Three Michigan U.P. Ghost Towns: Arnheim, Forest Lake, & Redruth

There are so many ghost towns in the Upper Peninsula along with many others that have disappeared from history, that we’ll probably never know where they all are. But we can try to acknowledge some of them, a little at a time.

Before we get to the photos, here are some brief tidbits of info for each one.
Here are three little U.P. places that are barely blips on maps…

ARNHEIM
The village of Arnheim lies in Baraga County in Baraga Township.It was chiefly a station along the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and postal stop. The post office operated from 1900-1915, and again from 1917-1951.

In 1905, Arnheim had a population of 100 and the following establishments: general store, sawmill, and the Superior Red Sandstone Company.

By 1918 all that was left was the general store. Currently, there are some homes scattered throughout the countryside and the abandoned railroad tracks.

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FOREST LAKE
This community was also a railroad stop, this time on the M.M. & S. Railroad. It began life in 1890 when it was named ‘Dixon’ by the Cleveland Cliffs Company. It plodded along as ‘Dixon’ until 1915 when the post office arrived – then the name was changed in 1921 to ‘Forest Lake’, the name stemming from the mass of lumber and nearby lake.

Aside from its lumber business, post office, and rail station, Forest Lake had a general store, bus stop, and justice of the peace. Once the timber was mostly depleted, the lumber biz left, along with the residents. Today, there are both a ‘Forest Lake’ and ‘Dixon’ less than a mile apart on M-94 and scattered homes up and down the road. If you have the gumption, you can try locating some old building foundations in the woods in the Forest Lake area.

REDRUTH
In 1886, Redruth was a post office along the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon Railroad. It closed in 1887 but was revived in 1889. Redruth also had a sawmill and school. That’s basically it for Redruth, except it couldn’t survive when the lumber company left. It was located where Three Lakes shows up on maps. When you see the old abandoned Three Lakes Trading Post, you have arrived.

Take a look at the photos below...