Was There a Place Called 'Purgatory' in Michigan? Oh, Yeah...

Did Michigan ever have a town or village named Purgatory? It makes for good bedtime stories, but...well...there is an area that was given that name.

And who do you think would be in the middle of naming a place 'Purgatory'? Yeah, that's right …..Al Capone. Oohhh, I just heard a collective groan from readers - “not another ridiculous Al Capone location”...”Al Capone: sure it is”.....”I'm not gonna reads this claptrap”.....

Okay, now cool it. I'm not saying Capone hung out here, but like it or not, that's the rumor.

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The place called Purgatory is approximately 5,000 acres of forests, now known as Three Rivers State Game Area. Why the name 'Purgatory'? Evidently, when the lush trees turn colors in the fall – red, yellow, orange – from the air it looks like the forest is on fire. The name Purgatory became so popular and locally well-known, that the local road was given that name.

As for the Capone legend, there seem to be a lot of believers for this one. About seven miles northwest of Constantine, out in the middle of nowhere, is a place where Capone was said to have a place to stay.....okay, hide out......okay, 'safe place'. Satellite photos do show a foundation of a demolished building in the woods. The site of this structure was also named 'Purgatory'.

All that remains are foundations, a small bunker in the side of a hill and another structure filled with pumps and machinery. As for rumors of the safe house, they include underground escape tunnels, it was a halfway stop between Canada & Chicago for bootleggers, swampy holes were used for dumping bodies, and more speculations.

So believe or don't believe. It doesn't matter, but it sure makes living in Michigan a lot more interesting than other states.

The gallery below shows the area and a long-gone abandoned house; was it the Capone safe house? Not sure, but take a look...