Jacob Kolb was the colony’s storekeeper. He was conscripted to the Union Army in 1864 and returned to Ora Labora in 1866. During a struggle for control… Read more “Biography of Jacob Kolb”
Author: ThumbWind
Author of a fun loving and event blog covering topics of the Upper Thumb of Michigan , the wind energy capital of the Great Lakes. Offering great trove of information on Wind Energy, Cheeseburger in Caseville, Saginaw Bay, Sailing,
Biography of of Eduard & Herman Goeschel
Biography of of Eduard & Herman Goeschel two of the original “Backwoodsmen” of the Ora Labora Colony.
Biography of John J. Froebe
Biography of John J. Froebe a merchant of the Ora Labora colony near Bay Port Michigan.
Ora Labora Colony Group Photograph
Inscription on the back reads ” Member’s of the Ora et Labora Community, Wildfowl Bay Michigan. Circa 1865.
From the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan.
Ora Labora Sketch from Researcher 1970
This is a graphic of a possible representation of the Ora Labora German Colony overlaid on a map showing roads has they existed in 1970 until today. Note that much of the colony is situated away from the shore and abuts Indian Trail (Sand Road)
Ora Labora: Lost Town in Michigan
Another compilation is that of Alan Naldrett’s 2015 Lost Towns of Eastern Michigan. Comments of various researchers on this book place its value just above a tabloid… Read more “Ora Labora: Lost Town in Michigan”
Excerpt -A Huron Community Experiment
A summary of the Ora Labora German Colony from the 1922 book “Pioneer History of Huron County”
Ora Labora Litho Detail
Select areas of the 1865 Lithograph zoomed in for interest and clarity. The German colony was located just north of Bay Port
Ora Labora Lithograph 1865
Ora Labora, Michigan, lithograph by Ehrgott, Forbriger & Co. after image by H. Roedel dated 20 January 1865. Note the wide main road going from what is today’s Sand (or Trail) Road to the shore of Wild Fowl Bay.
From the collections of Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Pioneer History of Huron County a Community Experiment
Among the vanished villages of Huron County is that of Ora Labora, a colony situated between Caseville and Wild Fowl Bay…
