A Visit to a... BREWERY???

Western Knitting Mills

Date Visited:  July 19, 2019

Stop:  #20

For the second time in a row (albeit, 16 days apart), Kathy and I went on a quest that involved: 

1. One historical marker that we had passed or visited hundreds of times before,
2. Did not involve a visit to a Michigan winery,
3. Included a special guest.

We had not visited an historical marker since July 3 when we visited a marker in Caseville with our son, David, in tow.  This time around, our target happened to be a restaurant in downtown Rochester that is a favorite of ours, and instead of our son joining us, we had our daughter, Sarah, tagging along.  Sarah has been one of our biggest “fans” and would probably be joining us on many of our quests if not for the fact that she lives in Germany.  So, we were blessed to have her home for a few weeks this summer and she was excited to join us on any quest, no matter how short it may be.  She had been home for only a couple of days when we had an opportunity to introduce her to our quest.

It was a Friday night and neither Kathy nor I felt like cooking.  We started a diet back in March and really had not gone out to eat much since then, so eating out was a big treat.  However, it was also a challenge since we had to go to a restaurant that could provide food options that fit into our very restrictive diet.  Rochester Mills Beer Company, which is a very popular restaurant in downtown Rochester, was our pick.  They have great seafood options as well as many salad choices that fit our diet, but also serve steaks, chicken dishes, a wide assortment of pub sandwiches, brick oven pizzas, pasta dishes, jambalaya, and a buffalo chicken mac & cheese dish to die for (which, unfortunately, does NOT fit into my diet).  The restaurant is also known for the many different craft beers that it brews onsite. 

Rochester Mills Beer Company happens to be located in the building that used to be the Western Knitting Mills, an historical building that was granted a Michigan Historical Marker in 2003 and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places (in 2000).  Since we had visited this restaurant many times in the past, this marker was very familiar to us, but just like the sign in Caseville, this was the first time we had visited it on our Michigan Wines and Signs quest.

The marker is located at 400 Water Street outside the entrance to Rochester Mills.  The building is easy to identify – a massive brick building with two stories of beautiful arched windows and a three- story tower on its northwest corner.  The sign marks the site of the first woolen mill built by Hosea Richardson in 1844 on the banks of the Paint Creek.  The original building was destroyed by fire in 1867 and a new building was constructed soon after and purchased by Hosea’s son, Samuel.  The new building was home to the Rochester Woolen Mill.  This building also fell victim to a fire in 1882 and was completely destroyed.  In 1896, the Western Knitting Mills was constructed on this site (after buying our Samuel’s interest in the company).  The building supported a yarn mill, dormitories, and two warehouses.  It also had its own hydro generating station and a railroad spur directly onto its property.  The marker states that the mill was the largest employer in the area in its day, and produced wool socks, gloves, and mittens until 1916, then made wool cloth, and khaki gloves for our soldiers during World War I.  After the war, business declined and the mill closed in 1927.  It reopened again in 1929 after it was purchased by the Bradley Knitting Company of Wisconsin and produced yarn and knitted cloth.  With the onset of the Great Depression, business declined yet again and the mill closed for a second time in 1931.  The mill opened again in 1933 but ceased operations permanently in 1939.  The building then became home to many companies beginning in the 1940’s but finally closed in 1993 and sold to private owners in 1997.  The building was renovated for commercial use and reopened with several new businesses residing there, including the Rochester Mills Beer Company.

We had a wonderful dinner and Sarah enjoyed being a part of the quest.  The food at Rochester Mills is fantastic, and the beer is pretty good too.  I know, this isn’t a blog about beer, but it is worth checking out if you happen to be a beer lover.  They do happen to have a very extensive wine list, but there are very few Michigan wine selections.  It would be great if someday they could feature more Michigan wines – it seems like a natural fit since they are a restaurant featuring Michigan brewed beer!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

A Sign, No Wine, A Sunset, and Our First Quest Guest

Methodist Episcopal Church

Date Visited:  July 3, 2019

Stop:  #19

Not every quest involves wine, and this was one of those times.  Actually, it was not much of a quest – we had passed this particular historical marker hundreds of times over the years – but it was an opportunity to “officially” check this marker off our list.  We were enjoying some downtime before the 4^th of July weekend when I suggested that we take a drive into Caseville and visit this marker.  My wife suggested that while we were at it, we could stop at the Caseville Beach and watch the sunset.  So, we talked our son, David, into tagging along and off we went.

The marker in question is located at the north end of downtown Caseville, a small town near the tip of the Thumb situated at the mouth of the Pigeon River on the shores of Saginaw Bay.  Caseville is a popular summer vacation place and is best known for its Cheeseburger in Caseville festival in August, which started as a 3-day festival in 1999 and now spans 10 days each year.  Caseville was first settled in 1836 by Reuben Dodge.  It was first called the Pigeon River Settlement, and then Port Elizabeth (there is a popular restaurant downtown that is known by this name) and Elizabethtown, named after the wife of William Rattle, who worked as an agent for the biggest landowner in the area at that time, Leonard Case.  The town’s major industry was lumber, but also was known for ship building and salt manufacturing.

Francis Crawford became a major landowner in 1856 when he purchased 20,000 acres from Leonard Case.  That same year, the community became known as Caseville.  It’s first post office opened in January, 1863, and Francis Crawford became the first postmaster.  In 1896, Caseville was incorporated as a village and in 2010, it became a city.  It’s population (as of 2017) is 735 – which probably grows 10 times that during Cheeseburger week!!! 

Caseville is a lot of fun during the summer months and attracts thousands of tourists.  It was dealt a blow a couple years ago when the popular bar and restaurant, the Riverside, burned to the ground on the eve of that year’s Cheeseburger festival.  Never rebuilt, tourists today are limited to just a couple of hangouts, one of which is the Bluewater Inn.  Caseville is also home to the Thumb Brewery and the Wooded Lot, a sports bar located on the south end of town.  There are a couple of popular stores that draw in souvenir seekers.  On the north end of town is a large RV campground and a community park with a natural amphitheater that hosts live bands at various festivals throughout the summer.  And of course, there is the beautiful Caseville beach, which draws hundreds of sunbathers and swimmers every day.

Situated amongst the RV park and the beach and the vacant lot that was once the Riverside is the Methodist Episcopal Church of Caseville, on the northwest corner of Riverside Drive and Port Austin Road.  The Church was dedicated on November 15, 1874, six years after the Reverend Manasseh Hickey and 12 other settlers organized the church.  The church is known for its 70-foot-tall Gothic spire that serves as a landmark for sailors on Saginaw Bay.  The Historical Marker describes the many phases the church has undergone over the years.  David was a good sport and joined Kathy and I in our selfie with the sign.  He is not a history fan, nor a wine fan, but it was great to have him come along with us, and he really enjoyed himself.

After taking our fair share of photos of the church, the three of us headed to the Caseville beach to catch the sunset.  It was a perfect night to catch a spectacular sunset.  With Charity Island off in the horizon, everyone on the beach that day was treated to a magnificent sunset, with hundreds of vibrant colors streaking the sky off to the west.  Between the three of us, we must have taken well over 100 pictures.  It was truly one of the prettiest sunsets we have ever witnessed up there.  As the sun settled below the horizon, we began our trek back to the car.  It turned out to be a fun quest, even without the wine, because we got to see a great sunset, and we got to share our quest with our son, the first time we had a guest join our quest.

 #michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

One Last Stop

White Lake Cemetery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #18

As we left Hoffman Farms, it was our intention to drive straight home.  We had ended the day on a high note, but it had been a long day and we were tired.  So, we found our way to White Lake Road and headed east.  As we always do at the end of an adventurous day, we asked each other what our favorite parts of the day were.  We were both unanimous in choosing Hoffman Farms Winery for all the reasons I mentioned in my previous blog, but we also agreed that we really enjoyed the Fenton Winery and Brewery as well.  Visiting Fenton on their River Fest day was a pleasantly fortuitous stroke of luck.  We were deep in discussion about all of this when out of the corner of my eye, I saw what looked like a Michigan Historical Marker.  So, I found a place to turn around and we retraced our route until we found it – an historical marker located in a cemetery!!

Since I had focused on getting home, I had not even thought about referencing my Historical Marker map after we left Hoffman Farms, so this was a pleasant surprise.  We pulled into the cemetery, located on the south side of White Lake Road, about 0.9 miles west of Cuthbert Road, and parked.  Kathy was pretty "tired", so I got out and explored the cemetery on my own. 

In 1836, Robert Garner, one of the first pioneers to settle in the area, gave an acre of land to be used as a burial ground. Sadly, the first burials were for his 2 young daughters (nine months and two years old). In 1856 the land was formally deeded to the Board of Health of White Lake Twp.  The Historical Marker mentions the importance that Robert Garner had in the area (helped establish the First Presbyterian Church of White Lake and was the superintendent of a pioneer Sabbath school in White Lake) and he, as well as many of his family members, are buried in this cemetery.  You also learn that this cemetery is the final resting place for 28 Civil War veterans, and over 40 veterans from succeeding wars.  I spent quite a bit of time wandering through the cemetery, looking for the gravesites of other early pioneer families (the Voorheises, the Seeleys) and for war veterans.  I took several pictures, some of which are shown below.  Again, I was humbled to be amongst so many important heroes and heroines from so many bygone years.  It was a solemn end to a very long and enjoyable day.

It was starting to get fairly late and my stomach was starting to rumble, so I hopped back in the car, waking Kathy up from her catnap.  It had been such a long, but wonderful day – a perfect summer Sunday spent exploring and drinking wine and eating great food.  I promised Kathy we would not make any more stops, no matter how many historical markers we may pass.  Our biggest decision now was where to eat.  And, to contemplate our next great adventure, wherever it may take us!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

History, Farms, and Wine*

Hoffman Farms Winery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #17

We left Spicer’s Winery disappointed, and a bit apprehensive about our next visit – Hoffman Farms Winery, located on a horse farm.  If an orchard could offer up a disappointing winery experience, we could only imagine what a horse farm would offer up.  But before I clue you in on the answer, I have to cover some history (of course!!).

We drove about 22 minutes (16 miles) from Spicer’s to Hoffman Farms via US-23 to M-59 to Harvey Lake Road.  Hoffman Farms is located on Rose Center Road amongst the rolling hills of Highland and Rose Townships, and is the largest equestrian facility in Oakland County, measuring 299 acres.  The farm itself has a storied history.  First settled in the 1830’s by the Elias Doty family, the farm was purchased by Susan Briggs Fisher in 1973.  Susan’s father was Walter O. Briggs, who had founded Briggs Manufacturing Company in 1908 and turned it into the largest automobile manufacturing company of its time.  Walter was also known as a co-owner, and then owner, of the Detroit Tigers from 1919 until 1952, and he built Briggs Stadium (later renamed Tiger Stadium) in 1938.  He was also instrumental in founding the Detroit Zoo in 1928.  Susan married into the Fisher family, of Fisher Body Corp. fame (a division of General Motors), on Nov. 4, 1940.  

The current owner is Bob Hoffman, the current Oakland County commissioner, who purchased the farm in 1993.  Hoffman Farms offers year-round horse boarding, both indoor and outdoor.  They also have a 15,000 sq. ft. indoor riding arena, as well as an outdoor arena.  The farm grounds are used as the regular venue for Highland Township’s annual Patriot Day celebration, and in 2009, the farm was featured on the MTV show, “Teen Cribs.”  The newest edition to the property is the 1,900 sq. ft. Greek Revival building that houses the wine tasting room.  Bob started construction on the building in 2014, but on April 14, 2016, just days from completion, it was completely destroyed by a fire ignited by stain-soaked rags left out and unattended.  Bob decided to rebuild, and less than six months later, opened the doors for the first time (October 7, 2016).  The official Grand Opening took place on June 10, 2017.

Coming up the driveway, the building is unmistakable with its large portico and pillars lining the front of the building.  On this day, there was a restored vintage truck parked under the portico just to the left of the main entrance, which made for a perfect photo op (see pics below).  Once inside, we found ourselves in a large room with hardwood floors and a large bar that overlooks a professional horse-riding arena and practice area.  The bar already had three other couples sitting at it, so Kathy and I found room at the very end and took a seat.  Still unsure what to expect, we soon found ourselves engaged in conversation with the other couples.  Europe was the topic, as two of the couples had just returned from a river cruise that took them through Germany, which just happens to be where our daughter is currently living.   Common ground just opens the doors to wonderful conversations.  Soon, our hostess, Lori, was greeting us with the wine list and welcoming us to the wine tasting room.  Her personality was infectious as she treated us like long lost friends.  She made several recommendations on what to try, and then left us to decide.

There were eight different wines and three ciders to select from.  The flights included 6 pours for $10 – very reasonable.  So, Kathy and I decided that we would try all eleven between us, and we would have to double up on one of them.  Kathy chose to go with the 2016 Pinot Gris, the Cheval Blanc (a dry white wine), the Farm House White (a semi-dry white wine made from vignoles grapes), the 2016 Pinot Noir, the Maverick Red (a dry red wine), and the Rose Center Cherry (no surprise with that last one!).  I went with the Unbridled (a semi-sweet white wine), the Farm House Red (a sweet red wine), the Apple Blueberry Hard Cider, the Perky Pony Hard Cider (Cranberry Apple), the Road Apple Hard Cider, and the Rose Center Cherry (no surprise with that last one!!!).  Lori provided very generous pours – in fact, it seemed like we were getting full pours at times – all the while chatting us up and engaging in lively conversation.  She was very excited for me to try the Apple Blueberry Hard Cider, stating that it was her favorite.  However, the pour came out very bubbly and took a very long time to get enough liquid to make a 3-ounce pour.  Lori was very apologetic, and ended up pouring me another full glass free of charge.  It was worth the wait, however, as the Apple Blueberry was a fantastic cider.  In fact, all of the wines and ciders were very good – Kathy’s selection list was full of smiley faces – so it was inevitable that we would purchase several bottles.  In the end, we decided on 4 bottles of wine, and one pint of cider – Unbridled, Maverick Red, Farm House Red, Rose Center Cherry (surprise!!), and Apple Blueberry Hard Cider.

So, to revisit the question about what kind of time a winery located within a horse farm could offer?  An absolute GREAT time.  Far exceeded both of our expectations.  The farmland itself was gorgeous.  The wine tasting room was very comfortable, and it was so cool to be able to sit there and watch riders and trainers working their horses.  It was great to meet new and interesting people who shared the same love for exploration and trying new wines.  And lastly, our hostess for the day was absolutely wonderful.  She shared stories about the farm, and how the winery came to be.  She mentioned that there was a complete replica of the Oval Office upstairs (it would have been awesome to see that).  And she was interested in what we had to say and what we thought of the wines and ciders.  She was very generous with her time and with her pours.  It was an absolutely fantastic day.

*Bob Hoffman quote, Oakland Press, October 28 2016:  “People like history, farms and wine…”

Postscript:  Since our visit to Hoffman Farms, we learned that very dear friends of ours know Bob very well – they both have worked with him.  We anticipate many return visits to Hoffman Farms Winery!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Second Chances

Spicer Orchards Winery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #16

We left Old Prospect Hill Cemetery excited about the prospect of drinking some more wine, so we got back onto W. Shiawassee Ave. and headed west, bearing right onto Owen Road.  After a quick stop to gas up, we jumped onto US-23 and headed south to Exit 70.  We headed east on Clyde Road for about 0.4 miles and on the north side, we easily spotted Spicer Orchards.  This place was enormous and, on this day, was teeming with activity.  With the weather being so nice, there were hundreds of people swarming throughout the place.  Finding a parking spot proved to be a challenge, but after a few minutes, we were lucky to find someone leaving so we pulled into their vacated space.

It is overwhelming how much there is to do at Spicer’s.  On this particular day, a lot of people were there with the intentions of picking their own strawberries, so wagons loaded with people either going to or coming back from the fields were plentiful.  Kids were running all about, interacting with the array of farm animals populating the barnyard, or enjoying the train ride, bounce houses, zip line, sand art, face painting, pony rides, climbing structures, and more.  You could easily spend a day here, and from what I could see, many people were doing just that.

The Spicer family has been growing fruit in southeastern Michigan for five generations, and have had many markets in the area throughout the years.  Their present location was opened in 1980, and the winery was opened in 2009.  You can learn a little bit more about the history of the Spicer family at  http://www.spicerorchards.com/history.html.   History aside, we were there for one thing only – to sample some wine.  We were excited to visit their tasting room, and based on how many people we saw running about the grounds, were not surprised to walk in and find the room packed.  The tasting room is fairly large room, but there was no room at the bar to stand, and most of the tables were occupied.  There were only two people working, and both were behind the bar, so sitting at a table did not look like an option.  So, we patiently stood around waiting for a spot to open up at the bar.  In the meantime, we got our hands on their wine list and started the process of picking out our selections.  They had a very large selection of wines and hard ciders to choose from – in total, 23 different wines, and 8 different hard ciders.  They had 4 dry wines, 2 semi-dry wines, 2 semi-sweet wines, 6 sweet wines, 8 fruit wines, 1 ice wine, 4 hard ciders, and 4 limited edition hard ciders.  Choosing what we wanted would not be easy!!!

After about 10 minutes, we were able to squeeze into a rather small section of the bar and tried to get someone to come over and get us started with our wine selections.  The crowd at the bar seemed to overwhelm the workers who were trying to serve everyone in the place as well as act as cashier when patrons made purchases.  As a result, it took forever for someone to free up and come over to take our order.  Then, much to our aggravation, they would not take our order until we paid first!!  Now, we have been to many wineries and tasting rooms over the past several years and regardless of where we’ve been (Traverse City, Grand Haven, or the Niagara wine regions in Ontario, Canada), we have NEVER been to a winery or tasting room that required their patrons to pay first before being served.  This policy just did not seem very customer friendly – like they didn’t trust their clientele - and really set a bad tone for our visit.  I only want to pull out my wallet once and pay for everything when I am done and ready to leave – not have to pay multiple times every time I want to buy something.   

Spicer’s was offering seven 1-once pours for $7, so I paid our $14 and asked for our first selections.  It took quite some time for us to finish our 7 pours, mostly because it took an inordinate amount of time in between pours to get service.  Because the two gentlemen working the bar were so busy, there was virtually no interaction with them beyond them pouring our next ounce.  We learned nothing of the wines or ciders we were drinking, which was disappointing.  Kathy tried the following wines and ciders:  Traminette, the Reserve Cider, the House Blush, the Soft Red, the Cherry wine, the Dessert Apple, and the Honey & White.  I tried the Sweet Riesling, the Raspberry hard cider, the Catawba Blush, the Soft White, the Blueberry wine, the Cranberry Wine, and the Sparkling Peach.  The wines and ciders were mostly OK to good, but nothing really stuck out.  Kathy usually has all kind of notes scratched out on the wine list with stars next to bottles we have to buy.  But, none of that this time around.  We have never left a winery without buying at least one bottle of something, but there is always a first time, and this was going to be it for us (although at the last minute we decided to get the Catawba, which was something we hadn't had elsewhere in Michigan).  Maybe it was the crowds.  Maybe it was the poor service or the lack of a personal connection to the winery.  I know that their pay-as-you-go policy put a sour taste in my mouth, so maybe I wasn’t giving them a fair shake.  Whatever the reason, I want to chalk our disappointing visit up to it being an anomaly, and not the norm.  I could see by the fun that everyone was having at the orchard that this is a magical place, so I believe that the winery was just having a bad day.  In any event, our quest on this day included 3 wineries – one that was great, one that was closed, and one that was disappointing.  Not the formula for a successful trip, but I am sure Kathy and I will head back to Spicer’s again in the future and give it a second chance.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Oh Where, Oh Where is the Cemetery?

Old Prospect Hill Cemetery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #15

By now, Kathy and I had learned that our Gold Source for the Michigan historical markers was inaccurate in many cases.  Many of the coordinates turn out to be off just enough to make finding the actual location challenging, but we had never encountered a circumstance quite this challenging.  According to our Gold Source, the marker for our next destination was supposed to be at the exact same location as the marker for Dibbleville.  Well, we already knew the location of the Dibbleville marker was wrong, so things were not looking promising for finding our next target.  With the coordinates now suspect, we went to the address that was posted in our Gold Source.  That took us to the police station at 301 S. Leroy St.  Since we were looking for a cemetery, obviously this raised eyebrows, but we decided to walk around the police station and the City Hall (which was next door) just to make sure there was no sign.  There wasn’t.  Strike two.  We tried to do a Google search on our phones but could not get a signal.  We were running out of options.  Would we be forced to go retro and actually have to ask a LIVE person for directions???  As a last resort, I went back to our Gold Source to look for any more clues.  Luckily, under the title “Additional Information,” there was another clue.  A reference to the cemetery being located on Davis Street.  So, we walked back to our car, accessed our Google maps, and found that Davis Street was about a half mile away. 

We headed south on Leroy Street and made a right-hand turn onto W. Shiawassee Ave.  Davis St. was about 0.42 miles west of Leroy Street on the south side of W. Shiawassee Ave.  On the southwest corner was a sign pointing us in the direction of Oakwood Cemetery, and under that sign, a smaller one referencing Old Prospect Hill Cemetery, our intended destination.  We turned left onto Davis Street and it ended about 0.1 miles at the entrance to Oakwood Cemetery.  Once we entered the cemetery, we noticed a small sign off to the left that referenced Old Prospect Hill with an arrow pointing us in the right direction.  So, we followed the sign, which took us around a couple of curves, down a hill and then back up a larger hill.  Another sign and another curve and we came to an intersection and a sign telling us to make a left.  By this time, however, we had seen the cemetery we were seeking off to the left, encompassed by an old wrought iron fence.  The Old Prospect Hill Cemetery is located in the northeast corner of the Oakwood Cemetery.  The historical marker is located on the outside of the wrought iron fence enclosure, and to the right of the entrance to the cemetery.  Total distance from where my Gold Source said the cemetery was located – nearly one mile away.

Just inside the entrance to Old Prospect Hill Cemetery, located to your left, is a map which identifies some of the major landmarks within the cemetery as well as the burial site locations and names of each person buried there.  Using this map, you can try to find the gravesites of some of the earliest settlers of Fenton, and some of its most historical figures as well.  Among them are: 

• Clark Dibble, the first settler and after whom Dibbleville was named
• Dustin Cheney, who accompanied Clark Dibble to this area and co-founded Dibbleville and who build the first log cabin in Dibbleville
• Phillip McOmber, Sr., the first Genesee County prosecutor
• Daniel LeRoy, Michigan’s first attorney general

These names are included on the historical marker, so needless to say, we were determined to find their gravesites.  You will also learn that this cemetery was established in 1834. 

Kathy and I spent quite awhile exploring this cemetery.  We found many of the headstones mentioned above and took photos of them.  The McOmber family plot is located at in the extreme northeast corner of Old Prospect Hill, at the top of a very large hill that overlooks the rest of the cemetery.  Dustin Cheney’s gravesite is located just to the right of the entrance and is marked by a very tall gravestone and the family name carved at the base (see photo below).  Clark Dibble’s gravesite is located a few feet northeast of Dustin Cheney’s gravesite.  Dibble’s gravestone is a tall spire in the shape of the Washington Monument (also see photo below).  Under Clark Dibble’s name is the word “Cockawasaw.”  This is the name that the Native Americans called Dibble, and the meaning of the name is said to have something to do with the wind.  Clark only lived to be 41 years old, and died 8 years after settling in Dibbleville, and only 8 months after his friend, Dustin Cheney, had passed.

This marked the end of our visit to Fenton.  We really enjoyed the short time we spent there, especially feeling fortunate to have been there on the day of their River Fest.  If we had not planned to visit so many additional places, we may have just made a whole day of it and enjoyed some more great music in the park.  But it was nearly mid-afternoon now, and we had several more stops we wanted to make, the next being our second (or, technically, third) winery of the day.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

A Connection to the Church of England

Saint Jude´s Episcopal Church

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #14

Our next stop was just a short walk further south on Leroy Street.  Kathy and I noticed that many of the buildings we walked by had historical markers attached to them, noting them as a City of Fenton Historic Site, paid for by the Fenton Community Fund and Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  Some of the signs recognized several buildings at a time.  Alas, our quest does not include these types of signs, because, otherwise, we would never successfully complete our quest!!!  But it was interesting, just the same, to read them as well.

At the southern end of the business district of Fenton, located on the southeast corner of South Leroy Street and East Elizabeth Street, stood our next objective – the Saint Jude’s Episcopal Church.  This church is recognized by its majestic steeple that contains the main entrance to the church and has a white cross mounted on its peak.  The marker is located to the left of the main entrance.  From this sign, we learned about the early history of this church.  The first Episcopal service in Fenton was held on May 3, 1858.  The society for which the service was held (the Ladies Mite Society) formally organized as the St. Jude’s Episcopal Church on July 18, 1859.  The first church was built on this site in 1860, and the current church was completed in 1893.  The church’s website contains a more detailed history of the church (http://www.stjudesfenton.com/?page_id=2).  I found the story behind the ivy that grows on the north face of the church to be particularly interesting.  According to records, the ivy was brought to St. Jude’s from a cathedral in England by the Rev. Reasoner, who was a rector at the cathedral.  This served to create a special bond between St. Jude’s and the Church of England.  The history includes several references to decisions made by the vestry, the leadership team of lay people in an Episcopal church.  Many of the decisions focused on the rectory (the house owned by the church in which the priest, or rector, resides), expansion plans, and other important issues of the time.  It was interesting to read about more of the history of this church.

Now we had to turn our attention to our last destination in Fenton.  The difficult part was finding it.  Read my next blog to find out why.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

A Volcano in Dibbleville?

Dibbleville

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #13

With all the activity going on in Fenton, parking was at a premium, so as we crossed the Shiawassee River heading towards our next historical marker, it didn’t look good that we would find a convenient place to park.  We didn’t even have a good idea where the marker was located, so after driving around a couple of minutes, we pulled into a very small public parking lot next to the AJ Phillips Building, which is home to the Fenton Museum, and got lucky – one last parking spot that I was able to gingerly maneuver into.  And what was the first thing Kathy and I would see?  A smoking volcano.  Yes, a VOLCANO.  I thought I was having a brain cloud.  There was an empty lot between the parking lot and a house (or maybe it was part of the house’s backyard – it wasn’t really obvious), and there in the middle of it was a five-foot-tall volcano with smoke spewing from its crater.  There were lava formations down the side of the volcano, and bright red flowers growing out of the cooled lava flows.  I would have to say, this was probably one of the most unusual sites I would have ever expected to have seen in downtown Fenton. 

After gawking at the volcano for a few minutes, we turned our attention to locating the historical marker.  Lo and behold, it happened to be right at the entrance of the parking lot we just pulled into.  The map I was using had the location of the marker across the street.  It was by luck that we spotted it, especially since a nearby tree was obscuring most of it from sight as well.  Again, the coordinates shown in the data sheet below are accurate, so please use them if you desire to visit this sign and disregard any of the other sources currently on the web.

Now, the name of this sign was Dibbleville.  Turns out, Dibbleville was the first name given to the 40 acres of government land that Clark Dibble laid claim to in 1834.  The sign describes the original business district that made up Dibbleville, with many of the original structures still standing today.  In 1837, Dibbleville was purchased by William Fenton and Robert Le Roy and renamed Fentonville.  This settlement was incorporated as a village in 1863 and renamed Fenton.  Fenton went through a major urban renewal project during the 1970’s, with all of the downtown area being leveled and Leroy Street being completely closed.  In August, 2007, Fenton was hit by an E2 tornado that damaged many buildings, homes, and a school, as well as completely destroying the new Tractor Supply Company.  Fortunately, there were no fatalities or serious injuries, but it was another setback for a city trying to restore itself.  Today, Fenton boasts a population of 11,286 (as of 2017) and is a vibrant community with impressive new buildings and many renovated historical buildings and repurposed landmark buildings (like the Fenton Fire Hall restaurant mentioned in my previous blog and the Fenton Grain Elevator mentioned in my Fenton House blog).  Although we still had two more historical markers in Fenton to visit, I already knew that our day spent in “Dibbleville” was one of those unexpected gems that makes this quest we are on so exciting.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Deal Me In

Fenton United Methodist Church

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #12

After visiting the Fenton House, we walked back to our car and drove a short distance to our next destination, the Fenton United Methodist Church (about 0.2 miles south of the Fenton House).  The further south we drove, the more crowded the streets seemed to get.  We noticed families and groups of people walking around, many congregating down by the river.  The Fenton Fire Hall (the former firehouse converted into a trendy restaurant) was abuzz with people eating and drinking on the roof.  We didn’t know what exactly was going on, so we parked in the church parking lot and got out to visit the historical marker, figuring at some point, we would find out what was happening in Fenton this perfect Summer day.

The Fenton United Methodist Church is an enormous brick structure easily identifiable in downtown Fenton.  From the historical marker, we learned that the church was built in 1853, 16 years after Reverend Washington Jackson formed a Methodist congregation, and on land donated by Levi Warren.  A new brick church was built in 1869 after the walls of the original church collapsed while a basement was being added.  The new church burned to the ground in 1929, so for the third time, the congregation began construction of a new church (in 1930).  Because of numerous delays caused by the Great Depression of the 30’s, the church was not dedicated until 1939.  Kathy and I have noticed a very common theme to all the historical churches we have visited around the world, whether they are in Germany, Ireland, Philadelphia, or in our home state – their history always seems to include a series of fires or other catastrophes that have resulted in the church being rebuilt over and over again.  The Fenton United Methodist Church followed this same theme.

We walked around the grounds and took various pictures, and I ultimately ended up across the street in order to get pictures that included the whole church.  There was a small plaza in front of the Fenton Community and Cultural Center that had three gentlemen sitting at a table playing cards.  There was an open chair, so I took a seat and prepared to play a couple of hands.   Kathy took advantage of the photo op and snapped a couple of pics, one of which is shown below.  Even though I had been dealt in, there was very little action and no conversation, so I took the hint and excused myself from the table.  We stood around long enough to see other prospective players get the same treatment, so at least I walked away assured that I wasn’t the only person shunned after being dealt in.

Kathy and I got back in the car and headed further south on Leroy Street to get to our next destination.  As we were approaching the bridge that crossed the Shiawassee River, we finally found out why there were so many people milling about – there, next to the bridge, was a big banner advertising the annual River Fest.  There were booths lined up selling food and crafts, and in the park between the river and Fenton City Hall, there was a gazebo with a rock band playing music, and a hundred or so people sitting on the grass with food and drinks, enjoying the beautiful day and the great music.  Once we parked our car, we walked around and enjoyed the sounds and the smells.

River Fest is an annual fundraiser run by the Keepers of the Shiawassee, a volunteer group whose mission is to develop the river as a paddling trail extending 100 miles from Holly to the Shiawassee Flats.  The River Fest music festival featured music, a cardboard canoe race, vendors, arts and crafts, games and activities, a fishing tournament, and kayak demos.  Lots of fun for all, and for a great cause.  It was pure luck that we got to experience this fun event – thanks to our quest!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Confusion Reigns Supreme

Fenton House

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #11

We left the Fenton Winery and Brewery with a full belly and our 4 bottles of wine.  Our next destination was supposed to be another winery, the Seven Lakes Vineyard & Winery, which was about 3.4 miles southeast of the Fenton Winery.  However, much to our disappointment, Seven Lakes was closed.  In fact, it looked like it had not been open for business for quite some time.  We never did find out the story behind that – the website, which consists of only one page, said that it should have been open from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm on Sunday – so we turned around, found our way back to Fenton Road, and continued south into Fenton in search of our next historical marker. 

Our target was the Fenton House.  We had programed the coordinates from the website I use into our Google maps app, and those coordinates led us to a building that looked brand new and much more modern than what would have been expected.  Just in case, we walked completely around the building, which was a large multi-business retail building, in search of the marker, to no avail.  This, as we would later find out time and again, was a common happenstance.  The coordinates published in the website I use for my master map are often times incorrect.  Intuitively, we went on line and Googled Fenton House, and it showed that we needed to go about 0.2 miles further south.  That didn’t seem right either, so upon closer examination of the Google page, we noticed that the Fenton House that came up was a small restaurant and did not match the description of what I had previously read.  Looking up and down North Leroy Street, we noticed a building about a block north of us that fit the description of the building we were seeking.  So, we set off on foot, and sure enough, we found what we were looking for.  The building is now called The Fenton Hotel, which explained why Google took us to the restaurant instead of this location.  So much confusion just to find one, simple building!!!

The Fenton Hotel is located on the northeast corner of North Leroy Street and Main Street, across from the old grain elevator, which is now home to Red Fox Outfitters.  The marker itself is attached to the west facing wall of the Fenton Hotel, a few feet north of the main entrance.  The marker provides a brief history of the building, which was constructed soon after the railroad reached town in 1855.  The interior was very opulent, something uncommon for a location so far from a large city, and became a popular place for weary travelers to grab a drink, a meal, and even a good night’s sleep.  The Fenton House has passed through several owners and several name changes over the past 150 years, and it has the distinction of being one of the oldest continuous operating hotels in the state.  A complete history of the building can be found at http://fentonhotel.com/new-page-1.  I especially got a kick out of the story involving a team of runaway horses that destroyed the original porches on the second and third floors in 1904.  The second and third floor porches were never replaced, however, the Fenton Hotel did add a relatively new seating area where you can drink and/or dine outside. 

We had a very aggressive schedule, so as much as we wanted to go inside and explore, we decided we needed to get on to our next destination.  We could see it from the Fenton House, and with the weather being absolutely perfect, decided to enjoy a nice walk down North Leroy Street.  Read our next blog to find out what our next destination
is!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Thank you!

A Special Note from John and Kathy

We are now 10 blogs into our quest, and I just wanted to take a moment to thank the growing numbers of followers who have joined us on our journey.  We started with a very small following – our beloved family members and friends – and have slowly grown over the course of our first 10 blogs.  We really and truly appreciate everyone who is following us, and thank you for your messages of support and the feedback you have been providing. 

One of the things we have learned is that we need to be more personal – use our names and share pictures of us.  We have been told that making the blogs more personal will help people to better connect with us.  So, I will start to include more pics of us visiting the wineries and historical signs.  And in that spirit, I have included some pics of the two of us from our first 10 stops below.

So, as a matter of introduction, my name is John.  I currently work for a major automotive OEM, and I am the writer of our blogs and sometime picture taker.  My wife is Kathy, and she works in the health care industry.  She is the brains behind the operations and the tech support, as well as our primary photographer.  Together, we are having a great time on this quest, and have been dragging our kids into the mix, as well as some of our willing friends.  We have actually made 59 stops so far, so you can see that I am 49 blogs behind.  It is my intent to accelerate the production of blogs, so please be sure to check in more often as I try to get caught up.  I’ve already taken some flak for writing about events in June while we are now in September!!!

Again, thank you to everyone following us and supporting us.  Keep the comments coming, positive or constructive.  We love hearing from you.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Lagers and Bloggers

Fenton Winery & Brewery

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #10

We left Warwick Hills excited to visit our next stop on this beautiful June Sunday, so we traveled west on E. Baldwin Rd. to Fenton Road, and headed south until we got to North Long Lake Road.  We made a right-hand turn and just a few feet west of Fenton Road, found the driveway leading to the Fenton Winery and Brewery.  The Winery and Brewery is located on a large plot of land with many trees surrounding the parking lot and buildings.  The first building you see is a cedar building that serves as a wedding and banquet hall, large enough to accommodate 280 guests.  The winery and brewery are located behind the banquet hall, so be sure not to make the same mistake we did when we followed another couple into the cedar building thinking they were entering the winery only to find out that we were crashing a private party instead.  The upside to that was that we got to see the beautiful outside patio area with a huge brick fireplace – a perfect venue for an outdoor party.

The Fenton Winery and Brewery was founded in 2007 by the husband and wife team of Matt and Ginny Sherrow.  Matt and Ginny are native Michiganders (born and grew up in Waterford) and have lived in Fenton for the past 13 years.  They are very devoted to their community, and that has led to many relationships and a loyal following.  The first Fenton Winery and Brewery was located in a strip mall on North Leroy Street in Fenton.  In 2012, with their hearts set on owning their own property and buildings, the Sherrow’s bought the property at their current location and by June, 2014, after much hard work and hours of restoration and renovation, they opened the doors to their new gem.  It is quite an impressive facility, set amongst the trees, with an outside sitting/eating area and a Beer Garden to boot.  What Matt and Ginny have accomplished is inspiring to future beer brewers and wine makers with an eye on someday opening their own brewery and/or winery.  We did not have the opportunity to meet Matt or Ginny on this day, but it would have been so fascinating to talk to them and hear their story.  Fortunately, you can learn all about the history of the Fenton Winery and Brewery at https://fentonbrewery.com/about/.

Once Kathy and I figured out that winery was behind the banquet hall, we were pleased to see that they had an outdoor sitting area where we could enjoy this glorious day.  It was quite warm, but there was a nice breeze and enough shade that we could comfortably sit outside without sweating too much.  Since it was lunchtime, we decided to grab something to eat so we asked for their food menu as well as their beer and wine menu.  This was my first true test matching my love of beer with my growing interest in wine.  Kathy kept asking if I was going to try the beer, and I am quite sure I shocked her monkey when I said I was going to sample their wine, and only their wine.  Afterall, this is a Wines and Signs quest, not a Lagers and Bloggers quest.

The menu had an assortment of appetizers and snacks, pizzas, and sandwiches.  We started with the Pretzels and Bar Cheese appetizer, which was awesome.  I’m a sucker for soft pretzels, and adding warm bar cheese is like icing on the cake.  For lunch, Kathy and I decided to each get a sandwich and we would split half with each other.  So, Kathy ordered the Brie and Turkey sandwich (and the broccoli salad), and I chose the FWBLT (and the chips and salsa).  Both sandwiches were outstanding – very tasty – and really hit the spot.

The wine list included 15 different selections, not including the Sangria.  The wines were listed in two categories – Dry Wines (7 choices) and Sweet Wines (8 choices).  Kathy and I made the choice rather simply – we went with the Sweet Wines.  I ordered the first four wines on the list (Cocoa Merlot, Breeze Pomegranate, Moonlight Moscato, and Crisp Green Apple) while Kathy ordered the second four (Solo Blackberry, Wild Wildberry, Grin Raspberry, and Opulence Ruby Port).  The Sampler Tray, which included four 2-once pours of wine, was reasonably priced at $8 per tray.  We enjoyed all of our selections, but there were 3 that really stood out, so naturally, we had to buy a bottle of each – the Crisp Green Apple, the Solo Blackberry, and the Grin Raspberry (our favorite of the three).  Kathy had mentioned earlier that she wanted to try the Fenton Red Merlot, so we asked our server if she could get us a small sample.  Naturally, Kathy loved it so we added a bottle of that to our haul. 

Overall, we really enjoyed our visit to the Fenton Winery and Brewery.  There was so much there to like – the food, the wine, the service, the outdoor seating area, the history behind the winery and brewery.  But there is so much more to experience that we did not have time for – we did not sit inside the bar area (it was very dark, and I did not notice any windows, so kind of curious what the atmosphere would be like on a cold winter’s day when they don’t have the garage door open to the outside).  I would also love to taste their beer, and there are at least two or three other food items that I am anxious to try.  Furthermore, I would love to experience the Beer Garden.  So, what does that all mean?  A guarantee that we will be back, hopefully sometime in the near future.  Maybe to celebrate Octoberfest in their Beer Garden!!!

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Fore!

The Buick Open

Date Visited:  June 23, 2019

Stop:  #9

It was absolutely a beautiful June day, and we had decided that a full day spent visiting historical markers and wineries was in order.  The biggest decision – where to go?  The nominees:  1.  Go east and hit wineries on the way to and from New Baltimore, 2.  Go north and hit wineries in the Bay City area, and 3.  Go northwest and hit wineries in the Fenton area.  The Winner:  Fenton.  Why?  Seemed like the best ratio of wineries to signs.  So, with that major decision now out of the way, we packed some snacks, and headed out to our first stop on the journey – Warwick Hills Country Club.

I had been to Warwick Hills many times in the past when The Buick Open, a PGA tournament, was an annual event.  I remember following the likes of Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyck, and Tiger Woods.  I even spent a day walking the tournament grounds while enduring a kidney stone – not exactly my idea of a fun day, but when you have a chance to see the world’s greatest golfers up close and personal, well, you suck it up and drink lots of beer until you pee the damn thing out!!!  If only it had happened that way, but I will spare you all the graphic details.

I had not been to Warwick Hills since 2009 – 10 years ago – when Tiger Woods won the last Buick Open played there.  That was also before they had a historical marker commissioned on the site, so when we arrived on this day, we had no idea where the marker was located.  The website I use to assist with the locations of signs had the incorrect coordinates, so it became a guessing game.  There were many places in front of the clubhouse that seemed like logical places for a sign, but all our searches yielded nothing.  We drove into the parking lot to the right of the clubhouse where the pool and the tennis courts were located, and as we drove around, my wife spotted the marker – on the golf course itself.  Now, Warwick Hills is a private country club, and we are obviously not members, so the challenge was, how do we get to the marker without being accused of trespassing, assuming that that is even an issue.  I’m figuring since the sign should be available to the public, they shouldn’t have an issue with anyone entering the grounds and taking a look.  My wife didn’t want to go along, so I took off, walking as if I belonged there, trying not to raise any suspicions (just in case I was trespassing).  I walked past the bocce ball courts, through the outdoor dining area, and up the pathway to the sign located to the right of the first tee and left of the practice green.  I hung around long enough to take pictures of the sign, the clubhouse, a shot looking down the first fairway, and a couple of additional random pics, then retraced my steps back to the car.  No one said a thing, so I’m not sure if I was in the wrong or not.  I guess for anyone else who may visit this sign, I would just be aware that there could be an element of risk if entering the grounds if, in fact, it is considered trespassing.

Back to the sign.  This historical marker is a two-sided sign.  The front side is dedicated to describing how the Buick Open came to be.  Warwick Hills opened in 1957, and one year later, the Buick Open was born and became known as the first professional golf tournament to be sponsored by a corporation.  The sign goes into a bit more detail, so you can read that for yourself below.

The backside of the sign describes the very first Buick Open golf tournament.  It offered a $52,000 purse, which was the largest purse on the tour that year, and as a result drew what many considered to be the strongest field of the year.  The championship came down to the very last shot – a 3 ½ foot putt made by Billy Casper for the win, a $9,000 first place check, and a brand-new Buick.  My, have times changed.  Pro golfers today make more than $9,000 for finishing LAST in a tournament.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine

Wedding Crashers

Packard Motor Car Company / Packard Proving Grounds

Date Visited:  June 22, 2019

Stop:  #8

We had just spent an enjoyable time at Unwined Winery, and decided to make an unplanned stop at an historical marker.  When we had set out a couple hours ago, it was with the intention of only visiting the winery.  I hadn’t even checked the MiQuest Map I created to see if we would pass any historical markers along the way.  We had only one objective.  However, on our way to Unwined, my wife noticed a marker that we were not expecting and, not surprisingly, that became our second objective for this trip.

The marker in question is located 1.1 miles north of Unwined Winery on the west side of Van Dyke and marks the location of the Packard Proving Grounds.  There are two driveways that lead to the two main gates entering the Proving Grounds, appropriately named the North Proving Grounds Blvd and the South Proving Grounds Blvd.  The marker itself is located between the two driveways about 150 feet from Van Dyke.  On this particular day, the grounds outside the main gates were covered with parked cars as we soon learned that the facilities were hosting a large wedding that day.  Getting to the sign proved more difficult than expected as we had to meander amongst the parked cars to get to it, but we managed to squeeze in close enough to read the sign and take a couple of pictures.

The sign itself is two-sided, with the “front” of the sign dedicated to providing a brief history of the Packard Motor Car Company.  It describes the origin of the company, which was founded in 1899 in Warren, Ohio and was named the Ohio Automobile Company at that time.  The company was bought by investors in 1902 and moved to Detroit and renamed the Packard Motor Car Company.  The sign provides additional information about the company’s legacy through the 1920’s and 1930’s.

The “back” side of the sign focuses on the Proving Grounds itself.  The Grounds date back to 1926, and by 1929, included many buildings, including the Gate Lodge (the main building alongside the main gates), and several laboratories and warehouses, some of which have been restored and serve as banquet halls for special events.  The Grounds also included a highspeed test track and miles of roads simulating the worst conditions of the day.  Chrysler leased the Grounds during World War II in order to test tanks, and in 1961, Ford Motor Company purchased the property after Packard ceased production (in 1958).  In 2000, Ford and the Packard Motor Car Foundation began preserving many of the buildings and features of the Proving Grounds.  Today, it is a popular tourist attraction with several signs placed around the grounds that provide more details about the history of the Proving Grounds over the years.  It is also a popular venue for weddings, corporate events, car shows, and the Shelby Farmers Market.  You can visit the grounds and read the signs, but need to make an appointment if you want to tour the grounds and explore the buildings.  You can learn more about this historic site on their website, https://packardprovinggrounds.org/. 

My wife and I spent some time exploring the grounds, reading the historical signs, taking pictures, and visiting the area that had been set up inside the Main Gates for the wedding ceremony.   We could see the wedding guests enjoying the reception inside the Garage & Engineering Building.  It was tempting to crash the wedding, or at least get closer to the building to get a look inside, but I regathered my sensibilities, finished taking some great pics, and headed back to our car so we could get on to our own party.  It turned out to be a fun, spontaneous visit.

#michiganwinesandsigns #michigan #history #michiganhistory #wine #michiganwine #winetasting #historyisbetterwithwine