Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

The Last Place On Earth

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

Driving up the Keweenaw Peninsula on US-41 I passed by this antique store with the words THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH. After driving from southern Michigan all the way to the tip of the Keweenaw it made me laugh. Personally, I think the Rocket Range is the last place on earth ( you can see my post HERE ) but this store is close enough. If you want to go to the end of the earth then you have to go over to the Porcupine Mountains HERE

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Our Lady Of The Woods Shrine

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

The Our Lady of the Woods Shrine at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Mio was constructed by Rev. Hubert Rakowski between 1953 and 1955 with the support of the local community. The sacred place has statues of four apparitions of Mary, They are the Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, and LaSalette.

The mountainous structure made of stone includes several grottos and niches. The grounds are open year round and the landscaping in the summer is breathtaking. The shrine welcomes visitors of all faiths and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend stopping to see this beautiful place in northern Michigan.

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The Glen Haven General Store

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store, Ghost towns .

This old General Store stands in the town of Glen Haven. It is kind of a ghost town in the fact that no one lives there anymore. It is part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I have seen this old store many times. Maybe someday I will get a chance to go inside and check it out. I tend to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes out of season when everything is closed up for the winter. I like the peace and quiet when nobody is around but that means a lot of places are closed to tourists.

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The Empty Church

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

I saw this empty old church standing in the farmland west of Hastings. I am sure it has been a long time since this wooden chapel has had an Easter service or any services. I can only imagine all the weddings, baptisms, and funerals this old church has seen.

Please note, I only take pics from the road and do not trespass.

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The Hat Makers Farm House

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

What seems like the middle of nowhere near the southern border of Michigan is an ornate Queen Ann mansion. Ezra A. Beardsley was born in Monroe, Connecticut in 1839. He manufactured hats in Younkers New York. In 1870, he moved to Michigan and purchased 650 acres of land North of Bronson. In 1874 he was married to Florence A. Holmes. In 1887 he built the 15 room mansion where his wife and their two children raised race horses. Ezra died in 1916 and Florence in 1924. Their two children who never married lived in the house until their deaths in the 1960s. The house sold and over the years became weathered and dilapidated by the harsh Michigan weather. Some say the old home was haunted by the spirits of the Beardsley family. In 2010 a retired physician began restoring the old Beardsley house and five years later after countless hours of work the restored home was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The house is part of Ancestral Acres Lodge and rented out of social events and wedding receptions. You can see more photos of the house before and after the restoration at their website HERE.

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Austin School

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Schools .

I came across this old boarded-up building in Albion. Knows as the Austin School, at the time of its construction in 1911, it was Albion’s first “modern” school. By the 1960s newer schools with better facilities were built. Because the Austin School did not have a gymnasium or an auditorium the school closed in 1968. It was used as offices for the district for a time but now sits empty.

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The Oldest Church in Michigan

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Detroit .

I like posting photos of churches around Michigan since in many places churches are central to the community, it’s where people are married, baptized, and remembered at the end of their life. When I posted a photo of St. Stephens church in Hamburg the historical Marker said it was the oldest church building still operating in Michigan. But it got me to do some research to find out what the oldest church in Michigan is. When I found Ste Anne de D’etroit and read it’s history it struck me how important this church is, not only to the local community, but to the state of Michigan.

founded July 26, 1701, Ste. Anne’s original church was the first building constructed in Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, which later grew into the city of Detroit. Ste Anne’s is the second oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish in the United States with parish records dating back to 1704. From 1833 to 1844, Ste. Anne’s was the Cathedral Church for the diocese of Michigan and the Northwest. The church also has the oldest stained glass in Detroit.

In the Early 1800s Father Gabriel Richards, started a school that evolved into the University of Michigan. Started the First newspaper The Michigan Essay or Impartial Observer. From 1823 to 1825 Richard was Michigan Territory’s delegate to the United States Congress. As a delegate, he was instrumental in gaining support for the Territorial Road, which linked Detroit and Chicago

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East Jordan Locomotive

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

This steam powered locomotive sits in Sportsmans Park in East Jordan. It was relocated by truck to the park from downtown in 2017. The locomotive pulled train cars for the East Jordan & Southern Railroad. It was started in 1901 to haul logs to sawmills in Bellaire. After the timber was gone it hauled material for the East Jordan Ironworks. By 1962 the foundry no longer used the railroad and the rail line ended. The old locomotive is spending its retirement in Sportsmans Park.

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Powerhouse Falls

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

A few miles south of L’Anse is Powerhouse Falls. Aptly named for the old abandoned powerhouse that is next to the falls. If you turn on west onto Dam Road and go down it about a mile it winds around to a parking lot for the falls. I have visited it before and always tried to get pics of the falls without the building but then I realized it’s the old building that makes these falls unique. It’s worth a stop if you are in the area since it’s not far out of the way if you are traveling down U.S.-41.

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The Barn Next to the Road

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms .

I saw this nice looking red barn next to the road somewhere near Morely. I don’t have a story or any history to go with it for this post. I just thought it was a nice barn and made for a pretty picture.

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