Steiner, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steiner, Michigan
|
|
|---|---|
Steiner Depot, Pere Marquette Railroad
|
|
 Steiner, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Steiner, Michigan
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Monroe |
| Township | Frenchtown |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Elevation | 617 ft (188 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 638786 |
Steiner was a small farming community in Michigan that no longer exists. It's known as a ghost town because most of its buildings are gone and people don't live there anymore. Steiner was located in Frenchtown Charter Township, within Monroe County. You can still find some old buildings there today. It was once at the corner of Steiner Road and Laduke Road, near the CSX Railroad tracks.
Steiner was about five miles north of the city of Monroe. The community grew up around the Steiner Depot, which was a train station for the Pere Marquette Railroad.
The Story of Steiner
Steiner was started in 1873 by a man named William Steiner, and the town was named after him. It was a busy place for a while!
What Was Steiner Like?
At its busiest, Steiner had many important buildings and businesses:
- A train depot (station)
- A creamery, which made dairy products
- A granary, for storing grain
- Freight scales, to weigh goods
- A sawmill, which cut wood
- A factory that made baskets
- A pottery and brick works, making clay products
- A saloon, called the Steiner Inn
- A general store run by the Laduke family
- The Steiner Post Office
The post office opened on September 7, 1886. Its first postmaster was John Kohler. It closed many years later, on July 31, 1925. For some time, the railroad even had a special track that went from Steiner to a sand quarry near Maybee, Michigan.
The End of Steiner
A big fire happened on May 3, 1948. This fire destroyed the general store and other buildings located near Laduke Road and the railroad tracks. The closest fire department was five miles away in Monroe, so it took a long time for help to arrive. This fire was a major event that contributed to the decline of the community.
What's Left Today?
Today, there aren't many clear signs that Steiner was once a thriving town. You can still see a few houses built before 1900. The old basket factory building is also still standing near the railroad tracks. The name "Steiner Road" is another reminder of the community. Steiner is now considered one of the lost cities, towns, and counties of Michigan.
Gallery
-
Steiner Inn
-
Steiner facing east from Railroad
-
Steiner facing East from railroad towards picnic grounds
-
Paul Laduke Store
-
Steiner Cornet Band c.1905
-
Block Factory
-
Calkins Basket Factory, which still remains Steiner
-
E.R. Calkins operating sawmill
