Every holiday season the Waterworks building in Saginaw is decorated with lights. It is a magical display enjoyed by many people as they pass by the iconic building on Ezra-Rust Drive. Most people are unaware of the significance of the red white and blue lights decorating the pine tree on the corner.

In 1979, during the Iran Hostage Crisis at the Embassy in Tehran,  plant supervisor Wally Rogalski had the tree decorated as a patriot gesture in honor of the hostages. The tree has been decorated with the American colors ever since then. The hostage crisis occurred a long time ago, but I think it’s also a good reminder to remember all the men and women who serve in the military at home and abroad, and the sacrifices they make for us, especially during the holidays.

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

If you have ever traveled along M-22 south of Empire you may have noticed a large white sphere sticking up over the trees. If you are curious like me you have probably wondered what it is. It was built in the 1950s as part of the Empire Air Force Station operated by the 752d Aircraft Control and Warning (AC&W) squadron. It was a long range radar that scanned the skies for missiles from the Soviet Union. The station was deactivated in 1978. In the 1980s it was turned over to the FAA and now the radar is used to monitor commercial aircraft.

It sits near the Empire Bluff Trail Head and I drove up to get a closer look at it but unfortunately the road was closed to visitors. The buildings from the old base is used my the National Park Service and only employees are allowed in. Oh well at least now I know what the giant “golf ball” along M-22 is used for.

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

This white building with green trim stands in downtown White Pigeon near the southern Michigan border. It is one of the oldest buildings in the state. the Treaty of Chicago was signed in 1821 by the tribes in southwestern Michigan turning over their lands to the federal government. In 1831 the government opened this office in White Pigeon, one of the largest towns in the western Michigan Territory. Between 1831 and 1834, land was sold from this office at $1.25 per acre. About 260,000 acres of were deeded including the land that includes, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.

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

This old building stands a few blocks south of downtown Cheboygan and block off of M-27. The words COUNTY JAIL are still chiseled in the block above the door. This old building built in 1880 served as the Cheboygan County sheriff’s residence until 1969. In the late 1800s many drunken and rowdy lumbermen sobered up in the jail. The inmates often did chores in exchange for their bed and meals prepared by the sheriff’s wife. By 1911 the jail was inadequate and a two story addition was added to the original building. It was supposed to have 8 cells on each floor, but due to safety regulations, the second floor was never finished. The county used the jail until 1969 when a new modern jail was built to replace it. In 1972 the building became a museum ran by the Historical Society of Cheboygan County.

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

Between Jackson and Lansing near the town of Eaton Rapids is the VFW National Home. Designated as a Michigan historical landmark the home has been taking care of veteran’s families for nearly a century.

In 1923 the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) initiated a plan to build a national home for the families of deceased and disabled American veterans. The following year a Jackson, Michigan, cattleman made his Ingham County ranch available for the site of the home. A complex of buildings was erected on the property. Since the facility provided homes for families outside of Michigan, it received support from veterans groups across the country, who donated money for the construction of “cottage” residences. The VFW sought to keep families intact, furnish a homelife similar to that enjoyed by other American families, and teach self-sufficiency and independence. This remains the only privately funded home for veterans’ children and grandchildren in the United States that is national in scope.

When the Veterans of Foreign Wars announced that it would build a national home for the widows and orphan children of veterans, support poured in from across the country. Initial funding was created following the 1922 Yankees-Giants World Series. Umpires halted the tied second game due to darkness. A controversy resulted, which inspired the baseball commissioner to donate the series’ first game’s proceeds to the nation’s war veterans, and the VFW received twenty thousand dollars. Between 1925 and 1930 residential “cottages” were constructed with funds from state veterans organizations. Each house was designed as an individual home. These houses created a neighborhood environment for their residents. The National Home honors the contributions and sacrifices of America’s veterans.

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