Thursday, December 14, 2023

The Big Strawberry Barn, Nunica MI ~ 12/14/23

Edited 2/11/24:  We heard that the barn had collapsed at the end of the year and February 4 we took a ride past. These are photos from its very sad, current, and collapsed state.






RIP Big Strawberry.

12/14/23
We've driven past this barn countless times on our way to Grand Haven and today we stopped for photos because the barn is rapidly deteriorating. I could not find information on it but it is clearly old and abandoned.

Gene Taylor, a member of the West Michigan Genealogy & History facebook group, let me know that his grand parents, George & Florence Clover owned the barn from the 1930s to the 1950s.  Nature is now taking it over so see it while you can. Find it on M104 just west of the I96 ramp as you head towards Spring Lake.




Your best days are obviously behind you 😟


Thursday, June 8, 2023

Pleasant Hill Farm, 5859 124th Ave, Fennville MI ~ 6/8/23

What a feast for the eyes. This four acre parcel is filled with poppies and other wildflowers and is breathtaking.



The parcel is owned and managed by the owners of the blueberry farm nearby and the story behind the field is one of sadness, the death of their son. He is buried in Fennville Cemetery next to the flower field and the flowers were planted to honor him. It's a beautiful memorial.



You can't walk through the field but just around the perimeter, which we did.





We found an artist trying to capture the magic.



Make your way to flower field in the next few weeks if you want to see the poppies before they are finished for the year. The field is located just west of Fennville Cemetery and I've included maps at the end. Rest in peace, Sgt Donaldson, and much appreciation to your parents for creating such a lovely, peaceful place in your honor.






Maps

The red dot is the address of the farm. The flower field is just west of the cemetery.

Short Video 

Monday, October 17, 2022

West Michigan Covered Bridges in Fall ~ October 13, 2022

The 125-foot Ada Covered Bridge spans the Thornapple River and was originally built in 1867 by William Holmes. It closed to vehicle traffic in 1930 and became a pedestrian bridge. In 1979 it was destroyed by fire and this replica bridge was completed in 1980.

The Fallasburg Covered Bridge is 100 feet long and spans the Flat River. Originally built in 1871 by Jared N. Bresee, the bridge is still open to vehicle traffic.
Repairs and modifications have been made over the years to maintain the structure (in 2013 the bridge was damaged when a cement truck drove on it). Of the three bridges visited today, this is the only one that can claim to be original.

Whites Bridge is 120 feet long, also spans the Flat River, and was built in 1867 by Jared N. Bresee (spelled here as Brazee) and J.N. Walker.
In 2010, a person drove through the side of the bridge (I took this photo in 2012).
And in 2013, the bridge was completely destroyed by fire. It took years for it to get rebuilt but this replica bridge finally opened in 2020.
All three bridges were built with the truss system patented by Josiah Brown and are known as Brown Truss bridges. Happy Fall, y'all!