upper peninsula Archives - Page 23 of 26

The Ghost Factory

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

In the early 1900s Henry Ford purchased the mill in Pequaming, and for the most part, the whole town. The town is in the northwest part of the Upper Peninsula near the town of L’Anse. The sawmill and the workers living in the town produced lumber for the model T. The Ford Motor Company purchased the mill and surrounding town for 2.8 million dollars. The purchase included the double band sawmill, lath and shingle mills, 40,000 acres of timberland, the town land and buildings, the railroad, along with towing and water equipment. Ford used the town as a model for his theories on self-reliance and education. He established a vocational school in his summer home during the school year, and also opened four one-room elementary and intermediate schools in September 1935. In 1937, the company built a high school, which contained state-of-the-art home economics food and clothing labs and a library, as well as the first fluorescent lights in a Michigan school. Increased shipping costs and the fact that wood was used less in the manufacturing of Automobiles Ford shut down the mill in 1942. The shell of the powerhouse shown in the photo still remains along with the water tower with the Ford logo painted on it.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this week, you can order them HERE

Thank you for subscribing to Lost In Michigan, If you haven’t already it would mean a lot to me if you Subscribe

The Ghost Houses

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Ghost towns, 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. They 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.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

I am fascinated by the beauty and the history in the Keweenaw Peninsula and have more pics to post and stories to share. I hope you will subscribe to email notifications so you won’t miss any new posts.

Whitefish in Winter

Posted on March 3, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

It’s always a fun trip to see the lighthouse at the tip of Whitefish Point but it is interesting to visit it during the winter. Living downstate we get some snow but they get a lot up at Whitefish Point. It must have been a quite existence taking care of the light way back in the day. Today the historic lighthouse is all bundled up and in hibernation for the winter but a historical marker proudly stands in front of it and reads:

This light, the oldest on Lake Superior, began operating in 1849, though the present tower was constructed later. Early a stopping place for Indians, voyageurs, and Jesuit missionaries, the point marks the course change for ore boats and other ships navigating this treacherous coastline to and from St. Mary’s Canal. Since 1971 the light, fog signal, and radio beacon have been automated and controlled from Sault Ste. Marie.

If you ever get a chance to visit the lighthouse and the nearby T-Falls in winter you should do it. It’s cold but really peaceful without all the tourists.

Lost in Michigan books are ON SALE at Amazon HERE

I hope you subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

[fbcomments]

Project Sanguine In The Upper Peninsula

Posted on February 2, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

USS Annapolis in the Arctic Ocean after surfacing through the ice. Source Wikipedia

Project Sanguine was a U.S. Navy project, proposed in 1968 for communication with submerged submarines using extremely low frequency (ELF) radio waves. A test system consisting of two linked ELF transmitters located at Clam Lake, Wisconsin and Republic, Michigan in the middle of the U.P. It was constructed in 1982 and operated from 1989 until 2004. Using ELF frequencies the bandwidth of the transmission is very small, so the system could only send short coded text messages at a very low data rate. These signals were used to summon specific vessels to the surface to receive longer operational orders by ordinary radio or satellite communication. They were able to communicate with submarines over about half the world’s surface. The system transmitted continuously, 24 hours a day, sending an “idle” message when it was not being used so that submarines could verify they were within communication range. The completed system’s antenna that was originally proposed would have covered almost a quarter of Wisconson. Because of protests opposing the environmental impact, the system was never fully constructed.

The Clam Lake facility, which served as the test site and was originally called the Wisconsin Test Facility (WTF) consisted of two 14-mile transmission line antennas (called ground dipoles) in the shape of a cross, with the transmitter station at their intersection. The Republic facility consisted of three transmission lines, two 14-mile and one 28-mile, in the shape of the letter “F” (the shape is not significant and was dictated by land availability). The lines, made of half-inch aluminum cable supported on insulators on 40-foot wooden utility poles which resembled ordinary power transmission lines. The ends of the transmission lines were grounded by 1 to 3 miles of buried copper cable and ground rods. The transmitters sent alternating currents of 300 amperes through the lines, which passed through the buried electrodes deep into the Earth.

The system was controversial, and was the target of legal attacks and protests throughout its operating life. On five occasions protesters cut down transmission line poles. In 2004 the Navy shut down both transmitters, with the explanation that very low frequency (VLF) communication systems had improved to the point that the ELF system was unnecessary.

I want to check out the site near Republic, but it is low on my list of places to visit. I think all you can see from the road is a guard shack and a gate so I have not tried to hard to get a photo of the former base. I did want to share the story with you and I hope you thought it was as interesting and strange as I thought it was.

If you are wondering what the word sanguine means like I did, the dictionary defines it as: optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.

Don’t forget to enter the February book GIVEAWAY HERE

It would mean a lot to me if you Subscribe to Lost In Michigan

[fbcomments]

The Quarry Remnants In Da U.P.

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Enormous concrete buildings stand desolate and quietly in a remote part of the Upper Peninsula. They were part of the Fiborn Quarry built in the early 1900s. The Fiborn Limestone Co. at its peak had two locomotives and a small town of 75 people that worked for the quarry. It operated until the 1930s when the depression crippled the company’s ability to operate. The ruins of some of the buildings are now part of the Karst Preserve which lies between St. Ignace and Newberry about 10 miles west of Trout Lake. It’s about a half mile hike to the buildings, but if you are in the area it’s worth the trip.

If you want to know more about this place or you are looking for places in Michigan to explore I give detailed locations in my Lost In Michigan books which are available on my website HERE

I hope you subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts or giveaways,

The Ruins of Camp Raco

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

Hidden in the National Forest in the Upper Peninsula among the trees is an old stone chimney not far from M-28 in Brimley Township. It’s the remains of Camp Raco, Michigan’s first Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) facility. The camp was created in 1933 by President Roosevelt’s New Deal plan. Two hundred young men from Detroit built the camp and lived there while working on conservation projects in the U.P. They built roads, planted trees and buildings for public use.

The camp closed in 1942 but was opened back up during World War II and used as a prisoner of war camp. It housed 267 German Nazis captured by the allied forces. After the war, the buildings were removed and only the foundations and the chimney remains. Next time you are driving along M-28 near Brimley look for the small wooden National Forest sign for Camp Raco.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

I hope you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts or giveaways,

The Lighthouse Without a House

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

Besides the Lower and Upper Peninsulas that make up the state of Michigan, there are several other smaller peninsulas that stretch out into the Great Lakes. The Stonington Peninsula juts into Lake Michigan from the southern coast of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula separating Big and Little Bay De Noc. The lighthouse at the tip is known as Peninsula Point Lighthouse. It was constructed in 1865 after the Civil War.

Peninsula Point Lighthouse from the Coast Guard Archives

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1936 and tragically the keeper’s house that was attached to the tower burned in 1959. The tower was saved and is maintained by the National Forest Service. It’s a little bit of a trip to the tower from US-2 and the last few miles are a winding two-track road through the dense forest, but it is well worth the trip to climb the tower for an amazing view of Lake Michigan.

If you love lighthouses you can win one of the few remaining lighthouse calendars I have from my Facebook page HERE

To read more in-depth stories and their locations, be sure to check out the Lost In Michigan books HERE

If you like what I post I hope you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts.

[fbcomments]

Cudighi In Da U.P.

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Restaurants, upper peninsula .

I usually don’t watch Andrew Zimmerman because he eats strange stuff like snake legs or octopus testicles, but when he does a show in the Upper Peninsula I gotta watch it. As a lifelong troll, I am familiar with pasties, and of course he showed pasties on his show, but when he went to a bar in Ishpeming to get a cudighi sandwich I was intrigued. I never knew about them. They are made with spicy Italian sausage made into a patty and cooked on a flat top like a hamburger. Then served on a roll with marinara sauce and cheese.

I saw on the googles that Vango’s in Marquette was known for their cudighi so I had to stop and try one on my last trip to God’s Country. At Vango’s, besides the sauce and cheese, you can get it with grilled onions, mushrooms, and peppers. I also had to upgrade to the waffle fries. They also give you some ranch dipping sauce. It was really good. It was spicy but not too spicy, and the ranch dipping sauce paired nicely with the flavor of the sausage. The cheese was nice and melty ( if that is a word). It was a little messy but then again the best foods usually are. I loved the seasoned waffle fries, and best of all it was only $11 with a drink. I have spent more than that for a meal at most fast food places. The people sitting next to me got a pizza, and that looked really good too.

If you are ever in Marquette and you want a great meal at a reasonable price be sure to stop at Vango’s, at 927 North Third street not far from Northern Michigan University. Besides Italian food, they have a good selection of Greek and American cuisine on the menu. you can visit their website HERE

After writing this now I am hungry for a cudighi sandwich, have you had one? and what other restaurants do you know that serves them? please post a comment I hope I can find one closer to home.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

Don’t miss the next post, I hope you will subscribe to email updates,

Secret At The Cliff Cemetery

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Cemetery, upper peninsula .

North of the little town of Mohawk in the Keweenaw on US-41 is a sign for the Cliff Cemetery. Driving past the sign you don’t see a cemetery, but it is there hidden in the woods. After hiking about 50 yards into the forest you see tombstones among the trees. The ground is covered by green leafy plants which I think is wintergreen. Paths through the thick growth wind through the old cemetery to the various graves sites.

In the back of the cemetery is an old stone foundation left over from the chapel that once stood in the old cemetery. The cemetery is from the town of Cliff which sprang up when copper was mined from the nearby cliff. After the mine closed the town’s population dwindled away to nothing but the deceased citizens. I am not sure if it’s accurate, but I was told the church that stood in the cemetery was moved to the town of Pheonix and is the church HERE. How the wintergreen took over the old cemetery remains a secret that it’s residents are not willing to tell.

P.S. The Cemetery off US-41 is the Catholic cemetery. There is another cemetery on Cliff Drive. I was not able to explore that one since water covered the entrance and it was too deep for my jeep to cross it.

Lost In Michigan books are ON SALE this weekend on Amazon HERE

I hope you subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

The Old Pullman Car In Da U.P.

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in upper peninsula .

This old Pullman car is at a place called Dollar Settlement near lake superior west of Brimley. Some people have said the car was supposed to be converted into a diner but it never happened and it just sits there miles away from any railroad track. I have never been able to find out what the purpose of Dollar Settlement was for. The town of Dollarville was near Newberry and was named for Robert Dollar who owned a lumber company. I wonder if Dollar Settlement is where they loaded the ships with lumber for transport around the Great Lakes. I have never been able to confirm that.

Go out and explore the Mitten State with a Lost In Michigan book, you can order them HERE

If you like what I post it would really mean a lot to me if you will subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

« Previous Page