Forgotten Places Archives - Lost In Michigan

The Ruins in Awakon Park

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Parks .

Awakon Park in Onaway Michigan was the site of the American Wood Rim Company. While most of the factory is gone a few structures and remnants remain. Started in 1901 to build wood bicycle rims the company began building wooden automobile steering wheels in 1904. With the success of their steering wheels and the booming auto industry, the company had 1200 employees.

It was in 1926 that a fire started by a spark that killed 4 workers and destroyed much of the factory. It was decided to move the factory to Alma instead of rebuilding it in Onaway. The park has a trail that is about a half-mile long the winds through the property where the old factory once stood. You can still see some of the concrete structures and signage gives a little history of the forgotten plant.

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The Cliff Mine and Ghost Town Ruins in the Upper Peninsula

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Deep in the forests in the center of the Keweenaw Penisula is the stone ruins of a once prosperous mine and town that supported it. The Cliff Mine is the first successful mine in the Michigan Copper District and dates from 1845. The highly successful mine was the largest copper mine in the US for more than a decade after it was started. By the 1870s the veins of copper had been extracted from the ground and the mine closed.

You can still see the stone walls and foundations from the buildings among the trees behind the tailings (piles of rocks) dug out from the mine. I was amazed by the stone tower that I am thinking was a chimney. You can find the old Cliff Mine ruins hiking over the west branch of the Eagle River off Cliff Drive where it connects back to US-41.

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The Flamingo Club

Posted on July 3, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

The town of Idlewild near Baldwin was started as a resort town for African Americans in the early part of the 1900s. Because of discrimination, many African Americans were limited to where they could vacation. Called the “Black Eden of Michigan”, from 1912 through the mid-1960s, Idlewild was an active year-round community and was visited by well-known entertainers and professionals from throughout the country. The Flamingo Club opened in 1955 was a popular place for many of the top African American entertainers to perform such as Sarah Vaughan, Jackie Wilson, and the Four Tops. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened up more opportunities for African Americans to purchase cottages and vacation in other parts of the state, the popularity of Idlewild declined. By 1968, the Flamingo Club closed.

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Deerfield Hills Ruins

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Nature .

Deerfield Hills Nature Preserve is southwest of Fenton. The 365 acres have hiking trails that wind their way through the trees and to Howe Lake. It is a wonderful place to explore the great outdoors. What captured my attention is the foundations near the parking lot. I am not sure what they are from but I am guessing an old farm. Nature is slowly reclaiming them but they are still accessible for now.

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Vermillion Point

Posted on June 26, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

This old shack is one of a few buildings that stand at Vermillion Point. The buildings were used by the U.S. Life Saving Service. They sit along Lake Superior west of the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and the men stationed at them would rescue sailors in distress. They were abandoned decades ago but have been slowly restored and the area is now part of a nature preserve. If you are looking for a bit of an adventure a trip down a sandy road will take you to this out-of-the-way place that most tourists don’t know about. It is also a great place to go rock hunting along the shoreline. The history and directions to this unique place can be found in Volume 4 of my Lost In Michigan books.

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The Old Building at Old Mission

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, General Store .

Near the point of Old Mission Peninsula is the town of Old Mission. This old building sits at the north end of the town. I am not sure what it was but it looks like an old general store. If you visit the lighthouse at the point be sure to take a side trip through the historic town of Old Mission. There are a lot of historic places to see on your trip through the old shadow town.

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The Stone Building

Posted on June 17, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

I saw this old stone building decaying away next to U.S.-31 near Petoskey. I am not sure if it was a house, service station, or what it was. On the map, it shows the town of Bay Shore. Eugene R. Sly and Nancy Stauffer owned the land and became known as Bay Shore for its proximity to the bay. by 1892 it had a station on the Chicago and West Michigan Railway (later part of the Pere Marquette Railway). A post office was established on July 15, 1892, which operated until September 30, 1964. Maybe this building was the old post office. I don’t know but I always wonder about it when I pass by.

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Passenger Cars at the End of the Line in Yuma

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Train Depots .

I was roaming the back roads near Yuma, ( Michigan not Arizona) and I came across these old railroad passenger cars. You can’t see it in the photo but the railroad tracks end a few hundred feet from the rail cars. It seemed peculiar to see them way out in the middle of nowhere. I can only assume they parked them until they are needed again.

P.S. if you are wondering Yuma (Michigan not Arizona) is south of Mesick near the Manistee National Forest.

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If Walls Could Talk

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Thumb .

I saw this old house somewhere near Port Austin. I don’t know its story and wonder what it would say if walls could talk. It is sad to see these old houses but they are a reminder of the people that came before us and the hard work they endured. I get frustrated when my cell service goes out I can not imagine how hard it was growing up a century ago.

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Service on the Border

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

I saw this old building way down near the border of Michigan and Ohio. From looking at it I can only assume it was a service station at one time. I am thinking it has been a long time since anyone got a tank full of gas here but it looks like someone is taking care of this old building since the grass has been mowed.

As always I only take pics from the road and do not recommend trespassing.

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