upper peninsula Archives - Lost In Michigan

Copper Harbor Cemetery

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

When I was up in Copper Harbor last fall I took a trip through the old cemetery. I noticed it has several graves with fences around them. I was curious and did a little research on the internets. Although decorative the fencing served to keep animals off loved ones grave sites. At least that is what I found on the internet. I am thinking that makes sense since I see fencing more frequently in the northern Michigan cemeteries where there would be more animals.

If you like old grave sites check out the cemetery off US-41 just before you get into Copper Harbor.

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M-107 Memorial Highway

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

If you visit the Lake of the Clouds in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park you need to drive down M-107 to the lake. It is about a ten mile stretch of road the travels along the shoreline of Lake Superior. You will probably notice a sign and a couple of boulders dedicating the road as the 107th Engineer Memorial Highway.

When the the roadway was built in 1935 it named to honor the 107th Engineer Combat Battalion. The 107th Engineer Battalion is a large unit of the Michigan Army National Guard stationed in Ishpeming Michigan. The Battalion traces its history to the Michigan State Troops, which was the predecessor organization to the Michigan National Guard. The 107th Engineer Battalion traces its roots to the Calumet Light Guard that was formed in 1881. During WW II the The unit built the longest tactical floating bridge in the world across the Rhine. The 1370 foot long bridge was built in 14 hours and nicknamed ‘Victor Bridge’ by the troops. The unit has also been activated for State Emergencies such as the 1967 Detroit Riots, the 1976 Great Seney Fire and several snowstorms in the Upper Peninsula. In the summer of 2016 they called into active duty and assisted in repairing roads in the Keweenaw that were washed away in a heavy rainstorm.

In 2001, the Michigan Legislature named officially named it the “107th Engineer Memorial Road ” The unit’s motto is “Good as Done!” Next time you visit the Porkies and are traveling down M-107 I hope you will remember that it is more then just a number for a road, but that it honors the men and women from the Upper Peninsula engineer combat battalion who continue to serve the state and the country for more than a century.

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Downtown Rockland

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in small towns, upper peninsula .

The town of Rockland sits along US-45 near Ontonagon. It started in 1847 when the Rockland Mine opened. It was a booming area at one time but after the mines closed the town dwindled in population. Today a few hearty Yoopers call it home. I went through town to get to the Old Victoria historic town site.

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The Nancy Jean

Posted on August 31, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ships and Boats, upper peninsula .

This old wooden fishing boat named the Nancy Jean sits on display at Black River Harbor on the southwestern end of the Upper Peninsula. The 32 foot wooden boat powered by a gasoline engine was built in 1913. A fishing village once stood at the mouth of the Black River and in the 1930s the Nancy Jean was used as a commercial fishing boat. In the 1950s it was used as a charter fishing boat and then it was pulled up onto land an sat near the location of the long gone fishing village. In 1991 the Ottawa National Forest (they manages the Black River Harbor) purchased the old boat for one dollar. They did some restoration and put it on display as a reminder of days gone by at the harbor.

The harbor sits at the end of the Black River National Forest Scenic Byway. If you are in the area I highly recommend taking the drive down the byway and checking out the waterfalls and the harbor.

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The Ruins Behind The Church

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

The small town of Mansfield sits near the center of the Upper Peninsula. Not much remains of the town today after a devastating mine collapse killed several miners. An old log cabin style church still stands and has been restored by local historians. Behind the church are the ruins of some old cabins. I can only assume they were abandoned shortly after the mine collapse. You can see my post about the church HERE

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The Log Cabin and the Co-op Community

Posted on August 2, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, upper peninsula .

The Alva Kepler log cabin in Manistique’s Pioneer Park next to the water tower. The rustic house dates back to the 1880’s and was once part of the Byers’ settlement in Hiawatha Township, 12 miles north of Manistique. The cabin was part of the cooperative community known as the “Hiawatha Village Association.” It was formed in the 1890s when people were struggling from an economic depression at the time. About two hundred people agreed to turn over there assets to the community and live in the village. They had about 225 residents the first year and grew crops and made goods to sell in Milwaukee.

After the first year they were not successful because they could not sell there crops and the cost to ship the products they made were more than they could sell them fore. When Alva Kepler and his brother John were supposed to move into the village the following year they sued to withdraw from the community. Shortly afterwards many other people sued and the homes and items were split up among the members ending the short lived experiment.

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The Keystone Bridge

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Bridges, upper peninsula .

The small town of Ramsay sits a few miles east of Bessemer. One of Michigan’s largest and oldest stone bridges can be found there. The keystones at the peak of the arch stand 57 feet above the Black River. The bridge was constructed in 1891 by Chicago and Northwest Railroad at a cost of $48,322. The tracks above it are gone and it has been a long time since any trains traveled over the bridge but it still looks as good as the day it was first constructed.

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Quincy Stamp Mill Ruins

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

This massive crumbling building stands along M-26 north of Hancock. It is the remains of the Quincy Stamping Mill No. 1. Built in 1890 it was used to pulverize ore to extract the copper from it. The mills production peaked during World War I. After the war the demand for copper diminished and the mine’s production slowed. The mine closed in the 30s when the Great Depression hit. The mine reopened for a short time during World War II but closed for a final time shortly after the war ended. The ruins stand along the road as a reminder of the booming copper industry in the Keweenaw.

Reminder: Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE for prime day. you can see them HERE

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Nahma Locomotive

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Train Depots, upper peninsula .

The historic town of Nahma started as a company sawmill town. It sits along Lake Michigan a few miles from US-2. The town of Nahma was established in 1881 by the Bay De Noquet Lumber Company. They built a railroad to haul logs to the sawmill. In 1912, The Nahma and Northern Railway purchased Locomotive #5. The tracks are gone but the old locomotive sits in a park in town. If you have kids that like trains, or a big kid like me that likes trains it is a nice little side trip from US-2 to see this old locomotive.

I have a story about the town of Nahma in my latest volume of Lost In Michigan HERE.

Halliwell Remnants and Occupants

Posted on June 21, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

The remnants of the old Halliwell mine can be found in the Porcupine Mountains. South of the visitor’s center on S. Boundry Road is where the mine once stood after it was constructed in 1895. The mine sunk two vertical shafts but it never made a profit and closed in 1908.

After the mine closed is when it gets a little interesting. Two brothers, George and Gus Biggie live at the mine. They were born in the Porkies in the 1890s. They attended school at the nearby ghost town of Nonesuch where their father ran a general store. They lived in the old office of the mine and raised chickens, grew a garden and guided hunters and tourists to make a living. When the Michigan took over the land to create the state park they were given special permission to live at the old mine. After they had both passed away in the 1970s the mine structures were removed. Only a few remnants of the mine remain along with a fenced off hole where the shaft was sunk into the earth.

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