upper peninsula Archives - Lost In Michigan

The Heroes in Pinery Cemetery

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

A few miles northeast of L’Anse in the Upper Peninsula is the Pinery Indian Cemetery. The land has been used as a Native American burial ground since the 1600s. Many of the graves have spirit houses. They provide a place for loved ones to leave food, arrows, beads, and items needed for the deceased to travel to the spirit world.

I have been to the national cemeteries in Holly, Grand Rapids, and Battle Creek and I have seen veterans sections in other cemeteries. I usually see American flags next to the headstones. It was inspiring to see an American flag next to the spirit houses. It is a reminder that people came from all walks of life and different backgrounds and religions to fight and defend freedom in this country.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula available on Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Nonesuch Mine

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, upper peninsula .

The Porcupine Mountains in the western Upper Peninsula is the largest state park in Michigan. It is known for its hiking trails, waterfalls, and the Lake Of The Clouds. But few people know that hidden among the trees are the ruins of an old mining town. It also has an old stone lined shaft that sinks into the ground. It is rather spooky how it curves out of a hill and I can not imagine descending down into the earth from it. The hole is fence off now but you can still see it in the forest of the Porkies

Nonesuch is a type of copper ore that exists in sandstone and the town was named after the ore. Mining began in 1867 and ended in 1912.At its peak, the town had a population of 300 people and besides the mining buildings, it had a school, boarding houses, stables, and even a baseball team. Today stone walls can be found in the area where the town once stood. I also found some old cast iron machine parts including a large gear half-buried in the ground and held in place by a tree root.

The ruins can be found near the Little Iron River. A parking lot can be found off South Boundary Road with a trail that is about a half-mile long that will take you to the ruins. To find the parking lot drive straight south of the visitor center. A short road keeps going south where South Boundary Road curves to the west. Down that short road, you will find a small parking lot and an informational sign for the town of Nonesuch.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula I hope you will take a look at my new book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula available on Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Book

Posted on May 11, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

I am proud to announce my most recent book Lost In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is now available. I have had several people request I do a book on places in the U.P. and this book has many of my favorite places. Some locations have been published in my other books and some are new. I also have some tips and advice for traveling the Upper Peninsula that I have learned over the many trips I have taken.

Books are available on Amazon HERE

I am working on getting them in book stores but it may take a few weeks. I am a small independent author/publisher and it takes me time to get them distributed.

If you want to see a list of some of the places in the book, and a preview of the inside, you can see it on amazon HERE. (note: you need to be on a desktop or notebook to see the preview)

Thank you so much to everyone that has purchased one of my books. Your support and kindness means a lot to me and helps me with expenses to explore Michigan and create more posts.

The Siscowet

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ships and Boats, upper peninsula .

I took a recent trip through Escanaba and looked for an old friend. For years the old Chicago fireboat the Joseph Medill sat on land near downtown. I liked it so much it is on the cover of volume 2 of my book series. Sadly it was cut up for scrap a few years ago. Now a different boat sits on land. The Siscowet, sits near the location where the old fireboat sat. I am not sure what it’s fate is, but it looks lonely sitting up on dry land.

P.S. If you are wondering a siscowet is the name of a lake trout.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Ghost Houses in the Keweenaw

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Houses, upper peninsula .

Michigan has a few lumbering and mining ghost towns scattered around the state. Near the old historic Quincy Mine north of Hancock, I saw these old forgotten houses. They are on US-41 in Franklin Township. I call them ghost houses because the area still has people living and working in it, but I assume these were old miners’ houses. The name of the town where these houses stand is or was Franklin Mine, named after the mine in the area. They look as if the historical society or someone is preserving them. The old houses make me wonder about the people who lived in the Keweenaw and worked in the mines. It must have been a hard life back in the day.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

Sac Bay

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, upper peninsula .

Sac Bay is in the Garden Peninsula south of Fayette in the Upper Peninsula. It is a small bay on the shores of Big Bay De Noc and a town of the same name was started in 1853. It was given a post office in 1860, but was closed after a post office was opened in Fayette. This old building stands across from an old farm where the town once stood. It looks as if it was a general store at one time and then it had a metal addition added to it. There is a little county park along the bay and it is a nice quiet place to visit if you are at Fayette.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

A Mysterious Death at Grand Island

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

Grand Island is in Lake Superior not far from the town of Munising. The old Grand Island Lighthouse sits on the northern edge of the island on a tall cliff overlooking Lake Superior.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1866 to replace an old decrepit light that was built in 1844. In 1961 a metal post with a battery operated light replaced the lighthouse and it was decommissioned. Dr. Loren Graham, a history professor at Harvard, and his wife Patrica a historian and dean at Harvard purchased the dilapidated old lighthouse in 1972. While remodeling the old building they found a newspaper with an article about the body of the assistant lighthouse keeper being found in a rowboat floating offshore. Keeper Genry had also disappeared and it was 15 years later that his body was found washed up on shore 20 miles from Munising. After an investigation, it has never been determined what happened to the two men.

Dr. Graham had researched the men’s mysterious death for 30 years and published a book detailing what he believed had happened to them. It is a fascinating book. In the middle of the book, he digresses into the history of the Upper Peninsula and the Native American culture and European mining immigrants. The book then circles back the death of the two keepers. People’s culture and experiences lead them to believe what happened to the two men. Not only is the book a compelling mystery, but it is also a well written brief history of the Upper Peninsula. If you are looking for something to read this winter I highly recommend Death at The Lighthouse: A Grand Island Riddle which you can see HERE. I think it has been out of print for a while so you may have to get a copy from your local library if the bookstore does not have it.

P.S. As far as I know, the Lighthouse still remains privately owned. I hope I get the chance to see it someday.

If you love lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my new Lighthouse book HERE

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Best Water in Michigan

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Artesian Springs, upper peninsula .

I was traveling across the Upper Peninsula on US-2 headed to Duluth for my other website Lost In The States. I went through the town of Norway near Iron Mountain. Right along the highway, about a mile outside of town is a stone fountain. The water comes from an artesian spring and flows all year long.

In 1903 Oliver Mining Company was searching for iron ore and drilled a hole about a thousand foot deep. The hole cuts several steeply dipping porous strata that trap water at higher elevations to the north. The difference in elevation creates the pressure in an artesian well. The back side of the fountain is a pipe with flowing water for filling up jugs. I stopped along my journey and filled up an empty water bottle that I had in my Jeep. I gotta say it is the best tasting water that I have ever had. If you are ever passing through Norway be sure to bring a few jugs to fill up with water.

P.S. Lost in Michigan books are ON SALE at Amazon HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Old Orphanage

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

I took a photo of the old orphanage in Marquette almost ten years ago way back when I started Lost In Michigan. Holy Family Orphanage was constructed in 1915 and was used until 1967. It was home to children ranging from infants to high schoolers. It was also where Native American children were brought after being removed from their families to be “integrated” into white Christian culture.

The old building had sat empty for decades and some claimed it was haunted. In 2016 the old orphanage got a new lease on life after a 15 million dollar renovation converted it into apartments. I have taken a lot of pics of old buildings over the years and many of them have been torn down. It is nice to see this one has been renovated and repurposed.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

The Backwards Lighthouse

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

The sun rising on the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba on a crisp autumn morning. Built in 1867 the lighthouse is a simple design with a square tower. Lighthouse are built with the tower facing the water but Sand Point is unique in that it is on the back side of the building from Lake Michigan. No one knows exactly why it was built the way it was but it is a beautiful little lighthouse.

If you love lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my Lighthouse book HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.