Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

Ten Haunted or Creepy places in Michigan

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places, Lighthouses, Michigan Historical Markers .

I love a good ghost story especially when there is some Michigan history attached to it. Here are some of my favorite spooky places I have found traveling the back roads in Michigan. If you find these places intriguing I hope you will take a look at the Lost In Michigan book for more in-depth information and stories HERE

The Bruce Mansion in Burnside township is said to be one of the most haunted places in Michigan and there is a story of the owner hitting a pedestrian and burying his body on the property

Bruce Mansion in Burnside Michigan

Northville Psychiatric Hospital in Northville, This state run hospital closed in 2003 and supposedly there are ghosts in the tunnels that run between building, I have not been there in a while and I hear it is being demolished for a new project on that site.

Northville Psychiatric Hospital in Northville

The Calumet Theatre in the Keweenaw Peninsula. According to Wikipedia it is inhabited by the ghost of a famous Polish actress Madame Helena Modjeska

Calumet Theatre

Pere Cheney near Grayling was an old logging town that was stricken with illness, all that is left of the town is some depressions in the ground and a cemetery with strange things happening in it. Pere Cheney was a lumbering town established in 1874 and one of the largest towns in the region at the time. The population grew to about 1500 people but in 1893 diphtheria spread throughout the village killing most of its population.

Pere Cheney Cemetery and ghost town

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, there are stories of a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper in the 1970s reporting many strange happenings at Eagle Harbor, including the sight of a faceless man in a plaid flannel shirt, the sounds of moving furniture and heavy footsteps on the second floor and lights turning on and off.

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

The Fenton Monastery The monastery was built in 1868 and was originally a Baptist seminary. By 1886 it became a retired home for Baptist priests and their wives and then Converted into apartments between 1935 and 1945. by the 1950s the building became a nursing home. I found some references of it being haunted but no stories of why it is creepy with part of the front fallen down. Sadly the old Monastery was torn down in 2016.

Fenton Monistary

The Pere Marquette Depot on Potter Street in Saginaw one of the largest Victorian era train stations in the United States There are several sources that claim the station to be haunted, bodies of soldiers who died in the war were shipped back to Saginaw by train to this depot. Richard Froeber was a casket maker in Saginaw and his shop was in the depot and he would build caskets for the fallen soldiers. There have been reports of people seeing a ghostly figure of a woman in white roaming the station.

Potter Street Train Station in Saginaw Michigan

The Marquette Orphanage,Built in 1915 and closed in 1980 there is a story of a girl who died in a blizzard and they held the funeral in the basement for her.

Marquette Orphanage

The David Whitney House in Detroit. This house was originally constructed in the 1890s by David Whitney, Jr. It was restored in 1986 and is now used as a formal dining restaurant. Both Whitney and his wife died in this mansion and are believed to remain behind to haunt it. An elderly man can be seen looking out the windows and the elevator will move between floors without anyone in it. Now it’s a resturant with the third floor converted into the “Ghost Bar”

The David Whitney house in Detroit

Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse in the thumb rumors of an apparition of a woman wearing an apron appearing in a second floor window, footsteps on the tower stairs, ice cold spots appearing then dissipating, Peter Shook, was the first lighthouse keeper at Point aux Barques. In 1849, he drowned along with two others on their way to Port Huron to pick up supplies, leaving his wife Catherine the honor of being the first woman lighthouse keeper in the Great Lakes.

Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse in the thumb

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The Calumet Theatre Haunted by the ghost of Madame Helena Modjeska

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Michigan Historical Markers, Uncategorized, upper peninsula .

The Michigan historical marker next to the Calumet Theatre reads:
“One of the first municipal theaters in America, the Calumet opened on March 20, 1900, “the greatest social event ever known in copperdom’s metropolis.” The theater contained a magnificent stage and elegant interior decorations, including an electrified copper chandelier. For over a decade, Copper Country audiences witnessed a broad panorama of American legitimate theater, and many prominent stage personalities, both American and European, trod the boards of the Calumet. By 1920s, motion pictures replaced live theater, and subsequently, live drama returned to the Calumet. The reopened community theater resumed its position as a focal point of civic pride for the people of Calumet and the Copper Country.”

According to Wikipedia the Theater is inhabited by the ghost of, Madame Helena Modjeska. The story of the ghost first emerged in 1958, when actress Adysse Lane claimed that the ghost of Madame Modjeska appeared to her during a performance when Lane had forgotten her lines. Since then, unexplainable happenings have occurred. Many people have heard music and felt cold air from nowhere\

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The Old Marquette Orphanage

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places, upper peninsula .

The Holy Family Orphanage was opened in 1915 by the catholic church and was designed to accommodate 200 children. The reason for the large orphanage was Native American Children were removed from their families and tribe in an effort by the government and society to separate them from their culture. Sadly I don’t remember hearing about this in history class. I found the Indian_Child_Welfare_Act on wikipedia for more info.

It was furnished with classrooms, a dormitory, bathrooms on every floor and an annex that housed heating and plumbing facilities. There were laundry and kitchen facilities, a large dining hall and playrooms. the orphanage was open until the 1960s and some of the Cuban refuges children were some of it’s last to live there before being moved to foster homes. Northern Michigan University used it until the 1980s and it has been abandoned since then.

There are urban legends of abuse by the nuns, and a rumor of one girl who was out playing in the snow who caught pneumonia and died a few days later from her Illness. Supposedly the nuns had a funeral for her in the basement. they say on a quite night you can still hear the children playing.

For the record, I do not trespass, and I took this photo from a public sidewalk.

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Lost in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

An old store or saloon I saw in Covington

I haven’t posted in the past few days because I went on a whirlwind tour of the Upper Peninsula, and I can honestly say I got lost, well maybe not lost since I knew where I was but I did make a wrong turn, somewhere after Escanaba, 41 and 2 split and somehow I missed that and drove thru Stephenson and when I saw the sign for Green Bay then I new something was wrong. At that point I decided to let the GPS lady get me back to Iron Mountain, She took me down some back roads and I found the Statue of Liberty proudly standing in someone’s yard. Don’t ask me where because I had no Idea where I was at. From Iron Mountain, we (my wife went along too) went up to Calumet then back down to Marquette over to Munising and then to Newberry and finally back over the bridge to the L.P.

I put over 1300 miles on the car and took over 1100 photos in the past 4 days. I know I was early for the color, but I can’t get mother nature to work with my schedule, It looks like the fall colors will start to peak this weekend in some spots of the northern U.P. and then in two weeks for the rest of the U.P.

I am looking forward to sharing pics from this recent trip along with the other pics from around Michigan I have.

Mike Sonnenberg.

6 Unbelievable Almost Forgotten Historic Michigan Mansions

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Uncategorized .

Visiting different cities while traveling around Michigan, I’ve noticed in several towns the most prominent house seems to be the one in need of saving. They were built by a wealthy Michigander, but then over time, some were converted into another purpose, such as a restaurant, hospital or apartments. Restoring them to their former glory and maintaining an old house is not as easy as owning a modern “maintenance free” home.

Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of my favorite houses I have seen, They are such beautiful historic houses and it would be sad to lose them.

Ammi Wright house in Alma

The Ammi Wright house in Alma, was used as a hospital and is in the process of being restored. CLICK HERE for more

Charles G. Learned House in Port Austin Michigan

The Charles G. Learnerd House in Port Austin, which was converted into the Garfield Inn, lat time I was there it was for sale. CLICK HERE for more

Heritage House in Chesaning

The Heritage (George Nason) house in Chesaning. Built by lumber baron George Nason and converted into a restaurant in 1980 the Heritage house has been vacant for years and was recently purchased. CLICK HERE for more

the James Scott Residence in Detroit

The James Scott Residence in Detroit, It was recently announced it will be converted into condominiums. CLICK HERE for more

The Hill House in Saginaw

The Hill House Built in 1886 for Clarence and Susie R. Hill. it is currently for sale to someone willing to renovate it. CLICK HERE for more

The Richard C Burtis house in Watrouseville

The Richard C. Burtis House in Watrouseville also known as the “Wedding Cake House” was recently purchased by a local family and they are in the process of restoring it. CLICK HERE for more

Houghton Hancock Lift Bridge

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

The Portage Lake Lift Bridge (officially the Houghton–Hancock Bridge) connects the cities of Hancock and Houghton, in the US state of Michigan, across Portage Lake, a portion of the waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula with a canal linking the final several miles to Lake Superior to the northwest. US Highway 41and M-26 are both routed across the bridge.

The bridge is the world’s heaviest and widest double-decked vertical-lift bridge.More than 35,000 tons of concrete and 7,000 tons of steel went into the bridge, which replaced the narrow 54-year old swing bridge, declared a menace to navigation on the busy Keweenaw Waterway.Its center span “lifts” to provide 100 feet (30 m) of clearance for ships.

The original 1959 design by Hazelet and Erdal of Chicago of the bridge’s liftspan had roadways constructed on both levels with rails imbedded in the road surface on the lower deck. This allowed the span to be partially raised to allow small and medium boat traffic to pass underneath without disrupting vehicular traffic. From this middle position, the span would then only need to be raised for large ships or lowered to allow trains to cross. With the end of rail service in 1982, the lowest position is no longer needed to allow trains to pass so the bridge is not lowered below the middle position during the summer boating season except for periods of maintenance or repair. In the winter after the lake freezes, the bridge is placed in the lowest position to allow the lower deck to be used by snowmobile traffic

The Old Guitar Factory in Kalamazoo

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

Sitting on 225 Parsons Street in Kalamazoon is the old guitar factory that looks like a church with the doorway in a sort of steeple. it’s like a temple to the gods of music. The smokestack still has the word “Gibson” laid in tile across the side of it. unfortunately Like many companies, Gibson made the decision to leave Michigan. After they left, some talented Luthiers formed the Heritage guitar company in 1985 and continue to this day building some of the worlds greatest guitars at the old factory in Kalamazoo

The Castle in Grand Rapids – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Michigan Historical Markers .

Designed by local architect William G. Robinson, this castle-like edifice was constructed in 1884-86 for Colonel E. Crofton Fox and his brother Charles. Built of granite block imported from Scotland, this house is a fine example of Chateauesque Style architecture. A Heritage Hill landmark, this house features leaded and stained glass windows, and a metal stair dormer superbly crafted to resemble stone. Its interior is adorned with parquet flooring in the entry hall and a carved oak staircase. It was refurbished as a restaurant in 1978.

The Fox Brothers, Ethelbert Crofton (1852-1904) and Charles (1853-1915), local lumber barons, built this structure as their home. These brothers were partners in a Grand Rapids lumbering firm, Osterhout, Fox & Company, and accumulated vast wealth. Appointed to the State Military Board by Governor Cyrus Luce in 1887, E. Crofton, a colonel, was twice elected president of that organization. He was also associated with with banking and was treasurer of the City Board of Trade. Charles was the founder of the Michigan Trust Company, established in 1889.

Currently it is the office of Stonecastle Dentistry

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St Mary’s Hospital – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers, Uncategorized .

The need for medical facilities in fast-growing Saginaw valley led Father Francis Van der Bom and Dr. Benjamin B. Ross to organize support for a hospital. It opened with the arrival of four Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul on August 22, 1874. The original frame house proved inadequate; in 1875 a new building was begun on this site and the hospital incorporated as St. Mary’s. Its first patients were principally injured lumbermen. The staff devised a health insurance plan of $5 a year to raise funds. Over the years the hospital expanded and modernized to care for more patients as well as to provide an increasing variety of medical and educational facilities. As it moves into its second century St. Mary’s anticipates a future of continued care and service.

Burton Memorial Bell Tower at the University of Michigan

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools .

I enjoyed walking around the U of M campus, although I will say it’s a large campus in the city of Ann Arbor and it must be a lot of walking for the students. There are some magnificent buildings on the campus and since it was summer time and few students around I got a “good” pic of the Burton Tower designed by Alber Kahn, I seem to take a lot of photos of his buildings without even being aware that he designed them.

Thanks to Wikipidia I found out some info on the tower and posted it here. I left the part out about the suicide of Sarah Goddard Power and her battle with depression since I thought that seemed to sad to post.

Housing a grand carillon, the tower was built in 1936 as a memorial for University President Marion Leroy Burton (presidency: 1920–1925). The grand carillon, one of only 23 in the world,is the world’s fourth heaviest, containing 55 bells and weighing a total of 43 tons (a grand carillon has a bourdon bell — the name given to the heaviest bell in a carillon and the one that sounds the hour — that weighs at least six tons, and can sound a low ‘G’).

The monument was constructed in 1935 and finished in 1936. It stands at 120 feet, and was designed by Albert Kahn, who also designed the William L. Clements Library, Angell Hall, and Hill Auditorium for the University of Michigan. Its carillon was donated by Michigan alumnus Charles A. Baird, a lawyer and the first U-M athletic director, and has been christened the “Charles Baird Carillon”. Baird had the bells cast in England and gave them to the university. He also commissioned “Sunday Morning in Deep Waters”, the fountain on Ingalls Mall between Burton Tower and the Michigan League.

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