My guest today is an author from my home state of Michigan whom I met at the local library event in April. I’m impressed with the details in his books and how many of them he has published.

I’ve asked the author to tell us about himself and his books.

My name is Dana Kenneth Johnson – author, publisher, photographer, historian, and educational media producer, born in the U.P. but now living with my high school sweetheart and wife Ruth near Gowen, about 30 miles northeast of Grand Rapids. 

I graduated from Vestaburg High School in 1972 and have a college degree in Education Media Technology from Ferris State College (1975) and in Business Equipment Service Technology from Central Oregon Community College (1989), but my passion is in rediscovering Michigan’s lost history, exploring its many ghost towns, and finding historic old schoolhouses.

Altogether, I’ve published over 50 books on Michigan historical places and people, all of which are listed on the following pages and available to purchase on Amazon.com.

I travel extensively around the state to find, firsthand, the hidden historical treasures that await rediscovery in each county.

On one excursion, I spent an entire day – 14 hours – and drove 350 miles zigzagging north to south through Gratiot County to document and photograph every standing schoolhouse I could find, (39 remaining of the 184 that once stood in the county.)  I’ve devoted similar energy and resources to do the same in Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa Counties.  The result is “The Old School Project,” a series of books documenting the historic schools in each of those counties. Since then, I’ve started a series entitled “Michigan’s Lost, Forgotten & Unforgettable Places” which explores villages, hamlets, cities and historic sites – past and present – by county. My goal is to publish a book on every one of Michigan’s 83 counties. So far, I’ve covered 33 of them.

I have produced several series of PowerPoint presentations on historic schools, abandoned sites, rural communities, and ghost towns around West Central Michigan, and would delight in presenting them to groups in your area.

I also publish a bimonthly (6 issues a year) newsletter on Montcalm County History, with PDF format available free by email, or $12 per year for printed copy by USPS.

What is your book about?

Montcalm County Lost Forgotten & Unforgettable Places – The first book I published in the Lost, Forgotten & Unforgettable Places series was “Montcalm County Lost, Forgotten & Unforgettable Places” about the towns and sites in the county where I grew up and again live after returning from Oregon. It documents over 70 such sites in the county in current full-color and vintage photos, old and current maps, and a history of each place. The first edition was 75 pages, published in 2022. The latest edition, published in May 2024, is 360 pages, including a comprehensive index.

What was the catlyst and inspiration for your book?

My interest in Michigan history began in 1985 when I moved from Michigan to Central Oregon and found such spectacular scenic beauty that I felt compelled to photograph it.  Beginning with natural settings such as rivers, lakes, mountains, falls and forests, flora and fauna, I found the architecture equally intriguing, especially regarding the old Reid School in Bend that had been preserved as the Des Chutes Historical Museum.

When I came back to Michigan in 2014, I continued photographing old schools, along with other historic buildings and sites.  My interest grew as I discovered more and more of those old school houses still standing, in various states of repair or disrepair.

Further investigation included finding the history of each school and discovering their locations from old plat maps.  Inevitably, I realized that these  buildings needed to be documented before they were lost to history and the elements, so I started compiling books, starting with Montcalm County, since that’s where I live.  After publishing eleven books on historic schools, I expanded into historic rail stops, villages, towns, cities and sites in Michigan’s 83 counties. So far, I’ve covered 33 of them.

How do you find so much time to gather information and write?

After working in over 40 jobs between 1975 and 2014 when I retired, I devoted my free time to compiling information on Michigan’s historic places by county.

Were there any surprises as you wrote this book?

I had been aware of the term “podunk” as it refers to backwater towns and out-of-the-way hamlets, but it was only upon examining various old maps that I discovered that Michigan had ten towns that were actually named Podunk, including one in the southeast corner of Montcalm County.

Do you experience writer’s block?

Writer’s Block? – No such thing! Researching the history of each place in each county is just a matter of digging into old maps and photos, extrapolating their locations on modern maps, researching their history, and visiting the site to see what’s there, sometimes finding no trace remaining, and other times finding a thriving town or city.

What’s next for you as an author?

To publish a book on places in every county in Michigan, all 83 of them. I have 50 more to go.

Thank you for joining me today. Where can readers find you online?

on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DanaKennethJohnson/ and on Amazon by book title or ISBN.

Contact information:

Dana Kenneth Johnson

Gowen, Michigan  49326

541-419-6491

Photojournalist, Historian, Author, Editor, Publisher, Educational Media Producer, Audiovisual Specialist, Lecturer

Note from blogger Carol Underhill:

This is the link the author’s book about Mecosta County, where my home is. It was fun to look up my little village and read details about its history. I’m impressed with the amount of research he has put into each book.