Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

The Manchester Castle House

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, small towns .

Driving thru Manchester I noticed this odd looking house down one of the side streets so of course I had to turn around and check it out. It looks like a castle and is not your typical looking house. I searched google and the only thing I found was a photo of a postcard on Flickr circa 1910 and that it was built by A.J. Wright, other than that I could not find anything else. It is truly an unique looking house and who would not want to live in a castle, especially a little boy or girl.

The Manchester Castle House decorated for Halloween last fall

Downtown Mayville Michigan

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

I know I am supposed to write a description, but sometimes a photo is enough to say what I need to say and I think this photo says it better than I can say it with words.

Tuscola County Courthouse – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan Historical Markers .

Peter DeWitt Bush (1818-1913), the second permanent resident of the village of Caro, donated the site for the village courthouse square in 1866. Then he, along with two other pioneer settlers, moved an old frame church to the site to serve as the county’s first courthouse. In 1873 the county replaced the former church with a brick courthouse that served the community’s needs until 1932, when the present Art Deco style structure was completed. Designed by Detroit architect William H. Kuni and built by Cecil M. Kelly, a Caro native, the courthouse is faced with Indiana limestone. Situated on the same site as the old brick courthouse, this $180,000 structure was completely paid for when it was dedicated on January 24, 1933, by means of a one-mill, five-year tax levy.

Mystery House on Marlette Road

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses .

I saw this old house on Marlette road with a cross in the yard between Marlette and Cliffford Michigan. It’s hard to read in the photo, but I could make out Donna carved into the cross. Who was Donna, did she live here? did she die in a roadside accident and someone put up a cross and a wreath. I see a lot of old abandoned houses around Michigan, but very seldom do I have a named associated with it. It makes this house seem so much more real and that someone lived and raised a family here.

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Clinton Michigan

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

Beautiful downtown Clinton on a gorgeous sunny day in Lenawee county

Old Lapeer Hospital Mansion

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

I saw this beautiful old second empire mansion in Lapeer. I looks like it has been converted into apartments now, but doing a little research on google, I found some websites that say it was the old Lapeer Hospital. I am surprised a house like this does not have a Michigan Historical Marker in front of it. I wonder if it was built as a hospital or if it was built for someone as a residence, then used as a hospital, like the Ammi Wright house in Alma. Anyways its a beautiful house, so I stopped to get a pic of it, since they don’t build them like that anymore.

Marlette Methodist Episcopal Church – Michigan Historical Marker

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Michigan Historical Markers .

Methodism in Marlette dates back to 1851 when the first religious sermon in the county was delivered for the Methodist Society. In 1858 the Methodist Episcopalians organized a church. There first minister, the Reverend D.W. Hammond, came to Marlette in 1873. He started the Marlette Indexnewspaper five years later. The original 1871 church burned in 1901. Detroit architect Joseph Mills, who designed the Marlette High School and the Sanilac County Courthouse, planned this Neo-Gothic-style church, which was built on land purchased by the Ladies Aid Society. Dedicated on December 14, 1902, this church also burned – in 1937 and in 1979. With the exterior preserved, however, the church remains a landmark in Marlette.

Irish Hills Towers

Posted on March 31, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places .

I can just imagine a family in the 30’s and 40’s living in Detroit loading up in the old car (new at the time, but old to me) and driving west down Michigan Avenue. Heading out to the Irish Hills for the day to see the sight at the top of the Irish Hills Towers. With the interstate highway system and how easily you can drive long distances quickly to parks with “Extreme” rides like Cedar Point, people stopped visiting the Irish Hills. This is just one more tourist destination that is slowly fading away like Deer Acres and so many other roadside atractions. It seems like everyone is in such a hurry to get places, and plugged into there electronic devices, no one ever looks out the window and stops to enjoy the journey, If they were open I would climb to the top, the view must be better than anything I would see on an ipod or gameboy screen.

p.s. I think they should be saved, just because the second tower was built out of “spite”

Championship Match-up Michigan State Park March Madness Poll

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Michigan State Parks .

Congrats to Ludington State Park for Winning the March Madness Poll

It’s been a long road with over 100 state parks competing, but we are down to the final two parks voted into the Championship Round. They are definitely worthy of being in the final round, and it will be hard to chose.

Vote for your favorite and Sunday April 6th we will crown the Michigan State Park Champion for 2014.

[poll id=”34″]

The Clifford Elevator

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Grain Elevators .

It’s hard to miss this beautiful red grain elevator in the small town of Clifford in the middle of Michigan’s Thumb. I was doing a little research on it. I did not find much, but I found this pic of what it used to look like HERE. Amazing what a little hard work and some paint will do. I hope I can get back there when the weather is better and the grass is green.

Click Here for the Before Pic I found on Flckr

There was a sign next to the road that said “HALL RENTAL” it looks like it has been restored and renovated and used for banquet space. I know some other old elevators around Michigan that could be done to. Like the Phleps Bros Mill in Manton

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