Category Archives: upper peninsula

The Red Light of Sand Point Lighthouse

Posted on by Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

The shipping season has ended for the winter on the Great lakes, and the ships are in winter layup, but the Sand Point Lighthouse still shines over Escanaba. The lighthouse has a red light, and from what I’ve learned, red is used because it shows up better in fog. I have also noticed that lighthouses at harbor entrances usually have a red light. Whatever the reason, the old lighthouse looks majestic and faithful, shining in the night sky.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Snow Gage

Posted on by Posted in upper peninsula .

I have driven past the The Keweenaw Snow Gauge on US-41 between Mohawk and Phoenix in Summer a few times. You get a whole new appreciation for it in the winter when the snow is waist deep in the woods and piled high on the sides of the roads.  The life-sized snow gauge shows the Keweenaw’s record snowfall that was set during the winter of 1978-79. During that winter, the Keweenaw received 390.4 inches of snow. Each spring the Keweenaw County Road Commission moves the arrow to indicate how much snow fell during the most recent winter. I wonder when the record will be broken and the gage made taller.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Ahmeek Stamping Mill Ruins

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Near the town of Hubbell, along M-26 in the Keweenaw Peninsula, are massive concrete blocks. They look like something from an ancient civilization, but the mechanical device on one of them shows they are more modern. They are the remnants of the Ahmeek Stamping Mill. It was built in 1910 and pulverized rock into a sand-like material for copper extraction. The mill closed down in the 1940s, and the concrete structures remain as a reminder of the Copper Country’s past.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Big House on 426

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, Houses, upper peninsula .

This big old house stands along county road 426 in the center of the Upper Peninsula. The road runs along the old Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad tracks. Weeds and small trees are growing up between the rusty rails, so I assume they have not been used in years. This old abandined house stands between Cornell and Watson on the other side of the tracks. Most of the old abandoned houses I see in the Upper Peninsula are smaller shacks and cabins. I couldn’t help but wonder what the story was with this old building. I found on an old county map and it shows the name of the town of Woodlawn. A reference stated that the town was originally called White, but the name was changed to Woodlawn when it got a post office in 1905. I am wondering if this is the remains of the old town, and maybe it was a boarding house or something. I took a pic from the road and you can see the old railroad tracks at the bottom of the photo. I often wonder about these old places, and I also wonder if I am the only person who drives past them and is curious about their history.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Snow in Herman

Posted on by Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Herman is located in a remote section of the Huron Mountains between L’Anse and Nestoria. On December 19, 1996, the town received one of the largest snowfalls in Michigan history, with 30 inches of the white stuff falling in the single day.

The town was named for Finnish lumberjack Herman Keranen, who purchased forty acres and began farming in the area.  Over the decades, the population has dwindled, and it is mostly a ghost town. A few people continue to live in the historic community. The train still passes through but no longer stops in Herman. This large old house sits in the town of Herman. It is the old Dantes house and it is named for its original resident, Charles T Dantes, who was a Finn from Northern Sweden who settled in Herman in 1907. He worked for the railroad and owned the general store. He was the town’s postmaster, and sheriff of Baraga County. Today the old house is barely standing under the wieght of all the snow.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

 

Pine Mountain Ski Jump

Posted on by Posted in upper peninsula, Winter Wonderland .

The Pine Mountain Ski Jump in Iron Mountain. A road up the backside of the mountain leads up to the base of the jump. After looking out over the landing zone I know I will not be attempting to jump off of it. It would be fun to watch ski jumpers fly off of it. I will have to go sometime when they have a competition.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Holy Protection Ukrainian Catholic Monastery

Posted on by Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

This magnificent building stands along Lake Superior in the Keweenaw Peninsula. It is just north of the Jampot and it is the Holy Protection Ukrainian Catholic Monastery. It is a Byzantine Rite monastery under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of St. Nicholas in Chicago. The monastery is known for its beautiful location near Jacob’s Falls on the shore of Lake Superior and its dedication to prayer, work, and the arts. It is where the monks live that work at the Jampot bakery making the delicious baked goods, jams, and jellies.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Dollar Settlement

Posted on by Posted in small towns, upper peninsula .

I previously shared a post about an intriguing railroad car located in Dollar Settlement, near Brimley. Thanks to the kindness of several commenters, I’ve uncovered some fascinating details about its history. Thank you to Steve and Pauline.
Dollar Settlement owes its name to Joseph “Joe” Dollar, a local legend who navigated the waters of Lake Superior, delivering essential mail and supplies to the region’s inhabitants. His modest log cabin stood on the lakeshore, just north of the railroad car’s current resting place.
The railroad car arrived as a hopeful replacement for Louise’s Hamburger Stand, a beloved local eatery. The plan was to transform it into a new dining destination, carrying on the legacy of Louise’s famous, secret hamburger sauce recipe. Unfortunately, this dream was never realized.
Carol Eccleston and her son John, Louise’s granddaughter and grandson, were the driving force behind this ambitious project. However, Carol’s declining health and limited resources hindered their efforts. Despite facing zoning challenges from the local township, which they ultimately overcame, the extensive restoration required for the rail car proved too daunting. Today, the car remains a silent testament to a dream deferred, serving only as a storage space for the family.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Kinross Incident

Posted on by Posted in people, upper peninsula .

On November 23, 1953, radar operators at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, detected an unidentified object breaching restricted airspace over Lake Superior. An F-89C interceptor, piloted by Captain Felix Moncla and radar operator Robert L. Wilson, was scrambled from  Kinross Air Force Base (renamed Kincheloe Air Force Base in 1956) located in the Eastern U.P. to investigate.

Despite the advanced technology of the era, the F-89C’s radar struggled to track the erratic movements of the mysterious object. Ground control guided Moncla as he pursued the unidentified craft at speeds exceeding 500 miles per hour.

Radar operators witnessed the two blips on the screen—the F-89C and the unknown object—converge and ultimately merge into a single point approximately 70 miles off the Keweenaw Peninsula. The combined blip continued its course before vanishing from the radar. All attempts to contact the F-89C were unsuccessful. A joint search and rescue operation by the United States and Canadian Air Forces yielded no trace of the aircraft or its crew.

The event, now known as the Kinross Incident, remains shrouded in intrigue. The U.S. Air Force’s official explanation—that the jet crashed while pursuing a stray Canadian aircraft—has been disputed by the Royal Canadian Air Force, as Sudbury Airport was under construction at the time.

While some theories, including a potential encounter with a UFO, have circulated, the most likely explanation, supported by extensive research, points to a tragic accident during a snowstorm while pursuing a lost aircraft. Captain Moncla’s gravestone in his hometown of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, bears a poignant inscription: “Disappeared Nov. 23, 1953 intercepting an UFO over Canadian Border as Pilot of a Northrup F89 Jet Plane.”

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Legend of the Pine

Posted on by Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

While passing through Bay Mills in the Upper Peninsula I noticed a sign on the big pine tree in the Native American cemetery. It reads:

“THE LEGEND OF THIS PINE TREE – Among the Indians who moved from Nayohmekong to what is now the Indian mission at Bay Mills was a little girl of fifteen named Eliza (Waishkey) Labranch.   (B Jan 4 1847 – D Nov 16 1917) It was Eliza who selected the tree, then only a twig, and planted it at the head of her grandfather Waishkey  (Lawbawclic) grave.  ( B 1778 – D 1847)

He was born of the Caribou Clan and Chief of the Waishkey Band of Chippewa Indians. The tree, a White Pine, was planted about the year 1848

I never noticed the sign before, but it reminds people that that a big tree has been standing a long time and it connects generations of people.

Note: I did not go into the cemetery and took a pic from the fence along the road.

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

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read