By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Last fall, at the end of September, Ruth and I took a trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with a focus on photographing the remains of the copper mining architecture and equipment from the 1800s and early 1900s. The first day, we photographed our way north, taking our last photographs near Hurley, Wisconsin and then we crossed into Michigan, staying the night in Ironwood. The next morning, at first light, we were in downtown Ironwood to capture a few scenes before heading north. One of the first shots I took was of this old-fashioned bakery.
The best part about this bakery was…..no, not the pastries, which we didn’t sample, but the cat in the window to the right of the door. He was watching every person who walked past or went in or out of the bakery.
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan. Show all posts
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Do You Have a Chicken in There?
After photographing for two or three hours, I said, “Is that it? I hope so because I’m starving.” Ruth then informed me that we still needed to capture a few pictures of the Memorial Building, a Neoclassical building completed in 1923. It houses municipal offices, community facilities, and several veteran memorials. So we drove by the building and pulled onto a quiet side street. Then Ruth said, “Why don’t you get some boiled eggs out of the cooler and I’ll peel them while you photograph the building.”
So I opened the lift gate and started digging around in the cooler for the carton of boiled eggs. When I found it, I took out four eggs and laid them beside the cooler. As I did this, an elderly gentleman strolled past on his morning walk. I nodded Hello and went back to getting breakfast. Suddenly, the man stopped and turned around, asking with a grin, “Do you have a chicken in there?”
I started laughing and then walked toward him, telling him that Ruth and I go on trips to photograph old historical structures. I also told him that we eat all of our meals out of the cooler and that we eat really well – organic fruits and vegetables, and other food that is good for us, and that we never eat in restaurants.
He said, “Good for you. That’s the way to do it!” Then he told me that his parents had driven a Model T Ford from Iron Mountain, Michigan to Seattle, Washington and they didn’t stay in motels or eat in restaurants. Instead, they camped along the way and hunted or fished for their meals. This would have been a trip of over 2,000 miles in the early 1900s, long before there were interstate highways and probably when there were still many dirt roads.
I told him my name and he said his name was John, that he was Swedish, and that he had lived in Ironwood nearly his entire life. Then a nostalgic look of sadness appeared in his face and he said, “Things are just not like they used to be. It’s sad to see the world the way it is now. Ironwood was a nice place to live, and it’s still better than most places, but it’s not as nice as it used to be.”
I asked John about a historical photograph that we had seen in a window in downtown Ironwood earlier that morning. It was a black and white photo of a huge crowd of people in front of the Ironwood Depot, with the US Flag waving above them. He said that Ironwood was such a nice place in those days with community events and picnics held often. He thought that the photo may have been taken at one of those events. According to John, “It was an awesome time and an awesome place to live.” Then he repeated that it made him sad to think about how the world has changed. And then he said, “It’s especially sad for me because I’ve lived through all the changes and I know what it was like in the old days.”
John continued on, saying that he had several children who are now in their 50s and 60s. At one point, they had all moved away, but now he was happy that all of them had returned because of how nice living in Ironwood is compared to other places. Then he told me that he was 91 years old and that he was a World War II veteran. I extended my hand and shook his, saying, “Thank you for serving.” He smiled proudly, and gave me the impression that it was unusual to receive such thanks.
When John returned from the service, he went to Alaska to work in the mining industry there. He stayed for three years and even built his own home there. But Ironwood was calling him back. So he returned and began working in the iron ore mine in Montreal, Wisconsin.
John explained that the Montreal Mine was the deepest iron mine in the world. Every day, he and his fellow miners would pile into a cage and descend over 4,000 feet to mine the iron ore. He worked there for 16 years before the mine closed in 1962. And then he told me that I wouldn’t believe what it was like down there in the depths of the mine.
Knowing what I know about mining and thinking about what I’d seen in the movies, I knew that miners worked in dirty, dangerous jobs. Therefore, what John said next took me totally by surprise. Instead of telling me about the poor working conditions, he said that, every day, he would find crystals among the iron ore. He would stuff them into his pockets and then transfer them to his empty lunch bucket after lunch.
Every day, John went home with his lunch bucket full of crystals. I asked him what kind of crystals they were and he said that there was every kind of mineral down in the mine. Then I asked if all the men were taking crystals home. He said that most of them didn’t because they were more interested in producing as much iron ore as possible. The whole team was paid by how much iron ore they could collectively bring out of the mine. So John had to make sure he was pulling his weight and mining as much iron as the other men on the team. And because he did do his share, the other men would often give him the crystals they found.
I then said to John, “So, I’m assuming that your boss didn’t know that you were taking these crystals home every day. He said that the “big bosses” didn’t know he was finding and taking crystals. If they had known, they might have stopped him. Then John told me that, one day, he discovered a huge bunch of crystals. And with a look of wonder on his face, he said, “It was like looking at a palace.”
John’s immediate boss was with him when he made the discovery, so he asked his boss, “What should we do?” His boss said that they should get some boxes and haul the crystals up in the cage. So they worked together to do that and when they got the boxes of crystals up to the surface, they hid them. Then they returned to the mine and worked extra hard to make sure they were producing enough iron ore for the day.
John continued to collect crystals during the 16 years he worked in the Montreal Mine. And after the mine closed, he continued to look for crystals in the piles of “junk” iron ore that the company had discarded. Some years later, he opened a rock shop to sell all the crystals that he had collected, which he ran for 10 years. He said that he made his living and supported his family with the crystals that he sold in the rock shop.
One day, a very rich man contacted John and bought some of his best crystals that he then took to the annual rock and crystal show in Texas, where they won “best of show.” John said that there is a book about crystals that sells for around $250 and he is mentioned many times in this book for the crystals that he collected from the mine. In researching for this story, I tried to find information about this book, but came up empty-handed. However, I did find on a website by the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy several beautiful crystals in private collections that came from the Montreal Mine in the early 1960s.
I asked John one more time what kind of crystals he sold in the rock shop. He replied, “I never learned all the names of the crystals….I was just selling beauty!” And with that, I could see he was eager to finish his walk, so I thanked him for the delightful conversation and we both went on our way. That wonderful conversation made the whole trip worthwhile and as I walked back to the car, I was so hungry, I could have eaten a horse. But before I could enjoy the boiled eggs “from the chicken we had in the back of the car,” I knew I had to dictate notes about everything John had told me to prevent the details from slipping away before I would get around to writing this story.
Note: Most of the photos of crystals in this blog post are probably not the kind that John would have collected from the Montreal Mine, but were used just to portray the feelings John shared about the beauty of all the different crystals he discovered, collected, and later sold in his rock shop. And my thanks go out to Burnie’s Rock Shop in Madison, Wisconsin for allowing me to photograph a few of the rough crystals they have for sale.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
World Water Day
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
World Water Day is a global awareness day that takes place every year on March 22. It was established in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly to urge people around the globe to take action to solve the world water crisis. According to the United Nations, “today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water.”
Each year, a theme is designated, such as “Caring for our Water Resources is Everybody's Business,” “Everyone Lives Downstream,” “Coping With Water Scarcity,” and “Clean Water for a Healthy World.” This year’s theme is “Why Wastewater?”. The focus is on reducing and reusing wastewater. The United Nations website suggests that at home, “we can reuse greywater on our gardens and plots. In our cities, we can treat and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industry and agriculture, we can treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and irrigation.”
Water is essential for sustaining life, quenching our thirst, and protecting our health. It provides us with beauty, serenity, and so many ways of enjoying it. From lakes and rivers for boating and fishing to waterfalls and bubbling brooks for peace, serenity, and natural beauty, to artesian wells for clean, healthy drinking water, please don’t take water for granted. Do what you can to protect and preserve it, for water is life!
Happy World Water Day and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
World Water Day is a global awareness day that takes place every year on March 22. It was established in 1993 by the United Nations General Assembly to urge people around the globe to take action to solve the world water crisis. According to the United Nations, “today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water.”
Each year, a theme is designated, such as “Caring for our Water Resources is Everybody's Business,” “Everyone Lives Downstream,” “Coping With Water Scarcity,” and “Clean Water for a Healthy World.” This year’s theme is “Why Wastewater?”. The focus is on reducing and reusing wastewater. The United Nations website suggests that at home, “we can reuse greywater on our gardens and plots. In our cities, we can treat and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industry and agriculture, we can treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and irrigation.”
Water is essential for sustaining life, quenching our thirst, and protecting our health. It provides us with beauty, serenity, and so many ways of enjoying it. From lakes and rivers for boating and fishing to waterfalls and bubbling brooks for peace, serenity, and natural beauty, to artesian wells for clean, healthy drinking water, please don’t take water for granted. Do what you can to protect and preserve it, for water is life!
Happy World Water Day and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Saturday, January 14, 2017
2016 in Review – Part 2
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Welcome back to the review of our 2016 photography year. Part 1 took us through winter, and our spring trip to Ohio, as well as several more Wisconsin outings through June.
On July 1st, we decided to head to the east, but we also decided to begin the day in Madison, photographing our way out of town. By 6 A.M. we were at the Yahara River. Along the trails there were bicyclists, dog walkers, and other people strolling about.
When we finished in Madison, we headed out of town. Early July is a great time to catch the winter wheat fields in their golden color. By mid-July, the harvest of wheat begins.
In August, we decided to start the day at dawn in Sun Prairie. Over the years, we’ve photographed a few things in town, but it seems we never get everything there is to see.
From Sun Prairie, we made our way to an old concrete silo with a very faded Miller High-Life sign on it. Years ago we had taken a couple of photographs, but it was nice to check it out again.
In Marshall, we found a small park on the Maunesha River with a cute Little Free Library shaped like the front of a canoe. We’re lucky that the Little Free Libraries originated in Wisconsin, so we find many as we travel around.
Our next stop was Waterloo. We’ve also been here many times before, but again we found many things that we haven’t found before. If you’re wondering, we must both be distracted at the same time as we drive through some of these towns! Joann is generally watching the road, and half the time, I’m looking down at the map. But at least that means we’ll never run out of things to photograph.
The historical museum in a former church is off the beaten path, and we finally looked it up! The clock in the tower was recently restored.
In September, Joann went to a car show in Cross Plains. One of the things they do at the show is a drive called the Hill and Valley Tour where they drive a set route of rural roads. Joann found out the roads they would take and then went out and set up to wait for the old cars to come along. Too bad she didn’t have a video camera!
In late September, we decided to take our trip to the Michigan U.P. that we had postponed last year. We left home on September 28th, and by evening we were at the Annala Round Barn in Iron County. The barn is made of fieldstone and has a matching round fieldstone milk house. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Once in Michigan, we were looking for an old store. When we found the store, it wasn’t that interesting, but there was an old Occident Flour ad on the side of it. The store itself had been updated and restored, but it appears that when they found the ad, they framed around it rather than cover it up. We love that!
We went up the Peninsula to the shore of Lake Superior. It was windy and chilly, so it wasn’t exactly beach weather. But Lake Superior is beautiful.
We were a little early for full fall color, but we did manage to find some spots of good color. One of these spots was an old homestead with this old barn.
In early October, we picked a day to drive the Farm Art DTour, which takes place every year as part of Sauk County’s Fermentation Fest. Partway through the route was a large beehive, with sculpted bees flying above it. While I read what was next on the route, Joann got out to photograph the hive.
When I looked up, I didn’t see Joann, but the bees were moving as if flying above the hive. Joann had gone inside the hive, and from there, she could “fly” the bees.
The following week, we decided to make a trip to Waupaca County. We hadn’t been to that area of the state for quite a few years, and we decided it was time. Unfortunately, the weather report was wrong, and shortly after we arrived, it began to rain. It continued to rain, sometimes a downpour and sometimes just a soft rain, throughout the morning. We decided to slowly head toward home, and whenever the rain allowed, to stop and photograph. The town hall below was one stop when the rain had let up for a few minutes.
As is often the case in November, the trees were bare and the main color was brown, so we didn’t go out to photograph. Joann did find something to photograph though, just outside her windows. Her family of turkeys continued to visit, and one morning in November, they were all around the feeders, with one even standing on top of the fly-through feeder, looking as though he was wondering “now what?”
In December, due to schedules, illness, and commitments, we only managed to go out once. It was on Christmas Eve and we decided to just drive a short ways south to see if we could find anything decorated for Christmas.
Every time we’re out in the winter, we look for snowmen. We were lucky enough to find one all decked out for the cold.
At the end of each year, I try to plot our travels on a map. The turquoise represents the counties where we took at least 1 photograph in 2016. You’ll notice that we didn’t make it to Iowa in 2016, which is unusual for us. I told Joann I’m having Iowa withdrawals, so we’ll try to make at least one of our normal trips there in the coming year.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip through our year of photographing. As I write this recap, we are already making plans for a spring trip back to Ohio. This time our plan is to make a path through the northern half of the state. Nothing is set yet, but there is much to see. So many roads, so little time!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Welcome back to the review of our 2016 photography year. Part 1 took us through winter, and our spring trip to Ohio, as well as several more Wisconsin outings through June.
On July 1st, we decided to head to the east, but we also decided to begin the day in Madison, photographing our way out of town. By 6 A.M. we were at the Yahara River. Along the trails there were bicyclists, dog walkers, and other people strolling about.
When we finished in Madison, we headed out of town. Early July is a great time to catch the winter wheat fields in their golden color. By mid-July, the harvest of wheat begins.
In August, we decided to start the day at dawn in Sun Prairie. Over the years, we’ve photographed a few things in town, but it seems we never get everything there is to see.
From Sun Prairie, we made our way to an old concrete silo with a very faded Miller High-Life sign on it. Years ago we had taken a couple of photographs, but it was nice to check it out again.
In Marshall, we found a small park on the Maunesha River with a cute Little Free Library shaped like the front of a canoe. We’re lucky that the Little Free Libraries originated in Wisconsin, so we find many as we travel around.
Our next stop was Waterloo. We’ve also been here many times before, but again we found many things that we haven’t found before. If you’re wondering, we must both be distracted at the same time as we drive through some of these towns! Joann is generally watching the road, and half the time, I’m looking down at the map. But at least that means we’ll never run out of things to photograph.
The historical museum in a former church is off the beaten path, and we finally looked it up! The clock in the tower was recently restored.
In September, Joann went to a car show in Cross Plains. One of the things they do at the show is a drive called the Hill and Valley Tour where they drive a set route of rural roads. Joann found out the roads they would take and then went out and set up to wait for the old cars to come along. Too bad she didn’t have a video camera!
In late September, we decided to take our trip to the Michigan U.P. that we had postponed last year. We left home on September 28th, and by evening we were at the Annala Round Barn in Iron County. The barn is made of fieldstone and has a matching round fieldstone milk house. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Once in Michigan, we were looking for an old store. When we found the store, it wasn’t that interesting, but there was an old Occident Flour ad on the side of it. The store itself had been updated and restored, but it appears that when they found the ad, they framed around it rather than cover it up. We love that!
We went up the Peninsula to the shore of Lake Superior. It was windy and chilly, so it wasn’t exactly beach weather. But Lake Superior is beautiful.
We were a little early for full fall color, but we did manage to find some spots of good color. One of these spots was an old homestead with this old barn.
In early October, we picked a day to drive the Farm Art DTour, which takes place every year as part of Sauk County’s Fermentation Fest. Partway through the route was a large beehive, with sculpted bees flying above it. While I read what was next on the route, Joann got out to photograph the hive.
When I looked up, I didn’t see Joann, but the bees were moving as if flying above the hive. Joann had gone inside the hive, and from there, she could “fly” the bees.
The following week, we decided to make a trip to Waupaca County. We hadn’t been to that area of the state for quite a few years, and we decided it was time. Unfortunately, the weather report was wrong, and shortly after we arrived, it began to rain. It continued to rain, sometimes a downpour and sometimes just a soft rain, throughout the morning. We decided to slowly head toward home, and whenever the rain allowed, to stop and photograph. The town hall below was one stop when the rain had let up for a few minutes.
As is often the case in November, the trees were bare and the main color was brown, so we didn’t go out to photograph. Joann did find something to photograph though, just outside her windows. Her family of turkeys continued to visit, and one morning in November, they were all around the feeders, with one even standing on top of the fly-through feeder, looking as though he was wondering “now what?”
In December, due to schedules, illness, and commitments, we only managed to go out once. It was on Christmas Eve and we decided to just drive a short ways south to see if we could find anything decorated for Christmas.
Every time we’re out in the winter, we look for snowmen. We were lucky enough to find one all decked out for the cold.
At the end of each year, I try to plot our travels on a map. The turquoise represents the counties where we took at least 1 photograph in 2016. You’ll notice that we didn’t make it to Iowa in 2016, which is unusual for us. I told Joann I’m having Iowa withdrawals, so we’ll try to make at least one of our normal trips there in the coming year.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip through our year of photographing. As I write this recap, we are already making plans for a spring trip back to Ohio. This time our plan is to make a path through the northern half of the state. Nothing is set yet, but there is much to see. So many roads, so little time!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Happy Anniversary U.S. Coast Guard!
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
The U.S. Coast Guard first took its name 100 years ago in January of 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service. The Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1790 as the Revenue Marine, and the U.S. Life-Saving Service had been founded in 1878. This makes 2015 the 225th anniversary of what was the beginnings of the U.S. Coast Guard.
In 1939, the Coast Guard absorbed the Lighthouse Service which had been founded in 1789. In 1946, the Coast Guard absorbed the Maritime Service which had roots back to the Steamboat Inspection Service, formed in 1838. What a history the Coast Guard has!
In 2007, Joann and I took a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan and visited the historic town of Glen Haven. One of the historic areas of Glen Haven is the Sleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station, which was built in 1901. Its purpose was to save the lives of passengers and crews of ships in distress in the Manitou Passage.
There were 60 such stations along the Great Lakes and many more along the Atlantic Coast. The first keeper of the Sleeping Bear Point station was Captain William Walker of Grand Haven. He brought along a six man crew and his family.
The location of the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Station was more exposed to wind and waves than any other station on the Great Lakes, which made it difficult to launch the rescue boats. In December of 1914, about 20 acres of land at Sleeping Bear Point slumped into Lake Michigan. The same thing happened again in 1971. These events changed the shoreline and made it even more difficult to launch the rescue boats, but the biggest problem was drifting sand. The sand threatened to bury the Life Saving Station buildings.
In 1931, the station and other buildings were moved east to their present location. A system of rollers, track, and cables was constructed, and horses were used to pull the buildings over them to the present location. After this move, the station became an “eyes and ears” operation. This meant that they patrolled the shore and relayed communications but rescues were left to a motorized boat stationed at South Manitou. The station closed in May of 1944.
Today you can visit the Maritime Museum to see how the captain and his crew lived, and learn about the rescue boats and equipment that was used.
If you visit Sleeping Bear Dunes, make a side-trip to Glen Haven to see the historic buildings.
And a big thank you to all of the current and past Coast Guard members for your service to our country during times of peace and war.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
The U.S. Coast Guard first took its name 100 years ago in January of 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service was merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service. The Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1790 as the Revenue Marine, and the U.S. Life-Saving Service had been founded in 1878. This makes 2015 the 225th anniversary of what was the beginnings of the U.S. Coast Guard.
In 1939, the Coast Guard absorbed the Lighthouse Service which had been founded in 1789. In 1946, the Coast Guard absorbed the Maritime Service which had roots back to the Steamboat Inspection Service, formed in 1838. What a history the Coast Guard has!
In 2007, Joann and I took a trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan and visited the historic town of Glen Haven. One of the historic areas of Glen Haven is the Sleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station, which was built in 1901. Its purpose was to save the lives of passengers and crews of ships in distress in the Manitou Passage.
There were 60 such stations along the Great Lakes and many more along the Atlantic Coast. The first keeper of the Sleeping Bear Point station was Captain William Walker of Grand Haven. He brought along a six man crew and his family.
The location of the Sleeping Bear Point Life-Saving Station was more exposed to wind and waves than any other station on the Great Lakes, which made it difficult to launch the rescue boats. In December of 1914, about 20 acres of land at Sleeping Bear Point slumped into Lake Michigan. The same thing happened again in 1971. These events changed the shoreline and made it even more difficult to launch the rescue boats, but the biggest problem was drifting sand. The sand threatened to bury the Life Saving Station buildings.
In 1931, the station and other buildings were moved east to their present location. A system of rollers, track, and cables was constructed, and horses were used to pull the buildings over them to the present location. After this move, the station became an “eyes and ears” operation. This meant that they patrolled the shore and relayed communications but rescues were left to a motorized boat stationed at South Manitou. The station closed in May of 1944.
Today you can visit the Maritime Museum to see how the captain and his crew lived, and learn about the rescue boats and equipment that was used.
If you visit Sleeping Bear Dunes, make a side-trip to Glen Haven to see the historic buildings.
And a big thank you to all of the current and past Coast Guard members for your service to our country during times of peace and war.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
The D. H. Day Barn
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In May of 2007, Joann and I made our first trip to Michigan. Our goals for the trip were as many lighthouses as we could fit in (to be covered in another post), the cherry blossoms, and the Old Mission Peninsula.
Along with the above goals, we both wanted to see the D. H. Day barn. Each of us had seen pictures, and that was all it took for us to know that we had to visit for ourselves.
David Henry Day was born in Ogdensburg in upstate New York in 1854. His father died at a young age and they lost the farm they had there. He came to Glen Haven, Michigan as a clerk for the Northern Transportation Company in 1878 with $240. He began buying land and soon established a booming lumber company and bought land for his farm.
He established a 400-acre farm that he called “Oswegatchi” after the New York community where his father was born and the Oswegatchi River where he had played as a boy. The farm buildings were built in the 1880’s and 1890’s and included the Queen Anne style house, the barn, a hog barn, a creamery, and a bull barn.
The barn is 116 feet long with French curves. The original barn was a two-story dairy barn and did not include the ornate silos standing today.
In 1889, Day married Eva Ezilda Farrant, and they took up residence above the General Store that he had built in Glen Haven. She preferred to live in town, so he walked the 3 miles to his farm each day to oversee operations and check on his prized animals.
By the 1920’s, the farm had an immense fruit orchard containing 5,000 apple and cherry trees. There was also acreage for growing corn and hay to feed his 400 hogs and his 200 pure-bred Holstein cattle.
He dreamed of living in the house on the farm one day, but was always overridden by his wife, who wanted to continue to live in town.
When Day died in 1928, he was 76 years old. Newspapers said Michigan had lost “King David of the North.”
The barn is listed as one of the “50 Most Significant Structures in Michigan” by the Society of Architectural Historians. It lies within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but is privately owned.
At least once a day an artist or photographer pulls up along the road to study the farm and photograph or sketch the ornate buildings in their rural setting.
If you ever get to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, be sure to drive M-109 to view the farm for yourself. It’s gorgeous!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
In May of 2007, Joann and I made our first trip to Michigan. Our goals for the trip were as many lighthouses as we could fit in (to be covered in another post), the cherry blossoms, and the Old Mission Peninsula.
Along with the above goals, we both wanted to see the D. H. Day barn. Each of us had seen pictures, and that was all it took for us to know that we had to visit for ourselves.
David Henry Day was born in Ogdensburg in upstate New York in 1854. His father died at a young age and they lost the farm they had there. He came to Glen Haven, Michigan as a clerk for the Northern Transportation Company in 1878 with $240. He began buying land and soon established a booming lumber company and bought land for his farm.
He established a 400-acre farm that he called “Oswegatchi” after the New York community where his father was born and the Oswegatchi River where he had played as a boy. The farm buildings were built in the 1880’s and 1890’s and included the Queen Anne style house, the barn, a hog barn, a creamery, and a bull barn.
The barn is 116 feet long with French curves. The original barn was a two-story dairy barn and did not include the ornate silos standing today.
In 1889, Day married Eva Ezilda Farrant, and they took up residence above the General Store that he had built in Glen Haven. She preferred to live in town, so he walked the 3 miles to his farm each day to oversee operations and check on his prized animals.
By the 1920’s, the farm had an immense fruit orchard containing 5,000 apple and cherry trees. There was also acreage for growing corn and hay to feed his 400 hogs and his 200 pure-bred Holstein cattle.
He dreamed of living in the house on the farm one day, but was always overridden by his wife, who wanted to continue to live in town.
When Day died in 1928, he was 76 years old. Newspapers said Michigan had lost “King David of the North.”
The barn is listed as one of the “50 Most Significant Structures in Michigan” by the Society of Architectural Historians. It lies within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, but is privately owned.
At least once a day an artist or photographer pulls up along the road to study the farm and photograph or sketch the ornate buildings in their rural setting.
If you ever get to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, be sure to drive M-109 to view the farm for yourself. It’s gorgeous!
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
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