Thumb Archives - Lost In Michigan

The Pigeon House

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

When I say “the pigeon house”, I don’t mean a house full of pigeons. I saw this old farmhouse near the town of Pigeon in the Thumb. It probably has pigeons living in it but I don’t know. It looks to be in really bad shape. I am not sure if the guys from Bargain Block could even restore it. I had to mention the HGTV show because I am addicted to it right now. Two guys by abandoned Detroit houses and fix them up and flip them. I don’t normally watch those types of shows but it is Detroit and amazing what they do with some of the old houses they buy for a thousand bucks. Sorry, I lost my train of thought. Anyways, I stopped and got a pic from the road and moved on. If only walls could talk, they could tell a story of the life this house once had.

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If Walls Could Talk

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Thumb .

I saw this old house somewhere near Port Austin. I don’t know its story and wonder what it would say if walls could talk. It is sad to see these old houses but they are a reminder of the people that came before us and the hard work they endured. I get frustrated when my cell service goes out I can not imagine how hard it was growing up a century ago.

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Peter’s Mansion

Posted on June 3, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

The Michigan Historical Marker in front of this grand old home in Columbiaville reads:

This structure, completed in 1896, was the home of William Peter (1824-1899). Peter, a prominent Columbiaville businessman, was a rags-to-riches character. Around 1847 he came to the area from Germany via New York state, a penniless immigrant. Immediately he began working in a local sawmill. He invested his earnings in large tracts of land and platted the village of Columbiaville in 1871. From 1879 to 1899, Peter developed the community. He built a gristmill, a woolen mill, houses for his workmen, a school, a church and several commercial buildings including the railroad depot (see my my post about it HERE). Most of Columbiaville was owned and dominated by him. His wife, Roxanna, planned this Italianate residence, which still displays its original hardwood floors and decorative woodwork in oak, mahogany, walnut, cherry and maple.

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Half Brick House

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

I saw this old farmhouse in the Thumb somewhere near Bad Axe. It looks as if it was a beautiful brick house at one time but it half of the bricks have fallen down. I am sure this old house could tell some stories and has lots of memories.

As always, I take pics from the road and do not trespass.

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Port Sanilac Lighthouse

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, Thumb .

The Port Sanilac Lighthouse was built in 1886 to bridge the gap between the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, at the mouth of the St Clare River, and the harbor beach Light farther to the north of Port Sanilac. It is one of the more unique lighthouses on the great lakes with the 59 foot tower narrowing at the top, and then flaring out to support the lantern. This was done to cut costs by designer E. L. B. Davis because congress only approved half of the $40,000 requested to build the lighthouse. The lighthouse is privately owned, but contains the original fourth order Fresnel lens and is still used as an aid to navigation. Although the lighthouse is not open to the public, there is a parking lot next to it and a break-wall that you can walk on to get a good view of it and some pics.

Getting Lost and Finding the Kingston School House #2

Posted on April 10, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, Thumb .

Heading east on M-46 I got to the town of Kingston and when I get to a small town I like to drive around the area to see what I can find. I saw an old barn off in the distance so I headed out to it, then I saw another old barn and headed over that way, and then for whatever reason I turned down another road and about a mile or two down the road, I saw this old schoolhouse on a farm. The Kingston School #2 built in 1892 is surrounded by an electric fence, ( not that I trespass, I always stay on the road and respect other people’s property.) but it looks as if the cows wander around the old school. I thought to myself, maybe the farm has some smart cows since they have their own school. Sometimes I know where a location I want to photograph is before I go on a road trip, but I love it when I find something interesting by pure chance.

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St. Patrick’s Church

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

St. Patrick’s Church in Clifford began in 1879 with visits from Father Clement Krebs, pastor at St. Agatha Church in Gagetown. It later became a mission of St. Elizabeth in Reese, Sacred Heart in Brown City, and most recently SS. Peter and Paul in North Branch. In 1884 the Diocese of Detroit acquired property here and built this simple Gothic-inspired church. The stained-glass windows admit light into the sanctuary and honor the parish’s Irish founders. Father Krebs presided over the first wedding in the partially completed church in August 1886. St. Patrick’s originally served the communities of Marlette, North Branch, Mayville, Kingston, Silverwood and Wilmot. Among the pastors who served the parish was the Father Charles Coughlin, who ministered here in 1924-25 and later gained notoriety as “the Radio Priest” in Royal Oak.

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The Octagon House Near Mayville

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

Near the town of Mayville is a unique looking octagon house with a cupola on the roof. The house was built in 1870 by William Randall. He was a Canadian born carpenter who traveled the United States working on construction projects. He retired and took up farming in Mayville and living in the house until his death in 1882. After he died The house and farm passed onto his son and his wife. Octagon houses were popular in the late 1800s because of Orson Fowler’s book A Home for All, which promoted the octagon form as a healthy place to live. This is one of a few octagon houses in Michigan that still stands today.

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The Old General Store in Watrousville

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in General Store, Thumb .

If you have ever driven down M-81 in the Thumb you have probably gone past this old building in the small town of Watrousvlle. The historical marker next to the building reads:

Aaron Watrous and his crew of loggers came here in the thumb in 1852 to cut the virgin pine of the Cass River Valley. In 1860 he platted the town naming it Watrousville, and a few years later constructed this building as a general store. The flagpole in front is thought to have been erected during the 1864 presidential campaign. Watrous died in 1868, and in 1882 the building became the Juniata Township Hall. Since 1972 it has been a museum of the Watrousville-Caro Area Historical Society.

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Columbia Crossroads

Posted on January 27, 2021 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, Thumb .

A few miles south of Unionville is an old schoolhouse. Above the door is the lettering 1909 Columbia Dist. No. 2. Most of the old schools I find have the date when they were constructed, but I have never seen the date when they closed. I am not sure when this old schoolhouse last taught children inside its brick walls. However, I did find out that the school was part of a small town called Columbia Corners. The community started in 1854 and it had a post office from 1879 until 1903. Not much of the town exists today, but I wonder how many kids learned to read and write in the little schoolhouse.

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