The Dowagiac train depot, which was built in 1903, stands as a notable landmark in downtown Dowagiac. The original depot on this site holds historical significance as it welcomed the very first Orphan Train to arrive in Michigan. This was part of a larger, controversial social experiment that lasted from the 1850s to 1929. The trains transported thousands of homeless and orphaned children from the crowded cities of the East Coast to the rural farmlands of the Midwest and West, with the goal of finding them new homes and a better life.

The reality for these children was a mix of hope and hardship. When the Orphan Trains pulled into a new town, the children were often put on public display in places like hotels or town halls. Prospective families would inspect them, sometimes treating the children more like objects or laborers than future family members. While some children were fortunate enough to find loving homes, many were exploited as cheap labor or indentured servants. Siblings were frequently separated, and children were often encouraged to sever all ties with their past, sometimes even adopting new names. This led to a wide range of outcomes, from successful adoptions to cases of abuse and neglect. The Orphan Train movement eventually came to an end in 1929 as a result of changing social attitudes and the development of more formal child welfare laws.

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For someone like me who is a descendant of Polish immigrants it’s Paczki Day. A single one is paczek pronounced “pohn-check” and more than one paczek is paczki, pronounced “poonch-key”. There always seems to be a lot of confusion about paczki, I think because the big box stores started selling them, and they just make them with their usual doughnut recipe. A bismarck and a paczek are not the same thing, the box stores need to stop passing off jelly doughnuts as paczki. According to my grandmother, pączki are made with a richer heavier dough that has more eggs and sugar and Grandma said Polish people did not have a lot of money for fancy fillings, if they had any filling at all, it was usually prune. I think people think the paczki is supposed to be fancy like a French pastry or something, but the paczki recipe was a way polish Catholics used up their dairy and eggs and indulged themselves before lent. When you eat a paczki, it’s not just deep fried dough, its part of Polish heritage and reminds me of a time my relatives came over from Poland seeking a better life. They may not have been rich, but they were honest hard working people.

Growing up in Carrollton (near Saginaw) I went to school at St. Josaphats. Before the church built the building across the street they used to make the paczki in the basement of the school. I could smell that wonderful aroma all day during school, we did get to do down there and each student got one fresh hot paczek and you had your choice between plain and powdered sugar. Unfortutatly they no longer make paczki at the church but I still remember the days during my youth.

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A massive canon sits in front of the Alpena city hall. It once stood on the deck of the U.S.S. Maine battleship. The mighty American warship exploded in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898, ignited the Spanish-American War. After the ship’s remains were raised in 1912, Alpena resident and Republican Congressman George A. Loud forwarded resolutions from the city’s chamber of commerce and common council to the Navy Department, requesting a loan of “a piece of naval ordinance of historical interest.” The Navy granted the request, loaning Alpena a six-inch gun from the Maine in March 1912.

The cannon’s arrival in Alpena on May 19, 1912, was met with great excitement. The city planned a grand Independence Day celebration for its unveiling, drawing over 7,000 visitors eager to see the relic from the “martyred” U.S.S. Maine. Alpena holds the distinction of being the only city in the United States to possess a cannon from this historic battleship. This silent tribute to the Maine continues to stand in front of City Hall, at the corner of Water Street and First Avenue.

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I am proud to announce the release of my new book Lost In Michigan’s Abandoned Places has just been released.

It contains stories of places around Michigan that was abanded for thier original purpose. Many of the locations are on public property such as state and local parks and allow people to visit and explore them. Some are private but near the road so they can be viewed by the curious. The book delves into the stories behind over 50 unique locations, offering detailed information on their history, current state, and accessibility.

Whether you’re a history buff, an intrepid explorer, or simply curious about the state’s past, this book will lead you on a journey through time. Discover the haunting beauty of abandoned buildings, the industrial might of former factories, and the quiet solitude of forgotten mining towns.

I hope you will take a look at it on Amazon HERE 

P.S. Thank you to all of you that have purchase books over the years. Your kindness and support really mean a lot to me and help me in being able to write new posts about the wonderful state of Michgian.

If you wan to see all the books I have publsihed you can see them on my author page on Amazon HERE

Along the Lake Michigan shoreline is a historical marker near the town of Thompson. It marks the spot where the “Christmas Tree Ship” sailed from with a load of pine trees for Chicago. One of the last shipping schooners to sail the Great Lakes was the Rouse Simmons. The three-masted schooner was built in 1868 to carry lumber. At the end of the sailing season, Captain Herman Schuenemann loaded the ship with Christmas trees from the Thompson forests and delivered them to the port of Chicago. Captain Schuenemann was known there as Captain Santa and the Rouse Simmons had a pine tree tied to the top of the mast.

The Rouse Simmons left Thopmson for Chicago on November 22, 1912. The ship sank in a late November snowstorm near Two Rivers Wisconsin. The captain and crew were never seen again. Captain Schuenemann’s wife and daughters delivered trees to Chicago each Christmas until around 1934. Over the years several books have been written about the “Christmas Tree Ship” 

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Next to Washington Elementary School in Sault Ste Marie, is a stone statue with two small children. Around the base are the words: Water, Air, Soil and Protect. I could not find any info about it on the internet so I am hoping someone will share the story behind this statue.

2025 Lost In Michigan wall calendars are now available on Zazzle.com HERE

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Over two centuries ago a rag tag group of rebel soldiers went up against the most powerful empire in the world. People said they had a snowballs chance in H E double hockey sticks chance of beating the British Redcoats. Since winning our independence this country has ben through a lot. Americans can do anything when we work together. We have sent astronauts to the moon and brought them back home safely. We bridged the two peninsulas and defeated the Nazis. I am not sure what will happen next but as long as we work together I believe Americans can do anything.

Almost a quarter century ago a rag tag group of rebel soldiers went up against the most powerful empire in the world. People said they had a snowballs chance in H E double hockey sticks chance of beating the British Redcoats. Since winning our independence this country has ben through a lot. Americans can do anything when we work together. We have sent astronauts to the moon and brought them back home safely. We bridged the two peninsulas and defeated the Nazis. I am not sure what will happen next but as long as we work together I believe Americans can do anything.
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Island Park is located near downtown Mt. Pleasant where the Chippewa River flows around it. At the north end of the park is the Michigan Vietnam Vets Memorial and it honors those who served from Michigan. There is 16 plaques featuring 2705 of Michigan’s casualties, MIA’s, and POW’s.

The memorial was officially dedicated as a State Memorial on July 15, 1990. After the addition of the bronze “War Cry” statue in 1994 it was rededicated. The statue is a reminder of not only of physical wounds of the troops but the mental challenges that they endure. It is a beautiful and moving statue and memorial and if you are traveling trough central Michigan it is a nice place to visit and remember the cost of freedom.

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In the woods northwest of Oscoda is the Indian Mission Cemetery south of Mikado. Rows of white wooden crosses stand in the cemetery and most have the word “unknown” carved into them. I large black stone monument list the names of the known veterans and the war that they served in. At the top is the name John Michigan who served in the Civil War. It also states his grave is across from the church.

About a mile away is the Oscoda Indian Mission and across from it is a cemetery with a log fence and a solitary American flag standing next to a crudely carved headstone.

I can make out the date “died 1874” but the name is difficult to read. According to Find-A-Grave it is John “Keshechp” Michigan. Other than that I could not find out any more of his story. I am thinking he was Native American and his name was difficult to pronounce so he was just known as John from Michigan and it was shortened to John Michigan. But it is just a theory of mine with no real proof. One thing I know is that his grave stands silently across from the church and he deserves to be remembered for his service to the country.
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