Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

The Old Yukon Inn

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

The old Yukon Inn sits quietly in the Upper Peninsula town of Paradise. Travelers pass by it on their way to the falls or the lighthouse at the tip of Whitefish Point. I’m not sure when it closed, but it has been a long time. The log cabin exterior makes it look like it was built a long time ago. I hope someday someone will fix it up and get back to selling beer and burgers to snowmobilers and travelers.

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The Big Wooden Barrel

Posted on by Posted in Iconic Buildings .

Located just west of downtown Douglas, at the corner of Ferry and Center Street, stands an enormous wooden barrel. This local icon, a favorite spot for summer treats, was almost lost to history.

Built in 1952, the barrel was originally a root beer stand designed to attract beachgoers. Over the years, it changed hands and eventually fell into disrepair, sitting abandoned and deteriorating in the Michigan weather for decades. The barrel was even slated for demolition until the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society intervened with a plan to save it.

The community rallied, raising funds and providing over 600 hours of volunteer labor. In 2011, the barrel’s lead paint was removed, and it was dismantled and moved to a garage. Volunteers repaired and sealed the 120 wooden staves, while students from the Saugatuck High School Industrial Arts Program fabricated a new steel base ring and support structure.

In June 2015, ownership officially transferred to the City of the Village of Douglas. By 2016, the beloved barrel was back in business, once again welcoming tourists and selling them treats.

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Pelkie’s School Bus

Posted on by Posted in Schools, upper peninsula .

Just outside of Baraga, at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula, is the small town of Pelkie. Here you’ll find a one-room schoolhouse, originally built in 1909, that has since been converted into a museum. It’s a classic example of a rural schoolhouse and is open to visitors on Sundays during the summer.

On the museum grounds, under a protective cover, sits a peculiar-looking wagon. A brass plaque identifies it as a horse-drawn school bus, a homemade contraption built in 1933 and donated to the museum in 1982. It’s so odd-looking that you can’t help but wonder what the inside is like. Unfortunately, the museum was closed during my visit, so I’ll have to make a return trip to get a peek inside.

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The Climax RFD Monument

Posted on by Posted in small towns .

On December 3, 1896, Climax, Michigan was chosen as the location for one of the first experimental rural mail delivery routes in the United States. This service allowed rural residents, who previously had to travel long distances to a post office, to receive mail directly at their homes. The monument stands as a testament to this significant advancement in postal service and its impact on connecting rural communities to the wider world.

Dedicated on July 26, 1917, the ten-foot-tall monument was a community effort, with nearly 300 farmers from the original rural routes each contributing a stone from their farm to its construction. The monument features four bronze tablets, with each side commemorating a group that was critical in bringing the service to the town. The monument’s unique construction with stones from local farms symbolizes the shared community appreciation for this vital service.

Not far from the Mounument is the towns unique stone post office. It is now a musuem after a new post office was built across the street. Climax got its name in 1834, when the family of Judge Caleb Eldred found a prairie after months of searching for good farmland. His son, Daniel B. Eldred, climbed a tree to look around and said, “This caps the climax of everything we saw.”

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The Orpan Train and Dowagiac

Posted on by Posted in Uncategorized .

The Dowagiac train depot, which was built in 1903, stands as a notable landmark in downtown Dowagiac. The original depot on this site holds historical significance as it welcomed the very first Orphan Train to arrive in Michigan. This was part of a larger, controversial social experiment that lasted from the 1850s to 1929. The trains transported thousands of homeless and orphaned children from the crowded cities of the East Coast to the rural farmlands of the Midwest and West, with the goal of finding them new homes and a better life.

The reality for these children was a mix of hope and hardship. When the Orphan Trains pulled into a new town, the children were often put on public display in places like hotels or town halls. Prospective families would inspect them, sometimes treating the children more like objects or laborers than future family members. While some children were fortunate enough to find loving homes, many were exploited as cheap labor or indentured servants. Siblings were frequently separated, and children were often encouraged to sever all ties with their past, sometimes even adopting new names. This led to a wide range of outcomes, from successful adoptions to cases of abuse and neglect. The Orphan Train movement eventually came to an end in 1929 as a result of changing social attitudes and the development of more formal child welfare laws.

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Bridgeport Oil and Gas

Posted on by Posted in Iconic Buildings .

In Bridgeport, Michigan, a classic piece of Americana stands as a reminder of a bygone era. Just south of Saginaw, near where the Cass River winds through town and by the old footbridge, is a beautifully restored service station. This little brick building, once the Bridgeport Oil and Gas Co., got its start in 1937, supplying gas for cars and fuel oil for local homes.

For nearly 40 years, it was a hub of activity until it closed its doors in 1976. Unlike today’s sprawling gas stations, like Buc-ee’s, this humble spot represents a time when service was personal. A service attendant would greet you, check your oil, and pump your gas.

Recently, the building has been given new life. Its original charm has been restored, and its windows now serve as a display for historical artifacts, offering a glimpse into a very different time in America.

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Oden Fish Hatchery

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places .

The Oden Fish Hatchery is situated to the north of Petoskey, close to Alanson. Established in 1921, the hatchery focuses on raising brown trout and rainbow trout for stocking in both inland lakes and streams, as well as the Great Lakes. The facility also keeps broodstock—mature fish designated for breeding—which produce millions of eggs each year for the entire Michigan hatchery system. A new building was constructed in 2002, and the original structure now serves as a visitors center. Unfortunately, it was closed during my visit, so I plan to return for a tour of the hatchery. It is open throughout the summer months.

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The Trading Stamp Mansion

Posted on by Posted in Houses .

Growing up, many of us remember the thrill of collecting trading stamps at the grocery store. After saving enough, you could redeem them for household goods like dishes and silverware. The most well-known of these were S&H Green Stamps. The idea originated with Shelley Byron Hutchinson, who first used stamps to promote his family’s shoe business in Battle Creek. He later partnered with Thomas A. Sperry, leveraging Sperry’s financial backing and business connections to found the company.

The Hutchinson Mansion is a prominent historic home located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Construction on the mansion began in 1902 and was completed in 1904. One of the largest homes in Ypsilanti, the 30-room mansion was designed to be a lavish residence for his bride, but it was sold in 1912 after the couple divorced. Today, the property is used for various commercial businesses. The S&H Green Stamp program peaked in the mid-1960s but saw a decline in the 1970s due to recessions, and the company was sold in 1981.

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The Building in Brampton

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

I saw this old building north of Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula. According to Google Maps, it is located in the town of Brampton, which was named after Brampton, England. A post office was established there in 1874 and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1984. I wonder if this is the building where the post office was located.

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Torch of Freedom

Posted on by Posted in Memorials .

“Torch of Freedom,” a magnificent sculpture of an arm holding a torch, is located near the marina in Rogers City. Created by Tom Moran of Moran Iron Works in Onaway, the sculpture originally shot flames from the torch. However, the flames have since been replaced with a shiny, gold-like metal. The sculpture made its debut in Onaway’s Fourth of July parade in 2004 before being donated to Rogers City.

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