Library Archives - Page 2 of 3

The Haunted Sage Library

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Library .

Near the Historic Midland Street district in Bay City is the magnificent brick Sage Library. A green Michigan historical marker stands in front of it giving a little history of the building.

Henry W. Sage (1814-1897) founded the village of Wenona (later West Bay City) in 1863. A merchant and philanthropist, he was also a founder of the Sage, McGraw & Company sawmill. In 1881 he donated property, building funds and $10,000 for books to West Bay City for its first public library. The structure was built in 1882-1883 at a cost of nearly $50,000. Charles Babcock of Cornell University designed the French Chateauesque-style building, and the local architectural firm of Pratt & Koeppe superintended the construction. The library was dedicated on January 16, 1884, in a ceremony presided over by Cornell’s Moses Coit Tyler. Michigan Supreme Court judges, congressmen and state officials attended. Offering continuous public library service since 1884, the library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

What the sign does not tell, is that the historic building is rumored to be haunted. According to the book Haunted Bay City, Michigan the library has had some strange occurrences over the years. Librarians have sometimes heard loud heavy footsteps behind them as they work. After turning around no one is there. When closing up at night all the books are neatly organized and in the morning sometimes a few books are found strewn about as if a storm or something, or someone has moved them in a disorderly manner. Most disturbing is people have seen a little girl in a white dress on the third floor. Legend has it she died over a century ago by contracting smallpox from a book she borrowed from the library.

I am not sure if any of the ghost sightings are true but it is a beautiful old library with a lot of history.

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Hackley’s Gift to Muskegon

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

Muskegon has many beautiful old historic buildings and one of my favorites is the Hackley Public Library. The Historical marker in fron of the magnificent stone building reads:

On May 25, 1888, Muskegon lumber baron Charles H. Hackley announced that he would donate a library to the city. Hackley stipulated that the facility be “forever maintained as a library.” Patton and Fisher of Chicago, one of the six firms invited to submit a plan for the library designed a Richardsonian Romanesque – style building. The library was constructed of Maine granite and trimmed with Marquette sandstone. The reading room windows depict Shakespeare, Goethe, Longfellow and Prescott.

Muskegon citizens celebrated the laying of the Hackley Public Library cornerstone on May 25, 1889, the anniversary of Charles Hackley’s donation of the library. It was the first annual celebration held in recognition of Hackley. The previous year the board of education had resolved that classes would be suspended annually on May 25 on Hackley’s honor. On October 15, 1890, the completed library was dedicated. The lot, building and furnishings amounted to a $175,000 gift.

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

The Haunted Library

Posted on October 10, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Haunted Places, Library .

Some claim that this historic library in Belding is haunted. They do not know who it is that haunts the Alvah N. Belding Library, but according to the internets when doing a little googling some say that they have heard children laughing in the children’s section when nobody is around. I don’t know about this place being haunted but it is a beautiful old building. The historical marker out front proudly tells some of its history.

Alvah N. Belding erected this library in 1917/18 as a memorial to his parents, Hiram and Mary Wilson Belding. Alvah and his brother Hiram began peddling silk around Belding (then Patterson’s Mills) in 1858. With the help of their brother Milo they began the internationally known Belding Bros. & Company in 1863. Michigan’s first silk mill was erected here in 1886 and operated until 1932. This library, which cost $50,000, was dedicated and presented to the City of Belding on May 14, 1918. It is the only structure built by the Beldings still being used for its original purpose. An example of Classical Revival architecture, the limestone structure features a Spanish-tile roof. Its interior contains trim of marble oak and pine.

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

Elk Rapids’ Island House

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Historic Places, Library .

Michigan has some spectacular and impressive library buildings throughout the state. This library in Elk Rapids is rather unique being in a historic house on an island. Known as the Island House, it was built in 1865 by local businessman Edwin S. Noble. He converted a four-acre sand bar into an island by covering it with clay and dirt and planted over sixty different species of trees on it. After building a bridge to the island he lived in the house with his family. Noble died in 1922 and in 1949 the house became a public library.

It reminds me of a quote by Lemony Snicket “A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.”

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

The Temple of Knowledge in Marquette

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

The Peter White Public Library stands in downtown Marquette and its massive stone construction makes it look like a temple. Built in 1903, it replaced the small library that was inside City Hall. The library is named after Peter White a local businessman, postmaster, real estate developer, Michigan state legislator, and philanthropist who lived from 1830 until 1908.

I use my local library often and having a place to go and find information along with people to help with research is invaluable. Happy National Library Week.

“A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.” Lemony Snicket

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Log Cabin Library

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

I saw this little log cabin library in the town of Hersey near the center of the state. I thought I was finished posting winter pics, but this week is National Library Week I thought this would be an appropriate pic to post. It’s a “take a book, leave a book” library with a sign on the door for Little Free Library.org I feel fortunate to live in a country where books and ideas are shared freely and protected by the Constitution. I use my local library often as a resource for information. I hope you are fortunate enough to have a good library where you live. With all of today’s technology books are still a needed source of information.

Some of the libraries around Michigan have copies of Lost In Michigan books. If you want to purchase one they are ON SALE but it ends soon, you can order them HERE

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Dryden Ladies Library Hall

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

I am always on the lookout for historical markers like the one on the side of this building in the town of Dryden. Maybe someday I will have visited all of them but for now, here is what this one reads:

The Ladies Library Association was established in 1871 to provide reading material at a small cost to the community. In the beginning the association only allowed married women to be members and charged an annual fee of one dollar. The women of the association were also involved in charitable works, such as giving aid to Northern Michigan victims of fire in 1881. The association built this Italianate structure in 1885 for $1,500. The first floor contained the library, dining room and kitchen. The second floor hall, which includes a stage, continues to be used for plays and community meetings. Dryden Township accepted the building in 1974 and made it the public library.

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Alvah N. Belding Library

Posted on January 7, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

In Belding, Near the center of town stands this magnificent old library. The historical marker in front of it reads:

Alvah N. Belding erected this library in 1917/18 as a memorial to his parents, Hiram and Mary Wilson Belding. Alvah and his brother Hiram began peddling silk around Belding (then Patterson’s Mills) in 1858. With the help of their brother Milo, they began the internationally known Belding Bros. & Company in 1863. Michigan’s first silk mill was erected here in 1886 and operated until 1932. This library, which cost $50,000, was dedicated and presented to the City of Belding on May 14, 1918. It is the only structure built by the Beldings still being used for its original purpose. An example of Classical Revival architecture, the limestone structure features a Spanish-tile roof. Its interior contains trim of marble oak and pine.

If you like what I post I hope you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts.

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Hackley’s Gift to Muskegon

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

Muskegon has many beautiful old historic buildings and one of my favorites is the Hackley Public Library. The Historical marker in fron of the magnificent stone building reads:

Lost In Michigan Calendars back in stock and ON SALE this weekend, you can order your copy HERE

I hope you subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

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Aitkin Memorial Library

Posted on April 8, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Library .

“A library is like an island in the middle of a vast sea of ignorance, particularly if the library is very tall and the surrounding area has been flooded.” Lemony Snicket

This week is Library week and I am grateful to the libraries in Michigan as a vast source of knowledge and information. I use my local library a lot and the Michigan Library Melcat system to get books from around the state. When I was in Croswell I thought the William H. Aitkin Memorial Library is a beautiful brick library and I got a pic of it. I found out later that William H. Aitkin was a prominent banker and state senator representing Sanilac County in 1909.

P.S. I am giving away a Lost In Michigan book on my Camp Michigan Facebook page Here https://www.facebook.com/CampMichigan.org/?ref=bookmarks

I hope you will subscribe to email updates since facebook prioritizes your friends a family they will not show you many of my posts, I promise I won’t email you a bunch of junk email, it’s only to notify you of a new post which will be two or three times a week.

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