Mike Sonnenberg, Author at Lost In Michigan

Indianville’s Log Cabin and the Burt Lake Burnout

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

Behind the old jail in Cheboygan is an old log cabin. At one time it stood near Burt Lake in the town of Indianville. It was relocated to it’s current spot in the 1970s and stands as a reminder of a tragic day in Michigan history.

On October 15th, 1900 the sheriff came from Cheboygan to Indian Village located on Indian Point on Burt Lake. John Walter McGinn purchased the land for back taxes of which the Native Americans did not owe because the land was given to them in a treaty with the government. When the men in the village were out of town working, the women and children were forcibly removed from their homes and then their houses burned to the ground by the sheriff and his men. The former residents of the burned town moved to other Indian villages including Cross Village and the town of Indianville where this old log cabin once stood. Sadly, few people know the story of the Burt Lake Burnout.

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Howard City House

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses .

I was roaming the back roads near Howard City when I came across this old farm house being taken over by nature. I am not sure what its story is but I imagine at one time there was a family that lived in it and it holds many memories. As usual I only take pics from the road and these old houses mesmerize me.

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Lost In Ohio

Posted on October 6, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Uncategorized .

My new book Lost In Ohio: Discovering Strange and Historic Places in the Buckeye State is now available on Amazon HERE

Being a lifelong Michigander and living in the Great Lakes State for over a half century, I know that Buckeyes are mortal enemies of Wolverines and Spartans. I have driven through Ohio many time on I-75 but I enjoyed my time getting off the expressway and exploring Ohio. I drove almost 2000 miles around Ohio visiting unique and interesting places that are under the radar of most tourists. From the hills and forests in the southeast, to the farmland and small towns of the northwest, the Buckeye state is full of historic and fascinating places. If you enjoy my Lost In Michigan books, I hope you will take a look at my new Lost In Ohio book HERE.

P.S. If you have friends or relatives who live in Ohio it would mean a lot to me if you share this with them.

P.P.S Yes I am still doing Lost In Michigan I am just exploring further away to other states to see what I can find.

The Land Office

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

This white building with green trim stands in downtown White Pigeon near the southern Michigan border. It is one of the oldest buildings in the state. the Treaty of Chicago was signed in 1821 by the tribes in southwestern Michigan turning over their lands to the federal government. In 1831 the government opened this office in White Pigeon, one of the largest towns in the western Michigan Territory. Between 1831 and 1834, land was sold from this office at $1.25 per acre. About 260,000 acres of were deeded including the land that includes, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.

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Copper Harbor Cemetery

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

When I was up in Copper Harbor last fall I took a trip through the old cemetery. I noticed it has several graves with fences around them. I was curious and did a little research on the internets. Although decorative the fencing served to keep animals off loved ones grave sites. At least that is what I found on the internet. I am thinking that makes sense since I see fencing more frequently in the northern Michigan cemeteries where there would be more animals.

If you like old grave sites check out the cemetery off US-41 just before you get into Copper Harbor.

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The Hippie Trees at the Haunted Asylum

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places .

Hidden deep in the woods is a magical place with colorfully painted trees. I am not sure where the line between art and graffiti is but I know when I visited the Hippie Trees it sure felt like art with its spellbinding array of colors and I was expecting to see H R Pufnstuf jump out of the woods.

The Hippie Trees can be found in the woods behind the old state hospital in Traverse City that has been renovated into shops, offices, and apartments. It is now known as The Village At Grand Travers Commons. The commons own the property behind the old hospital, but there is a sign stating that its labyrinth of hiking trails is open to the public if they are respectful of the property. The Hippie Trees are near the middle of the property. There is parking behind the water tower with a map posted. Or you could hike from the historic Barns Park south of the commons near Silver Lake Road.

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The Winn Shopping Center

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns .

The sign on the side of this building reads THE WINN SHOPPING CENTER. It looks as if it has been a while since anyone has done any shopping at the shopping center. The small town of Winn west of Shepherd was started in 1867 and either named for Mr. Winn or for Wynn England. I have seen a reference to both. The Town was platted by Wiley Dush and he changed the name to Dushville. After Mr. Dush died in 1898 the name of the town was changed back to Winn.

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The Old Dock

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots .

This strange looking dock sits along the river walk near downtown Port Huron. It was used by the railroad for a ferry that transported rail cars across the St. Clair River to Canada. It was constructed in 1903 and operated until 1933 when the need for it declined during the Great Depression.

In 1950 after Dow Chemical opened a plant in Sarnia the ferry service was put back into operation because of the rail traffic between the plants in Midland and Sarnia. In 1994 the ferry officially retired and the dock was left abandoned. In 2013 the old dock was refurbished by the Community Foundation and it makes for a nice platform to watch the many ships that travel down the St. Clair River.

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The Mini Mac

Posted on September 24, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges .

In the central Michigan town of St. Louis is a bridge affectionately known as the Mini Mac Bridge. It is off M-46 at the Mini Mac Mini Storage facility. I have driven through St Louis many times and I never knew this little bridge was there. You can’t see it from M-46 and I did not know about it until recently. It was built in 1992 by the storage facility’s original owner. During the summer months it is open for people to walk across it. The replica bridge is amazing in its construction with grates in the center and lights on the towers. It is located between US-127 and St. Louis and a neat little bridge to see if you are in the area.

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M-107 Memorial Highway

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

If you visit the Lake of the Clouds in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park you need to drive down M-107 to the lake. It is about a ten mile stretch of road the travels along the shoreline of Lake Superior. You will probably notice a sign and a couple of boulders dedicating the road as the 107th Engineer Memorial Highway.

When the the roadway was built in 1935 it named to honor the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion. The 107th Engineer Battalion is a large unit of the Michigan Army National Guard stationed in Ishpeming Michigan. The Battalion traces its history to the Michigan State Troops, which was the predecessor organization to the Michigan National Guard. The 107th Engineer Battalion traces its roots to the Calumet Light Guard that was formed in 1881. During WW II the The unit built the longest tactical floating bridge in the world across the Rhine. The 1370 foot long bridge was built in 14 hours and nicknamed ‘Victor Bridge’ by the troops. The unit has also been activated for State Emergencies such as the 1967 Detroit Riots, the 1976 Great Seney Fire and several snowstorms in the Upper Peninsula. In the summer of 2016 they called into active duty and assisted in repairing roads in the Keweenaw that were washed away in a heavy rainstorm.

In 2001, the Michigan Legislature named officially named it the “107th Engineer Memorial Road ” The unit’s motto is “Good as Done!” Next time you visit the Porkies and are traveling down M-107 I hope you will remember that it is more then just a number for a road, but that it honors the men and women from the Upper Peninsula engineer combat battalion who continue to serve the state and the country for more than a century.

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