The town of Melbourne was a sawmill town along the Saginaw River between Bay City and Saginaw. It was one of the largest lumber mills in Michigan in its heyday. It’s most famous citizens was George “Kid” Lavigne, the world lightweight boxing champion. After a devastating fire, the town was mostly destroyed and never rebuilt.
This colonial revival home with a gambrel roof was built by Frank J. Cobbs in Cadillac for his family. He was the adopted son of Johnathan W. Cobbs who along with William Mitchell Cobbs and Mitchell lumbering co which was one of the largest lumbering firms in the state. Johnathan died at a relatively young age in
I have always been a city boy, but you gotta love an old wooden barn. Don’t ask me exactly where this barn is located, all I know is it was somewhere near Alpena. I was not paying attention to what road I was on while out roaming the backroads when I saw this barn with the
I love the grand old courthouse in Houghton. The historical marker next to it reads: The opulent High Victorian design of the Houghton County Courthouse testifies to the prosperity that the copper boom brought to the area in the late nineteenth century. The building’s irregular form and polychromatic exterior make it one of Michigan’s most
During the Cold War, the vital task of watching the skies for enemy airplanes was done by the Air Force. At the start of the Korean War, the Air Force built 28 radar installations around the country to watch the skies over North America. The 754th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron were initially activated on
The ruins of this two-story schoolhouse stand along the road in rural Mason County watching the farmers work the fields. Above the entrance is a carved stone that reads: FERN SCHOOL DIST. 3 1906. It’s all that remains of the town of Fern. The town was built around a sawmill owned by J.S. Adams in
This monument stands in an old cemetery in the small town of Byron near the southeast corner of Shiawassee County. The historical marker at the cemetery tells her remarkable story. The daughter of Civil War Captain Samuel and Sarah Tower, Ellen May Tower was born May 8, 1868, in Bryon. She attended Chaffee School, the Byron
Near the intersection of old 127 and M-61 not far from Harrison is an old wooden fence with stone pillars. It may not look like much now, but back in the day tourists from miles around would stop for what was behind the fence. John E. Meyers moved to the area in the 1920’s and
I will send one lucky winner a Lost In Michigan wall calendar. Post a comment below on what your favorite city is in Michigan and I will pick a winner at random from the comments. I will post the name of the winner Sunday, November 11th in my post. I am not sure what the
Frederick and Mary Currier built this house in Almont around 1854, inspired by Orson Fowler’s A Home for All, which promoted the octagon form as a healthy place to live. The tall windows, which admit light and air and the five octagonal rooms reflect Fowler’s philosophy. The Curriers came to Almont from New England in
