Thumb Archives - Page 7 of 10

The Red Barn

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Barns and Farms, Thumb .

I saw this big old red barn somewhere near Bad Axe. I grew up in the big city nowhere near a farm, but I do like these old barns. Years ago farmers would seal the wood with linseed oil to help protect the wood from the weather. Many would add rust to the oil because it would prohibit mold and moss from growing on the side of the barn. The rust would give the oil a dark reddish color. As paint manufacturing evolved and became a better option for farmers many stayed with the traditional looking red color. At least that is my understanding of why barns are red and the prevalent theory on the internet.

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The White Rock Schoolhouse

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Schools, Thumb .

In a field located in the town of White Rock is a two-room brick schoolhouse. It is the third schoolhouse in the town located in the Thumb along the Lake Huron shoreline. The first one was built after the great fire of 1871. It burned down in the great fire of 1881. The second schoolhouse burned down in 1908 and this brick one is what replaced it. The school’s teachers taught children until 1968 when it was closed. A few years later the Huron County Historical Society purchased it and converted it into their museum.

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Ghost Town of Tyre

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, Thumb .

The old town of Tyre is in the middle of the Thumb not far from Ubly. It is not a ghost town like in the wild west movies, but the town has for the most part disappeared. It no longer shows up on the map and only a few houses remain. The town was founded in 1857 and given the name Tyre for its stony terrain. This old grain elevator slowly being overcome by trees still stands next to the railroad tracks.

An old cemetery nearby marks the graves of some of the former residents or should I say, permanent residents. Among the people laid to rest are the Sparling men who were murdered. The court case involving the accused became a national sensation. You can read about it in my post HERE.

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The House of Seven Gables

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, Thumb .

The House of Seven Gables in Huron City, near the tip of the thumb, is a beautifully preserved Victorian home that sits on a bluff overlooking Lake Huron. It was named by William Lyon Phelps, for the house of the same name in the Hawthorne novel. This is the third house built on this site. The forest fires of 1871 and 1881 destroyed the houses built before the elegant house that still stands on this site.

Annabel Hubbard decorated Seven Gables in 1886 for her father Langdon Hubbard. After her marriage to William Lyon Phelps, Annabel added “modern” bathrooms and updated several rooms in the early 1900’s. Seven Gables has always been owned by family members. The furniture you see is original to the house and major portions of the house still have the original 1886 decorations, giving you a unique view into history.

you can learn more about Huron City at their website HERE

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The Houses of Wahjamega

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, Thumb .

If you have ever driven down M-81 west of Caro you have probably seen the resort-like buildings that are part of the Wahjamega complex. I say resort-like because they have an American southwestern architecture look to them with stucco walls and reddish-brown tile roofs. It started out as the colony for epileptics with good intentions but soon took a sinister turn when eugenics was practiced and patients and residents underwent forced sterilizations. Most of the buildings are vacant now and the main building is now the Caro Center. When drove through the complex I saw these old houses and I wonder if they were used by the doctors and administration way back when the colony first opened. If you want to learn more about Wahjamega you can read my other post HERE

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The Stone Church in the Thumb

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

If you have followed my posts for a while you know I am a sucker for old stone buildings. They have a natural feel to them being constructed from local stones and they seem like they would stand for a long time as stones don’t really decay like wood or other modern materials.

I saw this old stone church in Croswell that even had a historical marker standing in front of it. The marker reads:

This picturesque cobblestone building constructed in 1898 serves as the Croswell chapel of the Trinity Episcopal Church. Its interior features wooden arches and a rood screen between the nave and the chancel. This structure formerly called Christ Church replaced the county’s first Episcopal church building erected nearby in 1870. Among the prominent citizens attending and supporting the present church were the families of lumber barons Wildman Mills, Truman Moss, and Joseph Gaige.

The old historic church is now used as the Croswell Community Center.

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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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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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