan has declared March 13th K9 Veterans Day in recognition of the dogs and their handlers that have served our country.  March 13 was chosen because, in 1942 the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army began training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, also known as the “K-9 Corps”.  K9 Veterans Day is a time to honor all dogs that have served in the military, police and civilian working dogs and their handlers. I also like to remember the dogs that have served in the past and there is the Michigan War Dog Memorial and Cemetery is in South Lyon, on Milford and 11 Mile Road. It’s a beautiful memorial and final resting place for the dogs of Michigan that have served our country and state so faithfully.

Thank you to all the dogs and Handlers for their service, I can only Imagine the number of lives that were saved because of your dedication and loyalty.

St. Patrick’s Church

Posted on by Posted in Churches, Thumb .

st patricks church clifford michigan

St. Patrick’s Church in Clifford in the Thumb began in 1879 with visits from Father Clement Krebs, pastor at St. Agatha Church in Gagetown. It later became a mission of St. Elizabeth in Reese, Sacred Heart in Brown City, and most recently SS. Peter and Paul in North Branch. In 1884 the Diocese of Detroit acquired property here and built this simple Gothic-inspired church. The stained-glass windows admit light into the sanctuary and honor the parish’s Irish founders. Father Krebs presided over the first wedding in the partially completed church in August 1886. St. Patrick’s originally served the communities of Marlette, North Branch, Mayville, Kingston, Silverwood and Wilmot. Among the pastors who served the parish was the Father Charles Coughlin, who ministered here in 1924-25 and later gained notoriety as “the Radio Priest” in Royal Oak.

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Coats Grove School

Posted on by Posted in Schools .

I saw this old schoolhouse near Hastings. I found out on the internet it was the old Coats Grove School. It was a fractional school built in 1874 and closed in 1967.  A fractional school is a school that serves more than one district. I am assuming the two doors is because one is for boys and one is for girls but I am not 100 percent positive of that.

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Lost In Michigan Volume 7 Is Now Available

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

https://amzn.to/3OVo6LL

I am excited to announce that the Lost In Michigan Volume 7 is now available on Amazon HERE

Like my other books it has stories from all around the Great Lakes State. From the southern border to the top of the Upper Peninsula and places in between. I am sure you will enjoy reading it if you liked my other books.

Thank you all so much for purchasing my books and supporting what I do. I don’t get any outside funding, and my book sales help me with expenses to continue writing posts. Many people have told me they enjoy traveling to the places in my books and experiencing them in person. Volume 7 is a great way to plan for your summer travels and I hope you have fun exploring Michigan as much as I do.

P.S. I am working on distributing books to my local retailers. It will take me a few weeks to get books and ship them out to the stores that sell my books.

The Lexington House

Posted on by Posted in Houses .

This beautiful brick Victorian house stands along M-25 just south of Lexington. It was built in the 1870s and is now a B & B. It is a beautiful old house.  Lexington sits along Lake Huron about ten miles north of Port Huron. I think it is one of the most underrated tourist towns in Michigan. If you are looking for someplace to visit to do a little downtown shopping and get a bite to eat you need to check out Lexington.

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Big Old School

Posted on by Posted in Schools, upper peninsula .

When I was in the town of Michigamme in the Upper Peninsula I came across this big old brick building. It was not hard to figure out what it was built for with the words MICHIGAMME PUBLIC SCHOOL across the top of it. The school opened in 1915, and graduated 15 students in its first year. From what I found on the internet, it closed in 1965, when declining enrollments forced the school to close. The towns students now attend high school in Republic.

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The Big Green Bridge

Posted on by Posted in Bridges .

I have driven over the Mackinac Bridge many times and I got to wondering about how it got its colors.

When the bridge was being constructed and ad agency was working with  Chrysler who was supplying engines and equipment used to build the bridge. The agency featured the bridge in an advertisement. According to the St. Ignace News. At the time, colors hadn’t been selected for the bridge, so the company chose ivory for the towers and foliage green for the trusses under the roadway.

 

The Bridge Authority members and engineers saw the advertisement and liked it, so they used the color scheme on the completed bridge. And it has been the same color ever since.

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