  French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 260 Registered: 10-2006 |
Are there any GOOD ghost towns and by good I mean many structures and well you know. Not like a town that has 1 building. In other words any one worth seeing. | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 800 Registered: 01-2006 |
I remember visiting a ghost town in the UP as achild. It was more of a museum-ized place, but certainly interesting. as for empty-area ghost towns, the UP is spotted with the, especially in the western end. | ||
Crystal Member Username: Crystal Post Number: 59 Registered: 05-2007 |
I have a wonderful book, "Michigan Ghost Towns of the Lower Peninsula" by Roy L. Dodge written in 1970. Around Detroit I can think of several that are one- or two-building towns and remnant of railroad grade, but none bigger. Emory, Rushton, Leland, Worden come to mind. | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 118 Registered: 03-2007 |
I think the ghost town in the UP is called Fayette or Fayetteville. I believe they still have tours. Do a google | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 801 Registered: 01-2006 |
Yes Stotter, that is it! | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 111 Registered: 08-2007 |
There are some ghost towns in the lower peninsula. The first one which comes to mind is east of the city of St. Helen along the railroad right-of-way. There is little left there other than remnants of some foundations. There is a cemetary with some tombstones still visible. | ||
Umcs Member Username: Umcs Post Number: 374 Registered: 06-2007 |
North Manitou Island has a ghost town on it. Full houses and shops and all. It's rather odd. | ||
Stryker81 Member Username: Stryker81 Post Number: 61 Registered: 10-2006 |
Some parts of Detroit remind me of a ghost town. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1195 Registered: 11-2003 |
Dodge's books are presently sold as "Michigan Ghost Towns- Lower Peninsula" and "Michigan Ghost Towns- Upper Peninsula." Back in 1994, I looked at Allendale (or was it Allenville?) in the U.P., a little ways NE of St. Ignace. There was an ancient wooden 2-story building that still had the letters "U.S. POST OFFICE" in the window. Also, Larry Wakefield has written several Michigan ghost town books. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1196 Registered: 11-2003 |
Michigan's climate isn't nearly as conducive as out West is for preserving abandoned ghost town buildings. | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 447 Registered: 10-2006 |
Fayette is a State Park. Not necessarily a ghost town, but an abandoned iron smelting town that was been historically renovated and rebuilt to its original state. Quite fascinating, actually. | ||
Mthouston Member Username: Mthouston Post Number: 1183 Registered: 01-2006 |
Take a look at this web site http://www.ghosttowns.com/stat es/mi/mi.html | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 1197 Registered: 11-2003 |
Most if not all the buildings at Fayette are completely original, in their original locations. Unfortunately there isn't much money for any kind of interpretive staff, or to fix certain areas on the buildings that need work. | ||
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar Post Number: 802 Registered: 01-2006 |
Wow! I think I just picked up a new hobby! Ive been all over the state of Michigan, and some of the smallest towns, but that link above has me wanting to explore the lost parts of our great state. | ||
Yaktown Member Username: Yaktown Post Number: 254 Registered: 02-2006 |
Stinger, please tell me more about the ghost town east of St. Helen. I have family and friends there and have always wondered where that road went. I assumed it would end in West Branch. Sounds like a road trip! | ||
Kslice Member Username: Kslice Post Number: 202 Registered: 04-2007 |
Really good site ya found. I just spent like an hour going through it. | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 449 Registered: 10-2006 |
Burnsie: When is the last time you have been there? Two months ago compared to the first time I was there in 1993 and also in 2000 have seen drastic changes in the buildings, including the rebuilding of workers cabins which were never there before my most recent visit in August. Much of the smelter and furnace which was in shambles in '93 has been rebuilt. Most of the original buildings have been renovated and made safe for walking tours in the past ten years, also. Guided tours are available, and although may not be "interpretive" in the truest sense of the word, are extremely informational, nonetheless. | ||
Mackinaw Member Username: Mackinaw Post Number: 3945 Registered: 02-2005 |
There's Fayette, which is in a really great natural area, too. There's also Blaney Park, just north of the US2/M77 intersection in the southern UP. ...except that it's now being re-habbed. | ||
Milwaukee Member Username: Milwaukee Post Number: 1359 Registered: 08-2006 |
Yeah I really like this site. It has a pretty good list of ghost towns in any state. http://www.ghosttowns.com/stat es/mi/mi.html Michigan pales in comparison to some of these towns in southern ohio and in western pennsylvania. It's a good site though. I saw mthouston posted the link too, but just incase you didn't see. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 114 Registered: 08-2007 |
Yaktown; The road eventually ends up on the outskirts of W. Branch. I worked in the area and the name of the town east of F-97 was Beaver Lake. The cemetery is south of the RR right-of-way. Back in the day there were a couple of hotels and associated buildings that went along with it. The RR(NYC or MC) shipped blueberries from the area. The cemetery should be pretty easy to find. I will dig out some maps and get some distances and sections numbers for you. Hope that helps. | ||
Stinger4me Member Username: Stinger4me Post Number: 115 Registered: 08-2007 |
Yaktown; the ghost town of Beaver Lake is situated just inside of Ogemaw County, T23N, R1E, Sect. 31. The trail road heads almost SE'rly. You will come upon a north-south trail road. Head south on it. Park anywhere you can so you don't block the trail and look around. Have fun and enjoy! The cemetery is on the west side of the trail road. | ||
Craig Member Username: Craig Post Number: 393 Registered: 02-2007 |
When Detroit was still humming there were parts of the Old Redford (Grand River) area that were pretty creepy and looked out of place in the grid-based City. Unfortunately, the wave of abandonment and general abuse of personal property has overwhelmed Old Redford, too, and what once struck me as latently sinister now looks like everything else. | ||
Slider Member Username: Slider Post Number: 21 Registered: 06-2007 |
There is a ghost town of sorts in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on the Lelenau Peninsula. It is called Port Oneida. It was a farming community that had essentially dissolved by the 1920's due to less than favorable soils. It is in fact the only preserved intact turn of the century agrerian community in the U.S. The buildings are maintained by the National Park Service, but only to stabilize them. Most are vacant and boarded. It's one of the few places you can explore the exteriors without trespassing since it's a national park. Make sure to take the hike up pyramid point while you're there. It is one of the most beautiful views you will ever see and one of my favorite places in the world. | ||
Mackcreative Member Username: Mackcreative Post Number: 121 Registered: 08-2006 |
I've noticed big changes at Fayette over the past five years we've been camping there during the summer, it is a great ghost town experience, and one of the best camping experience in MI. | ||
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav Post Number: 303 Registered: 09-2007 |
While this thread has nothing to do with Detroit; it is near & dear to me. I worked eight years as a traveling sales representative for Brown and Williamson Tobacco; I would make regular calls on just about every store in every town, throughout south central Michigan. I hereby nominate the following communities to the list of Ghost Towns - or those soon to be: Addison Bankers Bellevue Burr Oak Burlington Cambria Cement City Girard Kalamo Kinderhook Liberty Montgomery Mosherville Nashville Onondaga Osseo Ransom Rives Junction Sherwood I sure do miss these old towns; it's been more than twelve years since I last visited them - hopefully they all continue to survive. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 264 Registered: 06-2007 |
Haha Cement City. my family still jokes about that place after stumbling across it years ago. All we can remember was the Rottweiler chained to the bed of a pickup truck. | ||
Gibran Member Username: Gibran Post Number: 1374 Registered: 02-2007 |
Fayette...has an awesome vista...and a deep port...my parents had a place near it and we traveled to it many summers...in the fall it is especially beautiful...the docks would be great for sailboats to harbor there...I would bet there could some good diving around the inlet... worth the trip as one tools around the UP...go Wildcats... | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 258 Registered: 03-2006 |
During the 80's, my single's group had an all-day visit to an abandoned ski-resort south of Holland MI. It was/is hidden amongst grown trees but the lodge was still structurally intact. It had a definite 70's decor. The windows were smashed and the inside trashed but the lifts were still there. I wasn't able to see where it went or what "mountain" was the main ski area. It was already abandoned back then for at least 10 years. | ||
Gingellgirl Member Username: Gingellgirl Post Number: 83 Registered: 04-2007 |
Regarding Fayette: Michigan Historical Magazine published a booklet on the town in 2000. It's out of print, but available at a few libraries. Title: Fayette Historic Townsite. Edition: 2nd ed. Publication info: [Lansing, Mich.] : Michigan Historical Magazine, c2000. Physical descrip: 48 p. : col. ill., map ; 23 cm. General Note: "MHM-57 (7/2000)." Held by: PONTIAC SALEMSLYON ISBN: 0935719709 Local system #: (Sirsi) AFN-1536 | ||
Sciencefair Member Username: Sciencefair Post Number: 17 Registered: 10-2007 |
http://www.ghosttowns.com/stat es/mi/mandan.html Mandaan is a personal favorite of mine. A little hard to find, but cool and somewhat "Blair Witch" creepy in the evening hours. | ||
Dds Member Username: Dds Post Number: 453 Registered: 10-2006 |
quote: Good to know Grindstone City is still alive and well. | ||
Slider Member Username: Slider Post Number: 22 Registered: 06-2007 |
From ghosttowns.com "Gay is being re-inhabited and some of the older houses have been "re-habbed."In view of its name, the town tavern, with the obvious name of Gay Bar, attracts the curious." Well that does it, I guess I am going to have to go exploring up there, if nothing else to get a picture of "gay bar." Priceless. | ||
Jrvass Member Username: Jrvass Post Number: 312 Registered: 01-2007 |
Grindstone City will survive just because of Lake Huron and spillover from Port Austin. Lum? We used that as a slur in college! Cement City gets busy on NASCAR days. | ||
Gumby Member Username: Gumby Post Number: 1636 Registered: 11-2003 |
This sounds like it was a fun town back in the day. http://www.ghosttowns.com/stat es/mi/whorescorner.html I wonder what their main industry was. lol | ||
Newport1128 Member Username: Newport1128 Post Number: 136 Registered: 05-2007 |
Wasn't there a town called Disco around the Van Dyke/ 26-Mile area? I recall seeing it on maps several years ago. I don't know if you'd call it a ghost town. Maybe it was absorbed by one of the larger surrounding towns or townships? | ||
Jimaz Member Username: Jimaz Post Number: 3762 Registered: 12-2005 |
Yes, I remember Disco from the 70s (the town, not the dancing). Google Earth still finds it at Van Dyke and 24 Mile Road. I think there's quite a bit of development going on around there now. | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 123 Registered: 03-2007 |
There's no sign of the town except for some older houses on 24 mi. west of Van Dyke. These are boarded up and will be demolished soon. | ||
Alan55 Member Username: Alan55 Post Number: 729 Registered: 09-2005 |
"Disco" was derived as a contraction of "District of Columbia". Disco, the unincorporated village of Mount Vernon (near Stoney Creek Metropark) and Washington township were so named due to the hero-worship of George Washington in the 1820's and 30's. | ||
Bigb23 Member Username: Bigb23 Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2007 |
32 Mile and Rochester Rd. Nothing there except a Bank, two gas stations and a small store - yet in online maps it states this intersection as Campbells Corners. WTF? | ||
Jiscodazz Member Username: Jiscodazz Post Number: 65 Registered: 02-2007 |
Cities like Flint, Saginaw and many parts of Detroit could be or on their way to becoming ghost towns. | ||
Gargoyle Member Username: Gargoyle Post Number: 91 Registered: 04-2006 |
When I went to Michigan Tech in the early 70's the Keweenaw Peninsula was dotted with abandoned or nearly abandoned settlements. All were related to the copper mining industry as either mining sites, stamp mills, or smelters. I spent many enjoyable hours trekking down old rail lines and two-tracks, looking for the remnants of the Copper Country's glory days. Mandan was a good location in those days. It had several empty houses and a dump full of old pottery and other household items. I came away from there one weekend with 2 ceramic electrical insulators and a blue spatter enameled frypan, all of which became useful items in my spartan household. Gay was always a good Saturday trip. The old stamp mill there had been huge, and though it had been dismantled in the 30's the foundations and smokestack remained at the edge of a vast expanse of black stamp sand. Climbing around in the ruins made us thirsty, so we often concluded our day at the Gay Bar. Don't let the name fool you. The place was decorated top to bottom with guns. They didn't like the college kids too much as they blamed us for the frequent theft of their wooden sign out on the main road, but served us cordially anyway. We used to always laugh at the sign over the door that said "Next time bring your wife". Another great spot and easily explored is Central Mine north of Calumet. Many houses remained occupied during my college days. The mine manager's house was preserved, as was the church, and there is a reunion there every July of descendants of the original miners. They hold a church service and sometimes baptisms and weddings. Very interesting place. I haven't been back up there since '89. Sounds like a good summer motorcycle trip..... | ||
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise Post Number: 576 Registered: 09-2007 |
lol, A town name disco, eh? I'm guessing there was a town called Techno during the 80s. | ||
Little_buddy Member Username: Little_buddy Post Number: 33 Registered: 03-2006 |
I think there are lots of places around that a 100 years ago were small farm or lumbering villages with post offices that basically just fell from so few people and other places offering more of what people needed. At 25 mile and Romeo Plank road and Garfield rd there is what used to be a old fashioned store with all the penny candy and stuff, now it is a party store I think. there was a one room school across the street. Used to be on the state maps as Macomb. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1454 Registered: 04-2006 |
Damon is a ghost town in the Huron National Forest, S of the AuSable and W of M-33. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6790 Registered: 02-2004 |
There is ghost town called Narma, MI. Located in the U.P. it was one of the thriving lumber and mining towns back in the mid 1800s. | ||
Defendbrooklyn Member Username: Defendbrooklyn Post Number: 535 Registered: 11-2005 |
Flint? |
