Thumb Archives - Lost In Michigan

Frank Murphy’s House

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, people, Thumb .

The picturesque town of Harbor Beach, nestled in Michigan’s Thumb, holds a piece of history: a beautiful gothic house, its white siding contrasting with a verdant green roof. A sign proclaims it the Murphy Museum, and a bronze plaque details the remarkable life of Frank Murphy. Born in this very town in 1890, Murphy’s journey took him from local lawyer to the highest echelons of American government. He served as Mayor of Detroit, Governor of Michigan, and U.S. Attorney General, culminating in his appointment to the Supreme Court by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Justice Murphy’s legacy is defined by his unwavering commitment to civil rights, most notably his powerful dissent against the Japanese internment camps, which he denounced as “legalized racism.” This house, his former home and law office, now stands as a testament to his enduring connection to Harbor Beach, where he was ultimately buried at Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic Cemetery.

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The Grice House

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

Situated on M-25, just north of Harbor Beach and facing the marina, sits a picturesque fieldstone house constructed by James Grice, an English settler arriving in the 1860s. This historic home, which survived the infamous 1881 fire, now serves as a museum, allowing visitors to step back in time and experience the daily life of past generations.

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The Old Vermilya school

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, Thumb .

In the sprawling farmland southwest of Columbiaville, the old Vermilya school stands as a poignant relic. Its construction dates back to the bygone year of 1875, and the years have certainly left their mark. The weathered clapboard siding, a fascinating mosaic of faded grays and peeling whites, tells a silent story of decades spent at the mercy of the elements. This schoolhouse, a sentinel of a forgotten time, ceased its educational role in 1941, when its students were redirected to the more modern, bustling classrooms of Columbiaville. From my vantage point along the roadside, it appears this property is now privately owned. I was compelled to capture a photograph of this beautifully weathered structure, its aged charm a testament to a simpler era. The quiet dignity of the building, set against the backdrop of the rural landscape, made for a truly compelling image.

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The Moore House in Caro

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

This beautiful old house with a thached Tudor style roof sits in a nieghborhood near downtown Caro. Originally built around 1868, the house was purchased in 1914 by William and Lovila Moore. William owned a telephone exchange company that had initially been based in Sandusky, Michigan, before relocating to Caro in 1896. When they acquired the property, it was designed in the Queen Anne style. In 1923, the Moores undertook a significant renovation of their home transforming it into the Tudor Revival style we see today. They also added a swimming pool, tennis courts, and various modern amenities. Lovila Moore resided in the house until her passing in 1937, while William J. Moore continued to live there until his retirement in 1947 and remained until he died in 1955.

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Wahjamega and the Farm Colony

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

Near Caro, across from the Airport on M-81, is a complex of buildings. They were part of the farm colony of Wahjamega. The name “Wahjamega” is an acronym derived from the initials of its founding sawmill partners: William A. Heartt, James A. Montgomery, and Edgar George Avery.

In 1914, the state established a Farm Colony for Epileptics in Wahjamega, intended to address the overcrowding at the Lapeer State Home for Epileptics. It started out with good intentions for helping people, but the facility gained notoriety for its involvement in eugentics and the forced sterilization of patients, a practice conducted under Michigan law from 1914 to the mid-1960s.

Over the years, the facility has operated under various names. Today, a portion of it continues to function as the Caro State Psychiatric Hospital. Many of the old buildings are gone. This one still stands not far from the hospital. I assume it was patient housing at one time but I am not sure.

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The Old House in Forester

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Thumb .

In the small town of Forester, nestled on the shores of Lake Huron in Michigan’s Thumb, stands thid old boarded up house. Its weathered appearance suggests long vacancy, hinting at a bygone era. I wondered if this house witnessed the tragic fate of Minie Quay, Forester’s most infamous resident.

At just 15 years old, Minie tragically took her own her life on a cold April day in 1876, by jumping off a dock into the icy waters of Lake Huron. She was devastated by the news of her sailor boyfriend’s demise in a Great Lakes shipwreck. She was laid to rest in the cemetery overlooking the lake north of town, and her ghost is said to walk the shoreline looking for her lover.

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Luckhard Museum and Indian Mission

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Thumb .

On Bay Street in Sebewaing near the Christ the King Lutheran School is a house like building with a concert structure that looks like a log cabin attached to it. It is the Luckhard Museum and The Indian Mission. In 1845 three Lutheran missionaries Rev. Johann J. F. Auch, Rev. J. Simon Dumser, and Rev. George Sinke arrived in Sebewaing. The Lutheran leader, Rev. Friedrich Schmid, sent them from Ann Arbor to evangelize the Chippewa Indians. They constructed a log chapel at a site just north of town but this proved to be inadequate. In 1846, they purchased lumber from Bay City and ferried it to Sebewaing and constructied this mission house and Auch used it as a combination chapel and home.

After a few years Auch moved on and the building was alternately occupied and abandoned over the course of decades. In 1954, C.F. Luckhard purchased the building and extensively restored it. Luckhard moved the structure to its present location, and used it to display his collection of pioneer-era artifacts. Luckhard also constructed a replica from concrete of the first log house built by Auch.

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St. Patrick’s Church

Posted on March 6, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

St. Patrick’s Church in Clifford in the Thumb 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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An Old House in the Winter

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, Thumb .

I saw this big old lonely forgotten house south of Watrousville in the Thumb, and during these cold Michigan winter nights I imagine there was a large family living there that kept warm by the heat of the fireplace. I know people who heat their house with wood, and they do a lot of cutting and splitting. Myself being a lazy city boy, I just go over and turn up the thermostat, and burn some more gas. I was told when you heat with wood, ” it keeps you twice as warm, once while you split it, and stacking it, and then again while you burn it” and this old house looks like it used a lot of wood to keep warm. I hope you are safe and warm wherever you are at.

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The Church Among The Fields

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

I saw this old church standing among the farm fields in the Thumb somewhere near Caseville. It looks as if it has been a while since it has seen a baptism or wedding. I don’t know anything about it but it looked rather peaceful watching over the crops.

I hope you are having a great day and thank you for taking the time to read my posts.

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