Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

White River Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Lighthouses .

The White River Lighthouse is at the mouth of the White River on Lake Michigan near Whitehall. Construction of the lighthouse began on August 28, 1875. It was a common design used on the Great Lakes including, McGulpin Point near Mackinaw City and Eagle Harbor in the Keweenaw.

The lighthouse was deactivated in the 1960s and operates as a museum today. It is a nice place to visit and check out the artifacts and climb the tower when it is open. You may also see the ghost of a former keeper. You can read more about that on my post HERE

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Little Girls Point

Posted on by Posted in Parks, upper peninsula .

Little Girls Point is a county park that stands along the Lake Superior shoreline west of Ironwood. A stone shed stands in the middle of the park. I am not exactly sure what it is used for, maybe an old well pump house. It is a beautiful place to stop for a picnic and watch the waves on Lake Superior.

The name of the park is a curious one and it has a unique story. Legend has it that a young Chippewa woman named Leelinaw lived with her family further to the north in what is now the Porcupine Mountains State Park. She loved to paddle her canoe along the shoreline of the great lake they call Gitche Gumee (Lake Superior). She was told not to stop at the point covered in pine trees because it was haunted by Puk Wadginees or “the little men of the wood”.

On the day of her wedding Leelinaw ventured, out as she had done before, and stopped at the point to explore the grove of pine trees. She never returned and by nightfall the point was searched using torches but she was never found. A wooden sign stands in the park telling the story of Leelinaw and her disappearance.

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The House at the Junction

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Houses .

This is the old Hewitt house built in 1929. It stands in Cambridge Junction Historic State Park along US-12 near Brooklyn. The house is now used as a visitor’s center.

I have more about Hewitt, Walker Tavern and Cambridge Junction in my recently released Volume 6 available HERE

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The Old House in Da U.P.

Posted on by Posted in Houses, upper peninsula .

I saw this old house in the eastern Upper Peninsula near Hessel. I am not sure what its story is, but if walls could talk I am sure it would have some interesting tales to tell.

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D-Day and Fishing in Michigan with Eisenhower

Posted on by Posted in people .

Eisenhower michigan
On the eve of D-Day (June 6th 1944) general Eisenhower was talking to a group of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne, and an unknown army photographer captured this iconic image of the general talking with the Screaming Eagles.  It was not until 1984 that an employee at the war department saw the photo, and realized that the Lieutenant with the #23 was Wally Strobel from his hometown of Saginaw Michigan. ( My hometown too) When Mr. Strobel was asked about the photo, he said that the general asked him where he was from ” Michigan Sir” he replied, and Ike asked how the fishing was, “great sir” then the general said that Michigan was a beautiful state and reminisced about fishing in the state for a few minutes with the paratroopers. I guess now I know why “we like Ike”.

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Livingston County Courthouse

Posted on by Posted in courthouses .

This magnificent looking building stands in downtown Howell. It is the Livingston County Courthouse built in 1889. Discussions were made in 1970 to replace it with a new modern building but it was decided to renovate it instead. I am sure it is a challenge making an old building work with modern utilities and technology. but it is nice to see historic buildings being used and continue to remind people of the past.

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The Schoolhouse Near The Mall

Posted on by Posted in Schools .

This old schoolhouse sits down the road from the Sparr Mall. I am not sure what its story is, but the sign on the front reads, Dist. No. 2 Dover. It looks as if someone is or was working on converting it into a home.

P.S. I have been posting daily for several years not but lately I have not been traveling because of the gas prices. I still have photos to share but I not as much as I would like. I wanted to let you know that I may be skipping a few days a week so if you don’t get your daily email that is why. I really miss my road trips and hope that the price of gas will come down soon.

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The School At The Tip of the Thumb

Posted on by Posted in Schools, Thumb .

This large brick building stands along M-25 near the tip of the Thumb. Above the front door carved in stone are the words. GRINDSTONE CITY SCHOOL. I  have seen several one room schoolhouses around the Thumb, so I imagine when this building was built in the early 1900s, the citizens of Grindstone City were proud of it. I am not sure when it closed, but it is privately owned now.

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Fumee Falls

Posted on by Posted in upper peninsula, Waterfalls .

Near the small town of Quinnesec is a roadside park on US-2. The Fumee Creek flows through the middle of it and has a beautiful waterfall. They may not be the largest waterfall in the Upper Peninsula but it is a nice place to take a break from a long journey across the U.P. along US-2.

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Veteran’s Home Cemetery

Posted on by Posted in Cemetery .

The Michigan Veterans’ Facility (formerly the Michigan Soldiers’ Home) was authorized by Act 152 of the Public Acts of 1885, which provided for the establishment of a home for disabled Michigan veterans. This act resulted from the efforts of Civil War veterans who were members of the Grand Army of the Republic. The buildings served Civil War veterans until 1938, when the last resident veteran of that conflict died.

In April 1886 the board of managers of the Michigan Veterans’ Facility set aside five acres for a cemetery. The Grand Rapids posts of the Grand Army of the Republic dedicated the cemetery on Memorial Day, May 31, 1886. The original cemetery was designed in the form of a Maltese cross with 262 grave sites in each of its four sections. In 1894 a granite statue of a Civil War soldier was placed in the center of the cross. By the time of its centennial in 1986, the cemetery had recorded over 4,000 burials of veterans and their dependents.

Only residents of the Veteran’s Home can be buried at the cemetery. It is one of five VA cemeteries in Michigan.

Fort Custer National Cemetery in Augusta (Battle Creek)

Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly

Lakeside Cemetery Soldiers’ Lot in Port Huron

Fort Mackinac Post Cemetery on Mackinac Island

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