In the farmlands in the center of the state, northeast of Gladwin, stands an old church on a lonely dirt road. The people of the little lumber town of McClure worshiped in the wooden church. It’s about all that’s left of the town named after lumber baron William C. McClure who built a sawmill in
The historic walker tavern was built in 1832 on what is now the corner of US-12 am M-50 in southern Michigan. It was a popular stagecoach stop and later a tourist attraction for people traveling by automobile. In 1922 the tavern was sold to Fredrick Hewitt and he was known to embellish stories to attract
North of Gaylord on old 27 is a roadside park. A small creek runs through it with a couple of bridges that cross the flowing water. The water comes from a natural spring known as the Irontone Spring. The park is Frank Wilkinson Park named in honor of Frank Wilkinson who was the first Otsego
From a distance, this tall structure in Port Hope looks like a lighthouse since it is so close to Lake Huron near the tip of the Thumb. After you get up close to it you realize it is something different. Thankfully there is a historical marker next to it that tells you what it is
After spending a few hours driving across the Upper Peninsula I came to the small town of Chatham on M-94 south of Munising. At the sight of this three-story brick building I thought it looked like a skyscraper compared to all the buildings I saw in the small towns I had been traveling through. In
On M-41 between Calumet and Copper Harbor stands the Church of the Assumption. It was in the heart of the mining town of Phoenix. The Phoenix Copper Mining Company created one of the first copper mines here, and the town was named after the company. The Church is maintained by the Keweenaw County Historical Society and
Deep within the Highland State Recreation Area west of Pontiac are the ruins of an elaborate lodge. It once belonged to Edsel Ford and was named Haven Hill. The massive lodge was constructed in 1923 and used as a retreat by the Ford family. After Edsel’s death in 1943, his wife Eleanor sold the estate
This two-story wooden school stands in downtown Douglas. It was constructed in 1866 and is one of Michigan’s oldest union schools. In 1843, the state of Michigan adopted a law authorizing separate school districts, located within a township that contained a city or village, to merge into a “union” district. Districts 3 and 4 of
I know there are some grand and impressive waterfalls in Michigan, like the Tahquamenon falls or Bond Falls. Warner falls is probably not the most impressive waterfall in Michigan, but it is a nice little waterfall along M-35 south of Palmer in the Upper Peninsula. If you’re like me, and have to see all the
Michigan has thousands of campsites all across the state for people to enjoy the great outdoors. Campsite number 4 at the Ossineke State Forest Campground, south of Alpena, is unique. It is a beautiful campsite overlooking Lake Huron. Next to it is a stone marker for the gravesite of A.J. Michalowski. A sign next to
