Saginaw Michigan Photographs and history

Monthly Archives: December 2019

Mid Michigan Great Lakers

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I was at the Castle Museum the other day and I was checking out the Saginaw County Sports Hall Of Fame. I had forgotten about the professional basketball team that played at the civic center until I saw the display. The Mid Michigan Great Lakers played in the Global Basketball Association in 1991. They made it to the playoffs for the first season of the league. I was told the team was doing well on the court and financially but unfortunately the league folded halfway through the second season for financial troubles.

Does anyone else remember the old basketball team?

P.S. If you have not been to the Castle Museum in a while you should check it out. They are always rotating exhibits and displays showcasing a lot of Saginaw History.

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Sunrise at the Depot

Posted on by Posted in Railroad, Saginaw Leave a comment

By the time I was born traveling by rail was pretty much over. It is hard for me to imagine a day when the old train depot was busy with passengers coming in and out of the old station. I find it funny ( interesting not ha ha) that engineers and businesses are trying to build self-driving cars so passengers can relax or do work on their trip. We had that in the railroad but I guess those days are gone. Maybe it’s just me but sometimes I wish I could just hop on a train and have it take me to downtown Detroit or someplace like Traverse City, Petoskey or Mackinaw City.

P.S. On a side note. I had some people tell me they did not know I wrote the Lost In Michigan books. if you want to know more you can see them on Amazon HERE or purchase them from Charlin’s Book Nook in Frankenmuth or from the Antique Warehouse.

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Wiechmann’s

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I don’t remember the old Wiechmann’s Department Store downtown. It was on the corner of Genessee and Jefferson. From looking at the truck in the photos this pic must have been taken in the late 1980s. The corner is just a parking lot now, like a lot of places in downtown Saginaw. I do remember shopping at Wiechmann’s in the mall. My as time goes by my memory is fading the farther back I go but I think that is the food court now.

Reminder: I will be at the Antique Wherehouse tonight selling and signing Lost In Michigan books Thursday, Dec. 12th from 6-8pm.

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Hart’s Schoolhouse

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Lovira Hart Jr., an early pioneer of Tuscola County, built the Hart Schoolhouse with the help of his neighbors sometime between 1855 and 1860. It was built on Hart’s property on Hart Road, an eighth of a mile south of Frankenmuth Road. It was designated as South district #2 in Tuscola County. The school closed in 1921 and sat empty on the Hart farm for years. In 2000 Raymond and Marth Hart donated the old Schoolhouse to Tiny Zehnder and it was moved and preserved on his farm south of Frankenmuth.

I will be at the Antique Wherehouse selling and signing Lost In Michigan books this Thursday, Dec. 12th from 6-8pm.

Pure Saginaw wall calendars are almost gone. They will probably be gone before Christmas. be sure to order yours HERE

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George Washington’s School

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Thank you to everyone that came out to Arthur Hill yesterday. While I was there, a young boy looked up at the replicas of the declaration of Independence and the Constitution hanging on the wall and said to his father” WOW, did George Washington go to school here?” My daughter and I thought that was funny.

I will be at the Antique Wherehouse selling and signing books this Thursday, Dec. 12th from 6-8pm.

Pure Saginaw wall calendars are almost gone. They will probably be gone before Christmas. be sure to order yours HERE

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Ippel’s Dry Goods

Posted on by Posted in old town, Saginaw History Leave a comment

The old J.W. Ippel Department Store stood on the corner of Michigan and Court Street. Julius W. Ippel opened his store in 1905 and sadly the building burned down in 2002. It seems like it was forever ago but I can still remember the light green paint that covered the brick walls. Most people remember the pneumatic tubes that carried orders and receipts throughout the store. Pneumatic tubes in a store today would be a lot of fun but I guess people would rather have self-checkouts and card readers.

Reminder: I will be at the Arthur Hill Bazaar this Saturday, December 7th selling Pure Saginaw calendars and T-shirts. I hope you will stop by and say hello. if you can’t make it you can order from my website HERE

I will also be at the Antique Warehouse on Thursday, Dec 12th from 6-8pm for their Open House. I will be selling and signing copies of my Lost In Michigan books. 

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Saginaw Letters

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You have probably seen the letters painted by various artists throughout Saginaw. They have all been assembled near the Andersen Enrichments center. I stopped and took a pic of them last week, but then we got some snow, so then I had to stop and get a pic of them in the snow. I think my favorite is the one of the Castle Museum but I like them all.

Reminder: I will be at the Arthur Hill Bazaar this Saturday, December 7th selling Pure Saginaw calendars and T-shirts. I hope you will stop by and say hello. if you can’t make it you can order from my website HERE

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Saginaw County Poor Farm

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Photo From the collection of the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History

 

I was doing some research and I came across something referencing the Saginaw County Poor Farm. I was completely unaware of Saginaw Couty having a poor farm and it really intrigued me. I found out that it was on Hospital road and after seeing the photo it hit me like a ton of bricks (Saginaw bricks of course) I recognized that barn immediately, It is across from Community Village and is used by Saginaw County. It was the old barn from the farm. Everything else is gone including the cemetery. 

The farm opened in the 1860s to house the county’s poor along with mentally ill patients.  The building shown in the photo was built in 1892 to replace an earlier building. It was a state of the art facility when it was constructed and considered one of the best poor farms in the state. It houses about 75 residents that worked on the farm. The farm had 165 acres to grow vegetables and feed for the cows and chickens raised on it.  The farm closed in 1978 and the remaining residents were moved to Community Village. An old paupers cemetery was across the street from the poor farm. The bodies were moved to St. Andrews and Oakwood cemetery. I assume to make room for what is now the Healthsourse Hospital.

Reminder: I will be at the Arthur Hill Bazaar this Saturday, December 7th selling Pure Saginaw calendars and T-shirts. I hope you will stop by and say hello. if you can’t make it you can order from my website HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Pure Saginaw, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did. 

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December First

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It’s December 1st so I guess that means we get some snow. It may be the first of the month, but unfortunately, it is not the first snowfall of the season. That cold weather and storm in November took care of that. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and were able to spend it with their family. This Saturday, December 7th is the Arthur Hill Holiday Bazaar. I will be there with calendars, books, and T-shirts. I  hope you will stop by and say hello. I will be in my usual spot in the hallway.

Pure Saginaw wall calendars are going fast and ON SALE. I sold out of them at the bazaar last year so now is a good time to get one. If you can’t make it to the bazaar you can order them from my website HERE

Thank you for Subscribing to Pure Saginaw, If you have not subscribed yet, It would mean a lot to me if you did. 

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