Dozens of ghost towns exist in Michigan dating back to pre-statehood. Many were old mining towns.

Did you know one still "exists," but can't be seen anymore?

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Uniquely lost, Singapore, Michigan

Located near Saugatuck on the west side of Michigan, Singapore was a booming lumbering & shipbuilding town founded in 1836.

Singapore, Michigan 1836-1871 Public Domain Credit:
Singapore, Michigan 1836-1871 Public Domain
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Someone from the Northeast United States founded the area thinking: "why couldn't this be a port as large and successful as Milwaukee or Chicago?"

The area did boom. It was almost entirely deforested because so much wood was needed to rebuild communities lost to fires in the late 1800s.

Why couldn't Singapore exist with fewer trees?

Without trees, winds off Lake Michigan caused erosion. Singapore, Michigan was buried by a couple of sand dunes.

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People have found the tops of houses and artifacts from that era including tools, building materials and everyday household items.

Singapore Michigan by rossograph via Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0
Singapore Michigan by rossograph via Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0
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Not every building was lost. When the Kalamazoo River froze over, people used giant logs to slide a few houses and a bank to Saugatuck before the sand could cover them.

You can see the Singapore Bank Building on Butler Street in Saugatuck -- it's now a gallery/bookstore near Saugatuck Village Hall.

Singapore Historical Marker in front of Saugatuck Village Hall Credit: Google Street View
Singapore Historical Marker in front of Saugatuck Village Hall Credit: Google Street View
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A couple of the houses still exist, too.

Maureen Hayes told WZZM-TV in 2019 about the house she purchased at 333 Lucy Street in 2011. The historic commission was there when they closed on the property to say ask: "Do you realize you have a Singapore house?"

They did... and have gone to great lengths to preserve it.

Former Singapore, MI home relocated to 333 Lucy Street Saugatuck, MI. Credit: Google Street View
Former Singapore, MI home relocated to 333 Lucy Street Saugatuck, MI. Credit: Google Street View
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Visitors might see the old Dugout Road if they're walking around the dunes near the Kalamazoo River just north of Downtown Saugatuck.

It was the main drag into and out of Singapore.

Approximate location of buried ghost town Singapore, MI. Credit Google Maps
Approximate location of buried ghost town Singapore, MI. Credit Google Maps
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Now, it's an overgrown trail you can follow to the sandy history of a buried Michigan city.

Singapore Michigan by rossograph / CC BY SA 4.0 (No Changes Made)

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