Category Archives: Parks

The Park In Michigan’s Hart

Posted on by Posted in Parks .

The Small town of Hart is a few miles southeast of Pentwater on the west coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Just north of town is the archway for John Gurney Park welcoming visitors. The park was one of the first auto tourist camps developed along the West Michigan Pike during the 1920s. As the affordability and popularity of the automobile grew Michiganders began to take day trips and the tourist parks gave the motorists a place to stop and rest and even camp overnight. Former state senator Theron Gurney and his wife, Helen, donated land to the village of Hart in 1912 for a park to honor their son. Lieutenant John Gurney died at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish American War.

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Parady Park

Posted on by Posted in Parks, people .

Parady Park sits in downtown Nashville Michigan located somewhat between Lansing and Kalamazoo. The park is named in honor of Emory Parady. He was born in New York in 1844 and was one of twenty-seven men from the 16th New York Cavalry Regiment who rode with the two detectives tracking John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. On April 26, the patrol found Booth hiding at a Virginia farm. Two days later a fire was started to force Booth from the barn. Dring the fire one of the men had shot Booth in the neck. He was pulled from the barn and died a few hours later.  In 1866, Parady received a $1,365.84 reward for his role in Booth’s capture. In 1880 Emory Parady and his family moved to Nashville. He eventually moved to Oregon where he died in 1924

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Rawson King Mill

Posted on by Posted in Grain Elevators, Parks .

This historic mill was built in 1872 northwest of Leonidas. It closed in the 1960s due to changing regulations for grinding grain. Eston and Lydia Rawson purchased the mill and surrounding property and began restoring the old mill along with planting gardens and updating the landscaping. The Rawsons shared their little slice of heaven with the surrounding community often allowing for neighbors to use it for weddings and other gatherings. in 2015 the property was converted into a county park after Eston and Lydia donated it to St Joseph County.

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Milford Log Cabin

Posted on by Posted in Houses, Parks .

I saw this log cabin standing in Milford’s Southside Park next to the fire station. It looks like an old log cabin but according to the plaque on the front, it was built in 1982 by volunteers to celebrate the town’s sesquicentennial.

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Grand Ledge in Fitzgerald Park

Posted on by Posted in autumn, Parks .

The town of Grand Ledge is west of Lansing. As you can guess it is named for the ledges along the Grand River. Fitzgerald Park is named for former Michigan Governor Frank Fitzgerald. If you are looking for somewhere in lower Michigan to hike and explore the park has several trails along the river and rocky cliffs. It reminds me of hiking in the Keweenaw Peninsula without the long drive from southern Michigan.

P.S. If you go. The park is an Eaton County park and there is a $5 entrance fee but it is worth every penny, especially when the leaves are at their peak.

P.P.S. Thank you to everyone that came out to last night’s presentation at the Milford Independent Cinema. It was a lot of fun. If you missed it my next presentation is

Thursday, November 11th At 7:00PM

Rochester Hills Public Library

500 Olde Towne Rd, Rochester, MI 48307

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Mount Pisgah

Posted on by Posted in Nature, Parks .

Mt. Pisgah located in Holland State Park is not the tallest mountain in the state but at 157 feet and over 200 hundred steps I was feeling the burn as I climbed the stairway.

I was curious about the name Mt. Pisgah and I leared that was the name of the mountain that Moses climbed to view the promise land.

At the top of Holland Michigan’s Mt Pisgah, you will be rewarded with a view of Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan along with the Holland Harbor Lighthouse known as “Big Red”

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The Ruins in Awakon Park

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, Parks .

Awakon Park in Onaway Michigan was the site of the American Wood Rim Company. While most of the factory is gone a few structures and remnants remain. Started in 1901 to build wood bicycle rims the company began building wooden automobile steering wheels in 1904. With the success of their steering wheels and the booming auto industry, the company had 1200 employees.

It was in 1926 that a fire started by a spark that killed 4 workers and destroyed much of the factory. It was decided to move the factory to Alma instead of rebuilding it in Onaway. The park has a trail that is about a half-mile long the winds through the property where the old factory once stood. You can still see some of the concrete structures and signage gives a little history of the forgotten plant.

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The Stone Outhouse

Posted on by Posted in Parks .

This small stone building sits along the River Raisin in the southern Michigan town of Clinton. It looks like an old outhouse but I am not sure if that is what it was. I think it may have been part of an old water pumping station but I am not sure about that either. So for now I am just calling it a stone outhouse and thankful for modern plumbing.

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Charlton’s Village

Posted on by Posted in Historic Places, Parks .

In 1936 Irving Charlton donated property to Barry County for a park. Over the years several historic buildings around Barry County were moved to the park. Today they create a historic village including the two-story brick building that was the offices for the Hastings Mutual Insurance Co from 1908 to 1924. You can learn more about the park at their website HERE

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The Log Cabin in the Park

Posted on by Posted in Parks .

Charlton Park east of Hastings has a plethora of historic buildings and houses. This log cabin sits off in the woods. I was disappointed that there was not a sign on or near it giving a little info. From what I found on the internet is that it is a replica built in the 1990s. It looked rather sad and lonely separated from the other buildings but it makes for and nice although creepy-looking pick. I have lots of pics from Charlton park during my visit this spring. Everything was still closed up for the season so I hope to get back there when the buildings are open for visitors.

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