Historic Places – Lost In Michigan

Newberry Jail

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, upper peninsula .

Constructed in 1894, this graceful Queen Anne style structure served as the Luce County jail and sheriff’s residence for over seventy years. The peninsular Land Company donated the site. The architectural firm of Lovejoy and DeMar from Marquette designed this sturdy edifice from rough-hewn Jacobsville sandstone. The Luce County Historical Society rescued this building from demolition in 1975 and restored it as the Luce County Historical Museum in 1976.

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Hillsdale Poor Farm

This old cobblestone house served as the poor farm in Hillsdale from 1853 to 1867. It housed people in the county who could not take care of themselves financially or mentally. The Poet Will Carleton who graduated from Hillsdale College was inspired by this house to write the poem. “Over the Hill to the Poor House” which captured the nation’s attention to the plight of the elderly in American society.

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Police Radio Broadcast

Posted on October 12, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Detroit, Historic Places .

This castle-like stone building in the center of Belle Isle State Park seems like an ordinary building. Thousands of visitors pass by it, but I wonder how many realize how much it affected society. This was the first police radio dispatch station in the United States. In 1928 the Detroit Police broadcasted from this building on their own frequency to patrol cars around the city. They chose Belle Isle to avoid interference with other radio stations.

Before the station was constructed the department did not have a dedicated frequency band to broadcast on. In 1921 the station experimented with broadcasting to officers between songs on station KOP. Between songs, they would read a list of stolen cars or alert them to missing children.

A modern patrol car today if filled with electronics and the officer is surrounded by a computer, radar guns, and communication equipment. It’s hard to imagine a day when the police did not have a basic radio in their car.

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Detroit’s Mostly Forgotten Fort Wayne

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Detroit, Historic Places .

Most people are unaware of the old historic Civil War-era fort next to the Detroit River near downtown Detroit. When I tell people about Fort Wayne they think of Indiana, but it is the name of the fort in Detroit. It was built in the 1840s and used by the army all the way up to the 1970s. Civil War soldiers mustered at the fort and learn how to fight. Truck parts made in detroit was shipped trough the fort during WWII. During the Korean War and Vietnam War Thousands of enlistees and draftees were sworn in at the fort. It is open for tours on the weekend during the summer for a $5 donation.

I have a lot more photos and stories to share about the old fort, It would be too much for me to do in one post so I will share them over the next few months.

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Ada Covered Bridge

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, Historic Places .

Near Grand Rapids is the town of Ada. Rix Robinson built a trading post near present-day Ada in 1821 and made the first land purchase in 1833. A post office was established in 1837. Both the township and village settlement were named for Ada Smith, the daughter of the first postmaster. A Michigan historical marker proudly describes the history of the one of a kind bridge wooden bridge in Ada and it reads:

An act of the legislature in 1867 authorized Ada Township to borrow up to $3000 for the purpose of building or repairing bridges in the township. This bridge was built about that time, apparently by William Holmes. The design for the trusses was patented by Josiah Brown in 1857. A timber bearing his name was uncovered during repair work. The bridge has been threatened by floods a number of times. It is said that farmers used to drive wagons loaded with stone onto the bridge during high water to hold it to the foundation. The bridge was closed to automobile traffic in 1930 and restored by the Kent County Road Commission in 1941.

If you are ever in the area be sure to stop by and walk across the bridge. It is like walking back in time.

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The Flamingo Club

Posted on June 26, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic 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 descrimination, 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 Flimingo 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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The Old Jail

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Iconic Buildings .

Big Rapids became the county seat of Mecosta County in 1859 and incorporated as a city in 1869. This building served as the county jail and sheriff’s residence from 1893 until 1965.It’s the oldest public structure in the original plat of the village of Big Rapids, it features gable and hip roofs and turrets characteristic of Queen Anne style architecture. A tunnel ran underground from the old jail to the courthouse for inmates to be transferred for court appearances.

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The First Women’s Club In Michigan

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

The Ladies’ Library Association of Kalamazoo officially incorporated in 1852 and it was the first women’s club organized in Michigan and the third organized in the United States. Its purpose was to promote the cause of equal education for women. The organization built This building in downtown Kalamazoo in 1879, and it is the building first in the nation erected for the use of a women’s club. Yearly subscriptions cost fifty cents and were available to both men and women, however, only women could be members of the organization. In addition to creating Kalamazoo’s first lending library, the LLA activities have included advocating for the right for women to vote, the creation of day nurseries for working mothers, founding Kalamazoo’s first art club, and establishing a community education program for women

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The Michigan Pyramid

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, people .

The town of Kewadin sits at the northern end of Elk Lake. North of town next to the Cairn Highway is a stone pyramid also known as a cairn. It’s a Scottish term used to describe a man-made stack of stone used as a monument. On the front of the monument is a plaque dedicated to Hugh J. Gray “Dean of Michigan’s Tourist Activity.” The cairn was built in 1938 using stones from all of Michigan’s 83 counties with their name inscribed on the stone. Wexford County’s stone is a block of rubber from the tire factory that was located in its borders. My favorite is Huron County which is a small grindstone most likely from Grindstone City at the tip of the thumb.

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Michigan’s War Dog Memorial in Honor of K9 Veterans Day

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places .

Michigan War Dog Memorial in South Lyon

Michigan War Dog Memorial Cemetery

In 2013 The State of Michigan has declared March 13th K9 Veterans Day in recognition of the dogs and their handlers that have served our country. March 13 was chosen because, in 1942 the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army began training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, also known as the “K-9 Corps”. K9 Veterans Day is a time to honor all dogs that have served in the military, police and civilian working dogs and their handlers. I also like to remember the dogs that have served in the past and there is the Michigan War Dog Memorial and Cemetery is in South Lyon, on Milford and 11 Mile Road. It’s a beautiful memorial and final resting place for the dogs of Michigan that have served our country and state so faithfully.

Thank you to all the dogs and Handlers for their service, I can only Imagine the lives that were saved because of your dedication and loyalty.

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