Category Archives: small towns

The Smallest Post Office In Michigan

Posted on by Posted in Iconic Buildings, small towns .

The small town of Elm Hall is located west of Alma near the center of the mitten. The thing it is most noted for is the small post office building that sits near the center of town. The little building is not much more than a shed but it serves the community and is still important to those in the area. You know what they say “its not the size of the post office that is important, It’s how you use it”

It is not the smallest post office. It is located in Ochopee, Florida and used to be a shed that stored irrigation pipe for a tomato farm.

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Downtown Wolverine

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I like taking a break from the expressway in northern Michigan and take Old 27 to see the sights on the back roads. The small town of Wolverine was originally plated by the name of Torrey in 1881. After the post office was built that same year, the town was named Wolverine after the state animal. Old 27 or South Straights Highway passes through the town but most people just see the sign for it as they zoom past on I-75.

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Lost In Columbiaville

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I came across this pic of an old building in Columbiaville that I never posted. I am not sure what this place is or was but it looks like an old general store at one time.

In 1848 a sawmill was built by George and Henry Niver, on the bank of the river. The town became known as Niverville until 1857, when the first post office was established. A town named Niverville existed in Michigan, so a new name was needed. Columbiaville was suggested by the Nivers, after their native county Columbia, NY.

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Woodland

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Traveling the back roads of Michigan, I come across many small towns. Some have a long history but unfortunately, they are not thriving like they once used to.  I like to take photos that highlight the town in a good way because I know people like to be proud of where they live. I saw this old building in Woodlawn west of Lansing and it just called to me to take a photo of it. Woodland was settled by brothers Johnathan and Charles Galloway in 1837 and was given the name Woodland for the dense woods it was located in.

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Deford

Posted on by Posted in small towns, Thumb .

Roaming the back roads in the middle of the thumb I came across the small town of Deford. The Grand Trunk Railroad came through the area in 1883 and a station was named Bruce for local landowner Elmer Bruce. Arthur Newton founded the village around the station and renamed it after his friend Mr. Deford. I saw these old buildings in town. I am sure they were not around when the town was first founded but the looked old. The faded hand painted sign on the one building looks like it had the word BLACKSMITH on it.

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Hickory Corners

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The small town of Hickory Corners sits north of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. In 1837 the settlement got its name after surveyors found a large hickory while doing their survey. A schoolhouse along with the first house was built shortly after. In 1844 it officially got a post office. It has always remained a small little town in the countryside and I imagine a lot of of people pass through it on their way to the Gilmore Car Museum which is only a few miles away.

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Deer Lick Outlets

Posted on by Posted in Houses, small towns .

In the middle of Birch Run is this beautiful old house with a wrap around porch, It was built by Charles Wolohan,  he operated a granary elevator for local farmers and later added lumber as a sideline business, it was the sideline business that grew into Wolohan Lumber, and it was eventually purchased by Wickes Lumber. I was told the room at the top of the home was used by Mr Wolohan to look out and watch over his workers.

Birch Run was originally founded as a station on the Pere Marquette Railroad by John Moore, its first postmaster, in 1852. It was named after its creek, which runs through a large birch tree area.   I could not find out why, but in 1863, the town was renamed Deer Lick until 1868 when it reverted to Birch Run. It was was incorporated as a village in 1955.

I remember Birch Run before the outlet mall was constructed, and the town sure has changed a lot. There was not much traffic and about the only place to eat was the Exit and Tony’s. It makes me wonder what the town would be like if it would have remained Deer Lick. I have a feeling Deer Lick Premium Outlets would not have been that successful, but I guess we will never know.

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One of the Most Important Towns In Michigan

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In 1836 Lucius Lyon wrote in a letter to a relative. “The place is called Arthursberg but we will change the name, I own the whole town site. It will become one of the most important towns in Michigan.” Located on the banks of the Grand River east of Ionia is the town of Lyons. It never did aspire to the dreams of Lucius Lyon but it has some beautiful old stone buildings and is a nice little town along the river.

P.S. I know many of you will never visit the little town of Lyons or many other small towns I post photos of but I still enjoy highlighting these places. I sometimes hear from people who live in these small communities or did at one time. They are always appreciative of the fact that I show their towns. I guess these posts are like my Hee Haw salute. 

P.P.S. I said the words “Hee Haw” to my kids and they gave me that puzzled tilted head look like I was going insane. I guess I am getting old.

 

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Glen Haven

Posted on by Posted in Ghost towns, Sleeping Bear Dunes, small towns .

The village of Glen Haven is a few miles west of Glen Arbor in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. The town started out as a place for steamships to stock up on firewood to fuel the steam boilers. Over time the town became more of a resort community. By the mid 1970s it had pretty much declined to nothing. The National Park Service has taken over the little town and restored the blacksmith shop and general store. The old cannery is now used as a maritime museum. During the winter months it is rather quiet but in the summer it is bustling with tourists exploring and learning about days gone by.

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Frozen Fishtown

Posted on by Posted in small towns, Winter Wonderland .

Fishtown in Leland is one of Michigan’s unique places. During the summer it is bustling as tourist visit the shops and restaurants. Although everything is closed for the winter months, I still like to visit for the tranquility as the water flows over the dam and past the historic buildings.

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