MICHIGAN GHOST TOWN: Teaspoon Corners (a/k/a North Leslie)

The Ingham County area known as Teaspoon Corners has always been considered a part of Leslie. But reading scant histories (and there aren't many) about this 'village' leads one to believe some of the residents there wanted the area to be separate.

Teaspoon Corners was/is located at the corner of Covert Rd. and US127...thanks to the highway being built over old 127, it makes it a little more difficult to pinpoint exactly where some of the structures stood.

On the northwest corner was a two story hotel that was also a tavern, gas station, country store & living quarters. Upstairs was a dance hall with a bandstand and benches. Weekly dances would occur there, with country bands, square dancing, polkas, etc. The owner of the hotel was responsible for the name "Teaspoon Corners".....it seems one day (or night) his silverware was allegedly stolen. Therefore, he stuck the area with the "teaspoon" moniker.

In the southwest corner was the Leslie school house, a log school that was constructed in 1845. It became known as North Leslie School as well. The school and hotel are long gone, along with a nice handful of homes that were built and homesteaded. I've seen a couple of structures in that area that look like they might be leftovers from the 'Teaspoon Corners' days...

I think we all remember the apple (and peach) orchards that grew in the area that are now gone, even though they lasted WAY longer than the village.

The 'Teaspoon Corners' name was changed to “North Leslie” in 1874 but the word "teaspoon" remains to this day --- "Teaspoon Hill," just east of the corner of Hull Rd. and Covert Rd., is renowned statewide as the highest point in Ingham County, with an elevation of somewhere between 1040 – 1056 feet, depending on what source you wanna believe (42.4803144- 84.4394157 - latitude & longitude).

Please share any more info and pictures you may have!

MORE MICHIGANIA: