Thumb Archives - Lost In Michigan

Small Town Memorial

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns, Thumb .

I was traveling through the Thumb and I went through the small town of Minden City. In front of city hall, the Stars and Stripes were proudly waving in the spring breeze. at the base of the flagpole was a stone with the words:

Dedicated in memory of those who served our country that we may live in freedom.

A town may be small, or in a for away location, but it does not diminish the appreciation a community has for the sacrifices made by those who served. It is always nice to the American flags and memorials on my journey to remind me how lucky I am to have the freedom to roam this beautiful country.

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Zig Zagging in Snay

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

I was zig-zagging the gridwork of rural roads surrounding the farm fields in the Thumb. I came across this old brick building with a cobblestone foundation. I am not sure if it was a school or some other government building but it was interesting looking. Not far down the road was the Snay cemetery. Michigan had a post office for the town of Snay in a general store operated by Charles Snay. It was opened in 1889 and closed in 1901. It looks like the cemetery and possibly this building is all the remains of the little town.

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Murphy’s House

Posted on April 17, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, people, Thumb .

I saw this beautiful gothic house with white siding and a green roof in Harbor Beach in Michigan’s Thumb. In front of the house was a sign that read MURPHY MUSEM. I stopped and took a pic and then read the bronze plaque proudly displayed out front.

Frank Murphy was born in 1890 in Harbor Beach and graduated from U of M with a law degree. He was elected as Mayor of Detroit and Governor of Michigan. He served as the U.S. Attorney General and was nominated to the Supreme Court by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

He was a strong defender of civil rights and as a supreme court justice, he is most noted for speaking out against the Japanese internment camps during World War II declaring it “legalized racism”

This house which stands as a museum and memorial to him was once his home and law office in Harbor Beach. After his death in 1949, he was buried at Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic Cemetery in Harbor Beach never forgetting his roots in the Thumb.

It’s amazing the things I learn just by stopping to take a pic and reading a sign. I wish I was out traveling right now, but I am staying home and sharing pics from my archive which is good because I forgot all about this pic that I took about a year and a half ago.

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After The Fire

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Thumb .

On September 5th, 1881 a massive devastating fire swept through Michigan’s Thumb Region. It burned over a million acres and killed 282 people. The fire burned for several days and destroyed most of Sanilac, Lapeer, Tuscola, and Huron counties. The important thing to remember is not only the fire but the response to the fire.

Clara Barton was a nurse during the Civil War and started the American Red Cross in 1881. The Thumb Fire was the organization’s first relief effort. Just as it is now, it was the first responders and the medical community has always stepped up in times of need. Michigan has endured some tragic hardships, but Michiganders have always persevered.

This is the part where I am supposed to write something profound and inspirational but words elude me. I like to tell my stories with photos that I have taken but with the current travel restrictions, I figure it is best if I stay home. I feel like I should be doing something more. Maybe I should learn how to sew and start making masks for the dedicated men and women at the hospitals. All I can say is thank you to them and all the first responders. I figure for now the best thing I can do is just continue with my daily posts and hope they bring you a moment of entertainment and distraction.

P.S. I am not exploring Michigan right now, but I do have a lot of photos in my archive that I can post for a while.

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Saint Patrick’s in Palms

Posted on March 15, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

I saw this beautiful little brick church in the small almost forgotten town of Palms in the Thumb. I figured since it is the middle of March this is the perfect time to post a pic of this old church since its name is St Patrick’s. You can read more about the town of Palms in my post HERE

A reminder that my presentation in Kalamazoo has been canceled. We plan to reschedule it but I am not sure when.

And one last thing. This will probably be the only mention of the virus that we are all affected by and talking about. I plan to keep posting like I always have and avoiding talking about current topics such as politics or current events. I figure there are plenty of places to go if you want to see that kind of stuff. It’s not that I am not aware or concerned about it I just figure there is a time and a place for it. I am thinking you signed up for emails from me about places around Michigan and that is what I am gonna keep doing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and I have lots more pics and stories to post that I hope you will enjoy reading.

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What is That Brick Structure in Port Hope?

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

From a distance, this tall structure in Port Hope looks like lighthouse since it is so close to Lake Huron near the tip of the Thumb. After you get up close to it you realize it is something different. Thankfully there is a historical marker next to it that tells you what it is and its significance. Maybe I am one of the few people that bother to read the signs but I appreciate them. In this day and age of google sometimes a plain old sign still works extremely well and reads:

This chimney was built in 1858 by John Geitz. It is all that remains of the lumber mill established that year by William R. Stafford. Port Hope grew up around the mill. For a score of years, this town was the center of lumbering in the Thumb. It also became an important producer of salt. In 1871 and again in 1881 the mill, the docks, and possessions of hundreds of people were destroyed by fire. This chimney is a monument to those pioneers who by their courage and industry developed this area.

If you love reading about odd and strange Michigan history Lost In Michigan books are available on Amazon HERE

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Caseville Church

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

It’s Sunday and time for another historic church post. This is the tall and graceful Methodist Episcopal Church in Caseville. The historical marker standing nearby gives a little history and reads:

In 1868 the Reverend Manasseh Hickey and twelve settlers organized a Methodist Episcopal Church in Caseville. Services were held in a schoolhouse until the present church was built. Upon its dedication on November 15, 1874, the Gothic-inspired structure, with its 70-foot-high steeple, became a focal point for the community. Local contractor William Ormiston built the church, which contains stained-glass windows by McFadden and Reed of New York City. In 1907 a basement was excavated, and in 1940 the memorial windows were installed Over the years the steeple, which provided a landmark for Saginaw Bay boaters, was racked by structural problems and lightning, and had to be continually repaired. In 1974 the spire was replaced with a duplicate of the original.

I have never gone out fishing from Caseville, but I imagine back before GPS many fishermen would look for the steeple to help find the entrance to the Caseville harbor. I also wonder how long the pine tree has been growing next to the church. It is almost as tall as the steeple reaching into the sky.

Don’t forget to order your copy of Lost In Michigan Volume 3. t makes for a perfect Christmas gift for the person who loves Michigan.

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Applegate Barn

Posted on October 31, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Barns and Farms, Thumb .

I was zig-zagging my way across the Thumb when I saw this old barn hanging out with the Autumn trees. I could not tell you where it is located or probably even find it again. I was not paying close attention to the names of the roads I was traveling down. I know it is somewhere near Applegate but don’t ask me where I am just wondering a traveler seeing what I can discover along the way. There is no better place to get lost than Michigan in Autumn.

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” Henry David Thoreau

Reminder: My next presentation will be in Omer on Monday, November 4th at the historic Masonic Lodge at 7 pm.

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The Standard School in the Trees

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, Thumb, Uncategorized .

On my trip to Marysville I could have taken the expressway but that would be rather boring. I decided to zig-zag my way through the thumb. I got near Sandusky and I figured I would take some back roads since I had already been through the town. I came upon an old building among the trees. I knew it was a school because the faded metal sign above the door had the words ” Standard School ”

I have seen many schoolhouses in Michigan that are a standard school. I searched and searched the internets to figure out what that is but I am still not exactly sure. I think it is a K-8 or K-12 school but I am not sure. I know a normal school is a school for training teachers. If you know what a standard school is please leave me a comment I am curious.

P.S. thank you to the Marysville library for having me and to everyone who came out to listen to me speak. It was a fun time. I have another presentation coming up in Lakeview at the Tamarack library on October 29th at 6 pm.

I also have one coming up in omer on November 4th at the Masonic Lodge at 7pm

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The Short Barn

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bars and Restaurants, Thumb .

I have driven past this barn near Bay Port on M-25 a few times. It has always intrigued me as to why it is so low to the ground. If you have followed me for a long time you know I am a city boy. I am not an expert on farming but I assuming this is a chicken coop but it’s only a guess. if anyone could enlighten me please post a comment I would appreciate it.

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