Exploring America State by State

Author Archives: Mike Sonnenberg

A Magical Barn

Posted on by Posted in barns and farms, Missouri, People Leave a comment

The unassuming town of Marceline, nestled in the heart of northern Missouri, may blend seamlessly into the picturesque landscape of the Midwest, yet it holds a unique historical significance. This average agricultural community was the birthplace and childhood home of Walt Disney, the visionary behind the iconic Disney empire.

While Disney’s childhood home is privately owned, a replica of his family’s barn stands as a testament to his humble beginnings. This barn, a place where Walt spent countless hours dreaming of his future, is open to visitors. Stepping into this historic structure, one can almost imagine the young Disney’s imagination soaring as he gazed out at the surrounding fields.

Visitors are invited to contribute to the barn’s living history by signing the interior walls. Pens and markers are readily available for those who wish to leave their mark, creating a tangible connection to the past.

While I’ve had the privilege of exploring  Disneyland and Disney World, visiting this historic barn offered a refreshing and humbling experience and free to visit. It stands as a reminder that even the greatest of dreams can originate from the most ordinary of places.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Haunted Water Tower of Wisconsin

Posted on by Posted in Haunted, Water Tower, Wisconsin Leave a comment

Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Next to the campus is Starin Park that is home to one of the oldest water towers in the Dairy State. It is a stone tower with a metal tank sitting on the top. It was built in 1889 along with the Morris Pratt Institute. Pratt was a leading spiritualist, and he gained considerable wealth investing in iron mines in northern Illinois. He used his wealth to build an institute for teaching spiritualism. Spiritualists believe that the deceased can interact with the living. They believe a medium can communicate with the dead. It was popular in the late 1800s; the author of the series of Sherlock Holmes novels, Arthur Conan Doyle was a devout Spiritualist.

The Morris Pratt Institute attracted many spiritualists to the town of Whitewater, and it got the nickname of “Second Salem.” At some point, rumors began swirling around it that it was haunted by several spirits. The points on the iron fence point inward instead of outward. They say this is to keep the spirits from escaping the old tower. College students also say that it is not safe to walk by the old water tower at night and are warned not to walk past it alone. I am not sure about it being haunted or possessed, but it is an interesting old water tower that has the look of an old castle tower. A new water tower was recently constructed, replacing the historic one, and it is no longer needed. The city has discussed possibly demolishing the old tower because of maintenance costs, but I hope that they will see the historical value of such a beautiful old tower and save it from the wrecking ball.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Lost In Wisconsin Book

Posted on by Posted in Wisconsin Leave a comment

Hey everyone!

I’m so excited to announce that my new book, “Lost in Wisconsin,” is finally here!
I spent a lot of time exploring the Badger State, from its charming towns to its historic sites, and I can’t wait to share all the amazing places I discovered with you.

If you’re looking for a captivating read that will inspire you to explore Wisconsin, check out “Lost in Wisconsin” on Amazon HERE 

Butler Island Plantation and the Weeping Time

Posted on by Posted in Georgia, Houses 1 Comment

Butler Island Plantation, situated along the Atlantic coast of Georgia, was once a vast rice plantation. Major Pierce Butler, a Founding Father of the United States and a proponent of slavery, acquired the property in 1790 and oversaw its operation until his death in 1822. Following his demise, the plantation passed into the hands of his grandsons, Pierce Mease Butler and his brother John. Pierce, however, had recklessly dissipated his inheritance, incurring a reported debt of $700,000.

As a result of his financial ruin, the management of Pierce Butler’s estate was entrusted to trustees. In an effort to settle his debts, the trustees auctioned off his once-grand but neglected Philadelphia mansion for $30,000. Other Butler properties were also sold, but these measures proved insufficient to satisfy creditors, let alone maintain Butler’s opulent lifestyle. Faced with this dire situation, the trustees resorted to the Georgia plantations and their “moveable” property—the enslaved people.

In 1859, over 400 enslaved individuals were sold at a public auction, a harrowing event known as the “Weeping Time,” which served as a stark reminder of the brutal reality of slavery.

During the American Civil War, the plantation was deserted by its owners, leaving the enslaved residents to fend for themselves. Many remained on the island, forming a community and continuing their rice cultivation. Following the war, these former slaves, now emancipated individuals, acquired land and established their own farms on Butler Island.

Today, Butler Island Plantation is preserved as a historical site. The brick chimney that stands near the road was part of the rice mill built decades ago.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Haunted Infirmary

Posted on by Posted in Haunted, Indiana Leave a comment

South of Winchester along US-27 is a large brick building. Above the front door carved in stone are the words RANDOLPH CO. INFIRMARY. It was built in 1899 and served the citizens of Randolph County for over a century. The property started as the county poor farm in 1851, taking care of the mentally and physically disabled, elderly and orphans. The large 5000 square foot building that stands today cared for many people over the decades.

It has also seen its share of tragedy. It is believed that over two hundred people have died in the facility, many from tuberculosis and some to suicide and possibly murder. It is said that one man died after being pushed out a second story window. The infirmary contained up to 350 acres for farming and livestock, and it also has a cemetery with unmarked graves for the people who died under its care. In the 1990s, it was used as a nursing home; it closed in 2008. The current owner, Dann Allen, purchased the historic old asylum in 2016 to save it from demolition. It is currently being used as a paranormal attraction for visitors to explore paranormal activity.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

The Most Haunted Spot in Wisconsin

Posted on by Posted in Haunted, Wisconsin Leave a comment

Stone chimneys and the foundation of a mansion stand along the shore of northern Wisconsin’s West Bay Lake near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is the remains of a large cottage known as Summerwind. It was built in the early 1900s as a fishing lodge and then purchased by Robert Patterson Lamont. He was United States secretary of commerce during the administration of Herbert Hoover. Legend has it that Lamont fired a pistol at a ghost one night and was so frightened that he and his family abandoned the house.

In the late 60s Ginger Hinshaw purchased the old house with intentions of renovating it after it had sat abandoned for decades. Experiencing strange phenomena her father wrote a book called Carver Effect: A Paranormal Experience in which he claimed the mansion was haunted by 18th century explorer Jonathan Carver. A 1980 Life magazine photo essay including Summerwind among “Terrifying Tales of Nine Haunted Houses”.

Once again the family abandoned the house and in 1988 it was struck by lighting and burned to the ground. The stonework and foundation is all that remains. The story of the haunting was told in a Discovery Channel’s 2005 episode of A Haunting.  You can watch the full episode on Youtube.

I am not sure how true the stories are but it was a peaceful place when I visited. I did not see any no trespassing signs when I was there but I did not poke around since I figured it was private property. I took some pics from the driveway and left.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Dubuque’s Monument

Posted on by Posted in Iowa Leave a comment

Overlooking the Mississippi River south of the city that bears his name is the Dubuque Monument.  Julien Dubuque was one of the first European men to settle in the area. He received permission from the Meskwaki people to mine the lead in 1788. He lived the rest of his life in the region and died in 1810. The stone tower that stands on the site of his grave was built in 1897.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

 

Atomic Cannon

Posted on by Posted in Illinois, Military sites Leave a comment

Rock Island Arsenal is located on an island on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It has a group of historic cannons on display and the largest one is known as Atomic Annie, The M65 atomic cannon shot 11 in diameter projectiles over 20 miles. It also had the capability of shooting nuclear projectiles. It was developed in the 1950s but was decommissioned in the 1960s. It was determined it was easier to use airplanes instead of cannons.

Rock Island Arsenal is still an active military base but the do allow visitors to enter, after a background check, to see the historic sites and museum.

 

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Camp Welfare

Posted on by Posted in South Carolina Leave a comment

This group of houses, more like shacks, sits in a rural part of South Carolina about twenty miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina. They are part of Camp Welfare, an African-American religious campground founded after the American Civil War by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The approximately 100 small wood-frame or cinder-block houses at Camp Welfare are referred to as “tents”.  They were typically owned by families and passed down to generations. They were simple shelters because the people that occupied them did most everything outside including cooking and eating. Traveling preachers would give sermons in the open air pavilions or under the shade of a tree. The property was listed in the National Register of historic places in 1984.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read

Michigan’s Alcatraz

Posted on by Posted in Michigan Leave a comment

The unofficial motto of the U.S. Lifesaving Service was “You have to go out; you don’t have to come back.” Vermillion Point that was the most remote and desolate lifesaving station around the Great Lakes. Located on the shores of Lake Superior in Whitefish Point the station was situated between Crisp Point Lighthouse and Whitefish Point Lighthouse. The men and their families stationed in the remote outpost referred to it as the Alcatraz of the Lifesaving Service.

The station began operation in 1876 and received supplies by boat. In the wintertime, supplies were delivered by dog sled to the isolated place far from any town.  The station remained in operation until 1944 when it was abandoned. The buildings were left to defend themselves from the harsh northern Michigan weather. In the early 1970s, the Vermilion Life Saving Station and the surrounding 1.5 miles undeveloped shoreline was privately purchased for preservation and restoration. Many of the buildings’ exteriors have been restored. The one in the photograph is one of the remaining buildings to be restored by the non-profit group S.O.S. Vermillion.

The property is open to the public for quiet recreation. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the preserve and the areas around piping plover nests and bird-trapping nets are restricted. It is about a 10 mile drive down sandy forest roads to reach Vermillion Point. It’s worth the trip, but I suggest doing it in the summer or fall when it is dry. The first trip I tried to make to the point the road was flooded over about a mile from the parking lot and I had to turn around.

Thank you for Subscribing to Lost In The States, if you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did.

enter your email address, I promise I won't send you any spam, it's just an automated email that lets you know there is a new post to read