Category Archives: Historic Places

Depot Town

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places .

Depot Town in Ypsilanti, all decked out for the holidays. The area was called Depot Town after the nearby railroad station opened in the late 1830s, most of the buildings standing today were constructed between 1850 and 1880. Over the years, Depot Town has included hotels, an Underground Railroad station, an American Civil War barracks, and a building that has housed a bar and restaurant continuously for more than 150 years, switching to soft drinks during Prohibition. Today it is still a popular place to get something to eat or drink and shop in the many stores along the stretch of historic buildings.

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The Log Cabin Hidden Inside A House

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Houses .

This old log cabin stands near the Shiawassee River next to the Curwood Castle. It was the first permanent residence in the settlement that became Owosso. Built in 1836, it was the home of Judge Elias Comstock and his wife, Lucy Lamson Comstock.  The cabin was the site of the first church services (Baptist) as well as the first school classes and the place where newly arrived settlers could stay until their cabins were built. Each cabin required the owner to fell forty logs after which the men of the settlement would gather to erect a cabin in one day.

The Comstocks continued to build onto their little cabin. Eventually, it was completely framed in by the house they lived in until their deaths in 1886 and 1890. The home sold a few times until the property was purchased in the 1920s for the location of a gas station. When the house was demolished the original log cabin was discovered as part of the home and used as a living room. That is when it was moved to Bently Park where it stands today.

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New Fort Brady

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, upper peninsula .

This old brick two-story building stands near the entrance to Lake Superior State College in Sault St. Marie. A Michigan historical marker stands next to it and reads:

When Sault Ste. Marie expanded and its canal was widened, the riverfront site of Fort Brady was abandoned for a higher, more strategic site selected by General Philip Sheridan. Work began in 1886, and the new fort was opened in 1893. From this hilltop, New Fort Brady guarded the copper and iron ore enroute from the mineral regions of western Lake Superior through St. Mary’s Ship Canal. Although never under attack, its troops were called up in 1894 during civil unrest, but primarily they protected the canal until the Second World War, when fifteen thousand soldiers were stationed here. In 1944 the National Guard assumed these responsibilities and New Fort Brady was closed. Camp Lucas, a small section of the fort, was reactivated briefly during the Korean Conflict.

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The Pump House

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Iconic Buildings .

If you have ever been to the Holland State Park beach you have probably been past this old brick building. It was built in 1901 as an Edison Electric Power Plant to provide lighting for the Ottawa Beach Hotel complex. Sadly the hotel burned down in 1923 and pumps were installed in the old powerhouse to supply water to the surrounding cottages. The “pumphouse” was used until the 1980s but was decommissioned when the municipal water supply came in from Holland. More recently the pumphouse has been converted into a local museum and is on the boardwalk along Lake Macatawa.

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Camp Lakewood POW CCC Camp

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, Historic Places .

Along the west shore of Allegan Lake is a field with a few old concrete foundations. It is all that remains of Camp Lakewood. It was constructed in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and then used as a Prisoner of War camp during World War II.

After the war, it was used as a summer camp for local kids bur in time the buildings fell into disrepair and were eventually torn down. A sign and a small parking area on 42nd street mark the spot where the camp once stood.

If you want to know more about the POW camps in Michigan I highly recommend reading Michigan POW Camps in WW II, Here is a link to it on Amazon HERE.

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West Baseline

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places .

Meridian Baseline Historic state park sits in the woods north of Jackson. It is the location where all of Michigan was surveyed from when the state was admitted to the union. Due to an error between two surveyors Michigan is the only state to have two basepoints. One is for the east side of the state and the other is for the west side, shown in the pic above. It is a strange story of how Michigan ended up with two points a few hundred yards apart. you can see my post about it HERE 

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The Houses of Fort Wayne

Posted on by Posted in Detroit, Historic Places .

This row of officers housing sits in Fort Wayne near Detroit along the Detroit River. The fort was built to defend an invasion by Canada in the early years of the county. The invasion never happened, but the fort served the military for a long time.

I have a story about the historic fort in volume 4 of my Lost In Michigan book series available HERE

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Happy Birthday America

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places .

I feel fortunate to live in a country that I can travel freely and pursue my happiness. My ancestors came to this country looking for a better life for themselves and their families. I feel as if I owe it to them to do what I can to continue on with the dream this great nation was founded on. I know it’s not perfect and has many problems to still figure out, but I am grateful for the opportunities given to me.  Thank you all so much for following my journey around Michigan and hope you are able to celebrate this wonderful day.

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Old Victoria

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, upper peninsula .

This old log cabin is one of a few buildings that still stand in the Old Victoria Historic Townsite. The hills around the area are one of the first places in the state to be mined for copper. The historic town is near Rockland on the west side of the Upper Peninsula and tours of the homes are given to visitors during the summer months. For info on tours and events, you can see their Facebook page HERE

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The Notch of Michigan

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places .

The southern border of Michigan has a pronounced notch where Indiana and Ohio meet up to form the border for all three states. Near the tri-state intersection is a boulder that reads:  I30 feet south is the point where Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio meet. This marker was erected by the Hillsdale County Historical Society in 1977

Michigan ended up with an odd notch in the border because Ohio which had already become a state in 1803 refused to relinquish Toledo to Michigan. After years of debating and even a short-lived “war”, it was decided to give Toledo to Ohio and the Upper Peninsula to Michigan. This stone marks the southernmost point in Michigan. Well, almost the southernmost point. I am not exactly sure why it is 130 feet from the tri-state point but when I visited it the exact location is in a low spot and drops off quickly from the road. I am thinking they placed the marker because it was a nice spot on a grassy knoll.

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