Stories – Page 2 – Pure Saginaw

The Smell of Donuts at Dawn

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Saginaw History, Stories

When I drive by the old Dawn Donuts on State Street, it reminds me of going to the one on Bay Road with my mom. I would sit at the counter on the chrome stools while she ordered a dozen of those sugary breakfast treats. I took this photo a while ago before the boards went up over the windows. I heard a few years ago there was going to be a Chinese restaurant going in the old “temple to the baking gods” but that deal must have fallen through. The Dawn Donuts on Hess is a phone store, I hope someday the one on State will be used again.

Reminder: I will be at Zauel Library on Tuesday, November 19th at 7:00pm giving a presentation on why I started Pure Saginaw and Lost In Michigan. I will also be sharing some of my photos and stories. I hope you can join me next week

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What’s With the Bunnies in Saginaw

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Stories

So this is a little different post than what I normally do, but I gotta find out if I am the only one who thinks that way I do.

I saw this little guy munching on my grass in the neighborhood I live, there seems to have an explosion in the rabbit population over the past few years. A few years ago I would see a rabbit on occasion, but lately they seem to be everywhere. It’s like they are breeding like rabbits. I am not sure if they are doing any harm, but then again I don’t have a garden they are eating. they do spend a lot of time eating my grass. Maybe someday there will be enough of them I won’t have to cut my lawn.

Anyways, I am just curious to know what you think, do you have a lot of rabbits where you live? leave a comment I would love read them.

Pure Saginaw T-shirts are on SALE this week, they make for a great Mother’s Day gift, you can order one HERE

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The Funny Story of how Zilwaukee got its Name

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Stories, Townships and Communities

In 1835 Dr. Daniel H. Fitzhugh visited the prairie area along the Saginaw river north of East Saginaw. He fell in love with the area and purchased a tract of land about where the Consumer’s Energy plant is north of the bridge. A few years later in 1848 the Johnson brothers, Daniel and Soloman, came to the Saginaw valley from New York and built a sawmill south of the Doctor Fitzhugh’s property. The village grew with a boarding house and several other businesses as the brothers laid down a plank road to the city of East Saginaw with lumber from their mill. In 1854 Zilwaukee Towship was formed and as the story goes, according to several sources I have found, the brothers named the village Zilwaukee with the hopes it would confuse immigrants coming into New York thinking they are going to Milwaukee. I am not sure if their scheme to attract immigrants ever panned out but Zilwaukee is still around and has a big beautiful bridge too, but that’s a post for a different day.

P.S. I like how my computer tries to auto correct Zilwaukee to Milwaukee

I will be at the Kempton Elementary spring bazaar on March 11th selling t-shirts, I hope you will stop by and say hi. If you can’t make it to the bazaar, you can also order shirts HERE

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The Old Morley Mural in Old Town

Posted on March 2, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in old town, Saginaw History, Stories

I was going thru some old photographs and I found a bunch of photos that I had taken of a snow sculpture contest in Saginaw back in the mid 90’s. most of the photos were of the snow sculptures that have melted in the Michigan sunshine so many years ago but I did take this photo of the Morley Travel mural in Old Town. It was painted on the wall of the building that remained exposed after the tragic fire of the Fordney Hotel on the corner of Court and Hamilton.

I wish I would have gone around taking photos of buildings and places instead of the snow sculptures. And if you are wondering about the red column running thru the photo, The camera my wife and I had at the time was broken and it exposed this red strip on all the photos. Those of you that are old enough to remember film cameras know that taking pics was not as easy and just getting out you phone and snapping away.

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Remembering the Quad on Movie Day

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Stories, Theaters

I figure since today is the day they give out awards to the movies that I have not watched, and probably never will since they ain’t my kinda movies, I thought I would post a pic of the old Quad. While the new theater is nice, I saw a lot of great movies in the old one. I saw Star Wars, Rocky, The Shawshank Redemption, Goonies, Indiana Jones, The Karate Kid and Saving Private Ryan just to name a few.

I find it ironic that there is a new theater, but it seems like a lot of the movies they show are remakes and sequels of movies I saw as a kid.

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Downtown Saginaw’s Empty Wall

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Saginaw, Stories

I was roaming around downtown Saginaw this weekend, in the beautiful February sunshine, and with the Leo Kahan building gone, there is a big empty wall on the building that is left standing on the corner of Washington and Genesee. I thought it would be a nice place for a mural so I virtually vandalized it and ” painted ” one in photoshop.

Pure Saginaw T-shirts are on sale this week including the new green BEANS shirts and gray hoodies. you can check them out HERE Thank you to everyone who got a shirt from me, you have no idea how much your support means to me.

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Beautiful Day Advisory

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Saginaw, Stories

I have one of those weather apps on my phone that alerts me to severe weather, but I was thinking, why does it not send me an alert that there is gonna be a nice day. I understand why it’s necessary to tell me there is freezing rain or a thunderstorm approaching, or the local news breaking a story of tragedy, but just once I would love it if I got an alert on my phone, or the local broadcaster run a news scroll that says ” it’s a beautiful day, get out and enjoy it”

It’s not very often we have a beautiful warm day in February, so get out and enjoy it.

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NFL Football Players from Saginaw.

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in People, Sports, Stories

Lamarr Woodly is probably the most well known football player from Saginaw, but there were several other talented athletes to come out of Saginaw to play for the NFL. Here is list of players I found on the internet and the teams they played for. ( I hope I did not miss anyone)

Alfonso D. Boone Graduated from Arthur hill

Detroit Lions (2000)
Chicago Bears (2000–2006)
Kansas City Chiefs (2007–2008)
San Diego Chargers (2009–2010)

Ken Brown

Denver Broncos in 1979

Tory Humphrey Graduated from Saginaw High

Indianapolis Colts (2005)
Green Bay Packers (2005–2008)
→Amsterdam Admirals (2006)
New Orleans Saints (2009–2011)
Oakland Raiders (2012)

Roy Lee Manning, Jr. graduted from Saginaw High

2005 Green Bay Packers
2006 Houston Texans
2006 Buffalo Bills
2007 Jacksonville Jaguars
2007 Cincinnati Bengals

Terence Lee McDaniel ( born in Ohio but graduated from Saginaw High)

Los Angeles / Oakland Raiders (1988–1997)
Seattle Seahawks (1998)

James Reed Graduated from Saginaw High

New York Jets (2001–2005)
Kansas City Chiefs (2006–2007)
New Orleans Saints (2008)

Charles Rogers Graduated from Saginaw High School

Detroit Lions (2003–2005)

Stuart Schweigert Graduated from Heritage High School

Oakland Raiders (2004–2007)
Washington Redskins (2008)
New York Giants (2008)
Detroit Lions (2008)
Omaha Nighthawks (2010–2012)

Deon Strother born in Saginaw then moved to California

Denver Broncos (1994)
Ottawa Rough Riders (1995)

Sam Sword graduated from Arthur Hill

Oakland Raiders (1999)
Indianapolis Colts (2000–2002)

LaMarr Woodley Graduated from Saginaw High

Pittsburgh Steelers (2007–2013)
Oakland Raiders (2014)
Arizona Cardinals (2015)

Clifton Ryan graduated from Arthur Hill

St. Louis Rams (2007–2010)

Blair White Graduated From Nouvel Catholic Central

Indianapolis Colts (2010–2011)

Giovachino “Jack” Mauro Graduated from Arthur Hill

Green Bay Packers (1963)
Denver Broncos (1965-1966)

Ron Stanley graduated from Saginaw High

Pittsburgh Steelers (2005-2006)

Jerry Patton Graduated from Saginaw High

1971 Minnesota Vikings
1972–1973 Buffalo Bills
1974 Philadelphia Eagles
1975 New England Patriots

Jerome Jackson graduated from Saginaw High

Clevland Browns (2007)

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Surviving the Blizzard of 1967

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Stories, Winter

A half century ago on January 26th, 1967 Saginaw was hit with the largest snowstorm in the recorded history of the city. The official snowfall amounts were 23.8 inches of snow. I would share my memories of the snowstorm but in 1967 that was 3 years before I was born but going thru my grandfather’s photographs I found this photo. My grandparents lived in the apartments next to the old Feige building and this photo must have been taken from the rooftop. you can see it’s looking down Genesee street towards the river, and from the cars in the photo, I would say it was taken after the blizzard. One other thing to note, of all the buildings in this photo I think only 4 of them are still standing today. The bank building, the Bancroft, The building on the corner of Franklin and Genesee and the old Michigan National Bank.

Pure Saginaw T-Shirts, including the BEANS shirts, are on sale this week. If you want one you can order them HERE if what you want is out of stock check back later this week I should have more made by then.

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The Story of the Red White and Blue Tree at the Waterworks

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Saginaw History, Stories, Winter

Among the glorious holiday decorations at the waterworks, is a patriotic tree next to the flagpole, decorated with red, white, and blue lights. During the Iran Hostage Crisis at the Embassy in Tehran in 1979, plant supervisor Wally Rogalski had the tree decorated as a patriot gesture in honor of the hostages. The tree on the corner of Ezra-Rust and Washington Ave. has been decorated with the American colors ever since then. I think it’s also a good reminder to remember all the men and women who serve in the military at home and abroad, and the sacrifices they make for us, especially during the holidays.

I never knew this story until Saginaw Love shared it on their facebook page, show them some love and check it out HERE,

I have been using facebook less since they have been pushing me to pay to boost all of my posts, I hope you subscribe to email updates so you won’t miss any new posts,

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