After the 1836 Treaty of Washington opened up the land for Europeans, Irish immigrants settled the area north of Grand Rapids. By 1844, it is estimated that 20-30 Irish families were settled in the area now known as Parnell. The town was named after Irish political leader Charles Stewart Parnell. The community came together to
The tracks are gone, and a rail trail for biking and hiking remains where they used to be. Autumn trees of reds and yellows stand alongside the path with memories of the tragic forest fire that burned the town of Metz. The historical marker in Metz reads: On October 15, 1908, raging fires swept
The short version of the story is two sizes of Lost In Michigan wall calendars are available on Zazzle.com HERE The longer version of the story is with covid and the issues I had with the Post Office losing several of my packages, and not doing presentations or bazaars, I have decided not to print
I was passing through the small town of Applegate in the thumb and this little building caught my eye. The sign on the front reads: APPLEGATE FIRE DEPT. MUSEUM STATION NO. 1 EST 1914. There is a newer fire station down the street. This was the original fire station. I can still imagine the old
West of Escanaba I came across this old store, or at least what is left of it. The empty store looks like it closed several years ago and is surrounded by a few houses. It’s about all that remains of the old town of Wilson in the Upper Peninsula. Thank you for Subscribing to Lost
Somewhere north of Tawas I saw this old dilapidated wooden structure. From a distance, it looked like an old barn. As I got closer to it I could see the windows, or at least opening for windows, and a brick chimney. I figured it must have been a house. The walls are not talking so
This beautiful average looking wooden two-story house, in a quiet neighborhood of Owosso, is where Thomas Dewey was raised. Most people probably would have never remembered the name Dewey if it was not for the Chicago Daily Tribune boldly printing the headline DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN. Thomas Dewey who was born in 1902 and raised in
The Salem Walker Cemetery is a historic cemetery west of Northville. The first burial in the Salem Walker Cemetery took place in 1834 after the land was donated by Ira Ham and early settler. I don’t have any spooky stories to tell about it, I just thought it looked beautiful blanketed in the freshly fallen
Along the Grand River in Fitzgerald Park are these magnificent rock outcroppings and cliffs. They truly are grand ledges and give the town they are located in its name. I find it strange that I have lived in Michigan for a half-century and have explored many places and I just now visited this wonderful place.
In the late 1880s, George Hart cleared the land north of Manistee where Orchard Beach State Park now stands and planted an apple orchard, which gave the park its name. The orchard sat on a high bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. By 1892 Hart had built a boardwalk and theater to attract more tourists. With its
