courthouses Archives - Lost In Michigan

Crystal Falls Courthouse

Posted on October 9, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses, upper peninsula .

The Iron County courthouse is a magnificent building, almost castle like, at the top of the hill, looking over the city of Crystal Falls. The Richardsonian Romanesque Style building which was completed in 1891. Constructed of regional materials, including reddish stone columns quarried from the nearby Paint River and yellow clay bricks.

You can’t miss this old courthouse when traveling across the Upper Peninsula on U.S. 2, as it takes you thru the city of Crystal Falls. As you drive up the hill, heading west thru downtown, the building is looking down on you, almost as if it’s judging your character. I guess that’s one more reason why it is such and impressive courthouse.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula or reading about its unique places, I hope you will take a look at my new book LOST IN MICHIGAN’S UPPER PENINSULA available on Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Courthouse in Paw Paw

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

The magnificent looking Van Buren County Courthouse stands in the city of Paw Paw. Construction began in 1901 and took a year and a half to complete. It replaced an earlier courthouse that is now the Paw Paw City Hall. The town of Paw Paw got its name from the Paw Paw river that flows nearby. It was named by the Native Americans for the paw paw fruit that grew along the banks of the river.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Big Red Courthouse

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

The Eaton County Courthouse stands in Charlotte southwest of Lansing. Construction started on it in 1883 and took nearly two years to build. about a decade later, On July 4, 1894 fire destroyed a large portion of the courthouse but it was rebuilt to its original plans. It still stands today in Charlotte and is am amazing looking building.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Raising the old Courthouse

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, courthouses .

One of the oldest courthouse buildings in Michigan is in Berrien Springs Michigan. Shortly after it was constructed in 1839, problems with the foundation were discovered. The building was raised and a lower level was added along with the square supports for the columns.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Livingston County Courthouse

Posted on June 4, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg 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.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Sandstone Courthouse

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses, upper peninsula .

The town of Bessemer is in the southwest part of the Upper Peninsula. As mining production increased so did the population of the town. In 1887, Bessemer became the Gogebic County Seat and this sandstone courthouse constructed that year at a cost of $50,000.

The Upper Peninsula had several sandstone quarries and in the late 1800s the stone was popular in the construction of buildings and large houses. The stone was easy to cut into large squares and also well suited for carvers to create antiquate designs. In the early 1900s sandstone fell out of favor for other materials such as brick and steel. The historic Gogebic sandstone courthouse still stands as a reminder of a time when stone from the U.P. was used to construct magnificent buildings.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

A Northern Michigan Courthouse Controversy

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

This old courthouse stands in the middle of Bellaire, the historical marker in front of it tells a little bit of its history and reads:

The first pioneers of Antrim County settled along Grand Traverse Bay near Elk Rapids in the 1850s. Later settlers moved inland, and urged that the county seat be transferred from the bay shore closer to the geographical center of the county. After a close election in 1879, Keno, later named Bellaire, became the new county seat. Thus began a bitter controversy which was appealed to the state Supreme Court and lasted for twenty-five years. Although the courthouse square was purchased as early as 1879 the county building was not constructed until 1904-05 after another vote. Designed by Jens C. Peterson, and built by Waterman and Price, the courthouse cost $30,000.

If you are near Mancelona which is close to Bellaire, Lost In Michigan books are available at Rooted. A Michigan products gift shop next to the Iron Skillet Restaurant. You can get a good meal at the restaurant and pick up a copy of Lost In Michigan. You can find more about Rooted at their website by clicking HERE You can find the website for the Iron Skillet HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Hillsdale County Courthouse

Posted on August 16, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

The Hillsdale County Courthouse stands in downtown Hillsdale. The three-story sandstone building was constructed in 1898. The county seat was originally in nearby Jonesville but it was decided to move the seat to Hillsdale because it was more centrally located.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Courthouse in Onaway

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses .

This impressive-looking courthouse with its clock tower stands in the northern Lower Peninsula town of Onaway. It was constructed in 1908 by Meritt Chandler and donated to the county in the hopes to take the county seat away from Rogers City. Merritt Chandler was born in 1843 near Adrian, Michigan. He made a fortune in lumbering and building roads. In 1886 he platted the village of Onaway. By 1903, Onaway had a population of 3000, making it the largest settlement in Presque Isle County. He was unable to have the county seat moved to his new courthouse so in 1911 a drive started to create a new county for Onaway, to be called “Forest County.” The proposal failed, but as a compromise, county court sessions were alternated between Rogers City and Onaway until the 1940s when it remained in Rogers City.

In the late 1990s, restoration efforts began, and over $1 million was spent to improve the heating and electrical system, replace the roof and windows, refinish the interior, and install a clock in the clocktower. As of 2009, the building houses the Onaway Branch of the Presque Isle District Library, the Onaway Historical Museum, the Chamber of Commerce, and offices of the City of Onaway.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Old Stone Courthouse in the U.P.

Posted on May 10, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in courthouses, upper peninsula .

Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest city in Michigan and it is no surprise that one of the oldest courthouses in the Great Lakes State can be found there. The Chippewa County Courthouse was built in 1877. The Second Empire building was constructed with limestone from Drummond Island and trimmed in red sandstone extracted from the second canal. The walls of this historic building are two feet thick in some places. The old courthouse was renovated in 1989 and a wooden statue of Lady Justice stands in the clock tower watching the ships pass through the Soo Locks which are a few blocks away.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.