Driving Through The Small Towns Of Michigan’s Thumb

[@gregcarnes80]

Had to pause you with Applegate as it has changed alot in the last 40 years. Coming into town from Croswell there was a long metal building that was a Saturday night auction house. You passed the Applegate Wesleyan church on your right. The Exchange State Bank has been there and successfully operating since the 1970s when I remember it. You commented on some "old buildings" there is a empty lot again on your right that held a full service grocery store. Right next to that was a telephone exchange building that is now a antique/ thrift store. Across the street was other antique shops that are now closed... the Applegate Party Store was once a car dealership. There also used to be two gas stations one was on the corner (AL'S) and the other down a bit on your left called (Garth's). Al's is now a private residence and Garth's was razed. There is a large two story building also right on the corner that has apartments up top. And for a short time an electronic repair on the first floor. The old fire station right next door became a museum with lots of great memories of Applegate. The Post Office replaced the post office that used to be inside of Packs Griss Mill that you'll be passing on your way through to Carsonville. The fire department has been around since the 1970s as well. What we didn't see was the Applegate Bar. There was also a two room school house that's now apartments as well. The big business in town was the Elevator which is gone, (most of which is razed). The only building left is the office/ weight building, not really sure of its status but when I drove by I thought there was an apartment there. There is alot of history that I remember but haven't touched on.....

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Lot of history in Applegate. I never remembered Applegate like that, it is nice to know the history. Thank you for sharing your memories. Stay safe and enjoy your day. Tom & Debbie

[@gregcarnes80]

@Millicient Aspinet I visit Applegate occasionally. Great family history! Ridge cemetery is out on Ridge road in a remote area. Are you wanting pictures?

[@barbburns2122]

What about the beautyshop??

[@gregcarnes80]

@@barbburns2122 oh wow! Uncertain about its fate. I don't remember who was running it.... It's been so long ago....

[@shirleybalinski4535]

Beans, soy beans, corn,wheat..great,prodyuctive farm land. Forgotten part of Michigan..THE THUMB. 😊ORIGINALLY OF POLISH & GERMANS. MICHIGAN'S FIRST LUMBER BOOM ERA, MASSIVE FOREST FIRES, & SHIPPING.

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Yes indeed.

[@MapgeekWL]

Love watching your videos showcasing our state! I have a lot of family from the Ubly area, so we appreciate seeing the village highlighted. 👍🏼

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Thank you for watching the video. We love traveling all around Michigan and showing everyone what our state has to offer. Be safe. Tom & Debbie .

[@stantaylor3350]

Thank you for the tour of the thumb. I was born and raised in the U.P. moved to ND in 2009 to drive semi trucks hauling sugar beets to the American Crystal sugar plants here in the Red River Valley. One of the secretary's asked me why I didn't get a job in my home state. I was like what? Didn't even know there was this in Michigan. My sister lives down there still and sent me this link. There are 5 American Crystal sugar plants in the RRV sugar beets are planted from about 50 miles south of Fargo to almost the Canadian border and about 30 miles both sides of the Red River. Between 11 to 13 million tons are harvested annually. I now haul coal, that fires the boilers at the 5 plants.

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Wow! I didn’t even know that they had sugar plants in ND. I guess it make sense it does need to be in a cold area just like Michigan. The Michigan Sugar company has about 4-5 plants in the Thumb. The farmers here had a great crop this year, that the plant in Croswell could not use all the beets and had them moved to another plant. By the way we love traveling to the U.P. Just sent some time in Munising. Thanks for watching the video. Stay safe.

[@bmxd199]

Hi I’m actually from minden city it’s a pretty good little town the park has been named the hounds park because of a man who passed away from Covid last year. The big building across from the park is actually Macoy honey the make honey😊 I enjoyed the minden one the bar is a really good place to hang out also

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Thank you for watching the video. Thank you for the information. Had no idea that Minden City had a place that made honey. If it wasn’t so cold we would have walked around Hounds park. Please be safe and have a great day. Tom & Debbie

[@toma5153]

Thanks. Port Austin is very quiet compared to the summer season! On to Bad Axe.

[@dankivel3499]

👍👍👏👏

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Tom & Debbie

[@adrianzepeda3195]

Where are all the people?

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Good question. Being that it was in the middle of winter no one wanted to get out from under there warm bed blankets Thank you for watching. Have a great and adventurous week.

[@wstas3220]

Enjoyed your video. Love all the small towns in the thumb. The name of Ubly is actually a misspelling. From the village website: The Village of Ubly was first known as Sidon, being north of Tyre as in the Bible. Later it was called Pagetts Corners after Mr. Alfred Pagett who erected a general merchandise store at the west end in April 1870 which was destroyed by the fire of 1881. In 1880 a number of men met to talk over applying for a local post office. Those present wanted to call it Pagettville but Mr. Pagett declined and suggested Ubley, after a little town he knew back in England. When the application came back, whoever had filled in that part in Washington had spelled it Ubly.

[@RoamingMichiganTogether]

Glad you enjoyed the video. The Thumb has some great sites to see and beautiful old towns to visit. All you need to do is get out there and roam. Be safe. Tom & Debbie