upper peninsula Archives - Page 3 of 25

Holy Protection Ukrainian Catholic Monastery

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Mike Sonnenberg 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.

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Dollar Settlement

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg 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.

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The Kinross Incident

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg 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.”

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The Legend of the Pine

Posted on October 10, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg 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.

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The Narnia Trail

Posted on October 2, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Nature, upper peninsula .

The Bush Bay Trail is a scenic hiking path that winds along the stunning Lake Huron shoreline. It’s commonly known as the Narnia Trail due to its enchanting natural beauty and impressive boulders lining the coast. You can find the parking area just off M-134, east of Hessel. If you’re seeking a lovely hike in the southeastern part of the Upper Peninsula, the Bush Bay Trail is an excellent choice.

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The Governor’s Estate Ruins in the U.P.

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

The ruins of Michigan 27th Governor’s estate can be found on an Island in the Upper Peninsula. Sugar Island is located in the St Mary’s River east of Sault St Marie. Duck Island is a small island that is separated from Sugar Island by a channel and Duck Lake. Chase Osborn lived on the island until his death in 1949. He was born in 1860 in Indiana and started his career in the newspaper business. He married his first wife Lillian G. Jones in 1881 and soon after moved to Sault Ste. Marie. In 1889, he was appointed Postmaster of Sault Ste. Marie and, in 1895, the state’s Fish and Game Warden.

Osborn built an estate on Duck Island where he built two log cabins. The larger cabin he called Big Duck and the smaller one was called Little Duck. Between them was a concrete library that held his vast collection of books.

Big Duck cabin ruins

Little Duck cabin ruins

Osborn’s library

In 1910, Osborn was elected the 27th Governor of Michigan and served from 1911 to 1913. He was the only governor from the Upper Peninsula and he proposed building a bridge across the Straits of Mackinac to President Roosevelt in 1939.

Near the riverbank is a building built with logs. I am not exactly sure what this was used for. I seen it stated that Chase had a separate bedroom made with logs. He also slept outside on a bed of pine bows. I am not sure if the log structure was his sleeping quarters or some sort of shed.

Chase Osborne became a member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents and served from 1908 to 1911. In 1927 he donated his property on Duck Lake and Sugar Island to the U of M. He made arrangements to be able to live at his estate. He had thousands of books in his library and they were given to the University of Michigan and Lake Superior State University.

Chase and Stellanova’s gravesite

South of the cabin is a large rock used as a grave marker for Chase and his second wife Stellanova. Looking at the dates Chase was born in 1860 and stallanova was born in 1894. Osborn met Stellanova Brunt in 1924, and she took a job as his researcher and secretary. Chase and Lillian Osborn legally adopted 37-year-old Stellanova, and she changed her last name to Osborn. After his wife Lillian died, Stellanova’s adoption was annulled. Chase was 89 and Stellanova was 54 when they were married. Chase died two weeks later at his home in Georgia. His remains were transported to Duck Island and they were buried under a massive rock. Stellanova died in 1989 and was buried with her husband on Duck Island. (I am thinking that Chase married Stellanova so she could get his survivor death benefits as his wife that she would not have received as his daughter.)

Osborn’s property and estate is now the Chase S. Osborn Preserve and used for research and instruction in natural sciences and forestry. When I visited the main gate on S. Homestead Road was open. I parked near the closed gate for Duck Lake. The sign next to it read that no camping or dumping was allowed but I did not see anything about trespassing so I assume it is open to the public. It is about a mile hike to the estate. It was an easy hike without any steep hills to climb. If you visit please be respectful so that it remains accessible. you can see it on google maps at the coordinates here 46.35820957281242, -84.13571232907873

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

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Only Choice Lighthouse

Posted on September 9, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Lighthouses, upper peninsula .

Not far from US-2, near the town of Gulliver, between the “Bridge” and Escanaba, is Seul Choix Point Lighthouse. Seul Choix is a French word for “only choice” and is pronounced “sis shwa”. It is one of the few harbors along the southern shore of the Upper Peninsula. That is how the name of the lighthouse came to be. It is still used as an active aid for navigation but also serves as a museum for visitors.

Stories claim the lighthouse is haunted by keeper Joseph Willie Townsend, who served at the structure from 1902 until his death in 1910. It is said that he passed away while in the bedroom that is located upstairs. Townsend and his wife lived in the lighthouse, and he was known to enjoy smoking cigars. Unfortunately, his wife was not a huge fan of the smell and smoke associated with the cigars, and forbade him to smoke in the house. Since his death, many people have claimed to smell burning cigars in the house. It’s believed that Townsend purposely smokes in the house in the afterlife as his wife can no longer stop him from doing it. People also claim to have seen Townsend’s ghost and that furniture is rearranged. Another strange occurrence is that when the table is set for dinner with the forks facing up, if you leave to retrieve something and return to the table, sometimes the forks are facing down. Townsend was known to set his forks down in that position.

If you enjoy reading stories of lighthouses I hope you will take a look at my book Light From The Birdcage available on Amazon HERE

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The Big Chief

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in people, upper peninsula .

The town of Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula sits next to the Wisconsin border. About a mile south of downtown is a small park with an enormous statue. It is of Hiawatha, a legendary leader of the Iroquois Confederacy, and a sign below the statue declares it to be the world’s tallest Indian. The park is the site of the old Norrie Iron Mine. The 52-foot-tall fiberglass statue was erected in 1964, and funded by local auto dealer Charlie Gotta. It was built to help draw tourists to travel through downtown Ironwood. I am not sure how much it helped, but it is definitely an attention grabber.

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The Cabins along the Road

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Forgotten Places, upper peninsula .

I pass by this row of old cabins in the Upper Peninsula frequently. They stand along US-2 near the Lake Michigan shoreline a few miles west of St. Ignace. I always wonder about them. I am sure back in the day they were a popular spot with the tourists. Now they stand slowly being engulfed by trees and weeds watching the cars and trucks pass by.

If you love exploring the Upper Peninsula, I hope you will take a look at my book by clicking HERE

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The Spring in Norway

Posted on July 29, 2024 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Artesian Springs, upper peninsula .

Along US-2, about a mile outside of Norway 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 through rock that traps water at higher elevations. The difference in elevation creates the pressure in an artesian well. The back side of the fountain has a pipe with flowing water for filling up jugs. I like to stop and fill up some water bottles when I am passing through Norway. I think it is the best tasting water in Michigan.

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