upper peninsula Archives - Page 7 of 25

The Black River Foot Bridge

Posted on October 30, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, upper peninsula .

The Black River empties into Lake Superior not far from the Wisconsin Border. At the mouth of the river is the Black River Harbor managed by the National Forest Service. The 210 foot suspension bridge was built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was reconstructed in 1967 and refurbished in 2009. The bridge is part of the North Country Scenic Trail and allows hikers to cross the Black River wit a spectacular view as it bounces and sways as you cross it.

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St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery

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

south of the historic Fayette townsite is an old cemetery on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A sign next to the road denotes it is St Peter The Fisherman Cemetery. It was the Catholic cemetery for Fayette and a protestant cemetery was north of town. A short trail from the road leads to the cemetery hidden in the trees.

It is a beautiful little cemetery with old headstones and newer wooden crosses. One of the earliest burials was in 1877. The one thing that stood out to me was the metal fencing surround a couple of burial plots. It was strange how it was all mangled and twisted as if some supernatural force hit it. I am thinking a tree fell on it or maybe ice from a storm but for whatever reason it looked odd. If you like old cemeteries and you are visiting Fayette be sure to check out the old cemetery. It is near the Port Bar & Family Restaurant.

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First Roadside Park

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Michigan Historical Markers, upper peninsula .

Last week I took a trip across the Upper Peninsula and I stopped at a roadside park on US-2 near Iron River. The historical marker in the park notes that it is the first roadside park in Michigan and reads:

In 1918 the Iron County Board of Supervisors approved the recommendation of the road commission, through its engineer-manager, Herbert F. Larson, to purchase this 320-acre tract of roadside virgin timber and to dedicate it as a forest preserve. The following year Iron County established Michigan’s first roadside park and picnic tables. This was quite likely America’s first such facility. Since then similar parks have been provided by most states for the comfort and enjoyment of the traveling motorist.

After crossing the U.P. along US-2 I traveled to Duluth, Minnesota and up the North Shore and then back down through Wisconsin. If you want to see my posts from other states I hope you will take a look at my other website. https://lostinthestates.com/

This was my last big trip of the year and I have lots of great stuff to post over the winter. I hope you will check it out. If you like my posts on Lost In Michigan I am sure you will not be disappointed.

Autumn Lake House

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, upper peninsula .

I was on the old 510 Bridge near Marquette and saw this little lake house surrounded by the colorful autumn trees. I don’t know anything about it but I thought it made a pretty photo.

I wish the peak color could last longer but I guess that is what makes it so special.

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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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