Forgotten Places Archives - Lost In Michigan

Sugar Island’s Concrete Building

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, people, upper peninsula .

This old, abandoned concrete building stands near the shoreline on Sugar Island, east of Sault Ste. Marie. It held items of immense value—not gold or jewels, but books and manuscripts. It was the library for Chase Osborn. He was Michigan’s 27th Governor and the only one from the Upper Peninsula. He built an estate on Sugar Island and held his vast collection of books in his library. It was made of concrete and steel so that it would not be flammable. His home was a modest log cabin, but his library was what was important to him. The estate is mostly in ruins now, but you can hike to it in the Chase Osborn Preserve, managed by the University of Michigan.HERE

P.S. Osborn’s books were donated to the University of Michigan and Lake Superior State University.

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The Old Hotel in Kalkaska

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Haunted Places .

The Sieting Hotel, located in downtown Kalkaska, first opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day in 1912. Like many historic buildings, it has a past steeped in tragedy and is rumored to be haunted. It’s believed that the spirit of a man who died in one of the rooms in 1920 still lingers there. Guests and staff have reported hearing strange sounds throughout the old hotel, including moans, voices, and screams. I am not sure about it being haunted, but it is a nifty old historic building that has many storied stories to share if walls could talk.

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The Towering Structure in Norway

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

US-2 spans across the Upper Peninsula and passes through the town of Norway. It is hard to miss the ragged concrete structure that towers over the town. Located a few blocks off the highway is the Headframe of the Briar Hill Mine. In its time the mine was one of the most productive in upper Michigan.

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The Mashek Building

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Along County Road 426 in Marquette County, in the center of the Upper Peninsula, stands an old, dilapidated building that is slowly falling down. It looks as if it was once a general store. According to the map, the location is the town of Mashek. The town was named for George Mashek, the owner of the Mashek Chemical and Iron Company in Escanaba. The company operated in the area and had a general store. I wonder if this old, abandoned building was the company store.

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The Old Church and the Town of Luce

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Forgotten Places, Ghost towns .

In southern Saginaw County, near the intersection of Burt and Bishop Roads, a weathered wooden church stands serenely amidst the farmlands. Just a short distance east, where Burt Road crosses Fairchild Creek, once thrived the town of Luce. Established in 1890 with its own post office, the town faded away when the post office closed in January 1914. Luce, named for Michigan’s 21st governor, Cyrus G. Luce (1887-1890), shares this honor with Luce County in the Upper Peninsula. Governor Luce was the last Michigan governor to have a county named after him.

The age of the church remains unknown, as does whether it was built by Luce’s residents. However, its proximity to the former town site is undeniable. A nearby cemetery and the church itself are likely the only remnants of the once-bustling community.

I took a pic of this old church about ten years ago and the photo graces the photo of my first book. In the decade since, the roof of the old church has collapsed. It is sad to see it deteriorate.

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Ahmeek Stamping Mill Ruins

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Near the town of Hubbell, along M-26 in the Keweenaw Peninsula, are massive concrete blocks. They look like something from an ancient civilization, but the mechanical device on one of them shows they are more modern. They are the remnants of the Ahmeek Stamping Mill. It was built in 1910 and pulverized rock into a sand-like material for copper extraction. The mill closed down in the 1940s, and the concrete structures remain as a reminder of the Copper Country’s past.

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The Big House on 426

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, upper peninsula .

This big old house stands along county road 426 in the center of the Upper Peninsula. The road runs along the old Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad tracks. Weeds and small trees are growing up between the rusty rails, so I assume they have not been used in years. This old abandined house stands between Cornell and Watson on the other side of the tracks. Most of the old abandoned houses I see in the Upper Peninsula are smaller shacks and cabins. I couldn’t help but wonder what the story was with this old building. I found on an old county map and it shows the name of the town of Woodlawn. A reference stated that the town was originally called White, but the name was changed to Woodlawn when it got a post office in 1905. I am wondering if this is the remains of the old town, and maybe it was a boarding house or something. I took a pic from the road and you can see the old railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo. I often wonder about these old places, and I also wonder if I am the only person who drives past them and is curious about their history.

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The Snow in Herman

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Herman is located in a remote section of the Huron Mountains between L’Anse and Nestoria. On December 19, 1996, the town received one of the largest snowfalls in Michigan history, with 30 inches of the white stuff falling in the single day.

The town was named for Finnish lumberjack Herman Keranen, who purchased forty acres and began farming in the area. Over the decades, the population has dwindled, and it is mostly a ghost town. A few people continue to live in the historic community. The train still passes through but no longer stops in Herman. This large old house sits in the town of Herman. It is the old Dantes house and it is named for its original resident, Charles T Dantes, who was a Finn from Northern Sweden who settled in Herman in 1907. He worked for the railroad and owned the general store. He was the town’s postmaster, and sheriff of Baraga County. Today the old house is barely standing under the wieght of all the snow.

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Fourtowns Grange

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places .

This old wooden building sits in the farmland of southern Michigan near the town of Quincy. Above the door is a faded sign that reads “Fourtowns Grange” It looks as if it has been a while since the old building haas been used for a Grange Hall.

The National Grange, a prominent agricultural advocacy group, was established in the United States in 1867 following the Civil War. Officially known as the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, it is a social organization that encourages families to unite to improve their economic and political standing, particularly within the agricultural sector.

As the oldest American agricultural advocacy group with a national reach, the Grange has a long history of political activism. They successfully lobbied for crucial legislation, including the Granger Laws, which aimed to regulate railroad rates, and the establishment of rural free mail delivery.

In 2005, the Grange boasted a membership of 160,000, with a presence in over 2,100 communities across 36 states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., in a building constructed by the organization in 1960, the Grange continues to play a vital role in many rural communities. Numerous towns still maintain Grange Halls, serving as social and community centers for local farmers and their families.

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Wahjamega and the Farm Colony

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

Near Caro, across from the Airport on M-81, is a complex of buildings. They were part of the farm colony of Wahjamega. The name “Wahjamega” is an acronym derived from the initials of its founding sawmill partners: William A. Heartt, James A. Montgomery, and Edgar George Avery.

In 1914, the state established a Farm Colony for Epileptics in Wahjamega, intended to address the overcrowding at the Lapeer State Home for Epileptics. It started out with good intentions for helping people, but the facility gained notoriety for its involvement in eugentics and the forced sterilization of patients, a practice conducted under Michigan law from 1914 to the mid-1960s.

Over the years, the facility has operated under various names. Today, a portion of it continues to function as the Caro State Psychiatric Hospital. Many of the old buildings are gone. This one still stands not far from the hospital. I assume it was patient housing at one time but I am not sure.

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