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History Loves Company
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The Stories We Keep • Volume 10
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Radar, Rock Walls, and a Traverse City Legend
This week we went from Cold War infrastructure → a Pontiac building that refused to die → one of Traverse City’s most influential historic homes.
Three stories. One mission: preserve what matters.
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Hi — Chris here.
I love weeks like this because the range tells the real story:
Michigan (and the places connected to Michigan) isn’t just mansions and museums.
It’s industry, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and the everyday buildings that quietly shaped who we became.
This week’s episodes are three completely different worlds —
but they all have one thing in common:
once these places are gone, they’re gone forever.
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This Week’s Episodes
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This one is about the place itself — the towers, the Cold War purpose, and why abandoned military sites
become rumor factories the second the gates close.
The bigger takeaway: history doesn’t disappear… it mutates. And that’s why we document it.
Watch Streets of History →
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This building has lived multiple lives — and every era left fingerprints.
One of my favorite kinds of stories:
adaptive reuse with a pulse.
If you’ve ever climbed there, worked nearby, or remember what it used to be…
the comments on this one have been incredible.
Watch Pontiac Pulse →
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This is one of those homes where the story isn’t just inside the walls —
it’s in what the owner helped build around it.
Traverse City history, influence, and the kind of legacy that becomes part of a place forever.
Watch Homes of Michigan →
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The Stories We Keep Podcast
Long-form Michigan history (first Sunday of every month)
If the YouTube episodes are the walkthroughs, the podcast is the deep dive.
Longer stories, slower pace, more context.
If you’re into the “why it matters” part — start here.
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The Houses Behind the Headlines
Where headlines meet architecture
We’re keeping this series tight: history, design, and the physical place behind the moment —
no noise.
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Community Chronicles
The best leads come from you
The fastest way we find the next story is through your memories.
Old photos. Family stories. A building you drove past for years and always wondered about.
If you’ve got a place you want documented before it changes (or disappears),
reply with City + building + what you know.
Even a “my grandpa worked there” is enough to start pulling the thread.
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Sober Strides
Healing + rebuilding the routine
I’m still in the boot, but I’m back to walking in it — slow progress, real progress.
Running will come back when it’s time.
For now, I’m filling the void the best way I know how:
building this project, and being fully present for Kit’s track journey.
(We even put together a little at-home gym setup for him. Track dad era is real.)
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Market Moments
“Story value” is real value
A thing I keep seeing across historic properties:
homes (and buildings) with an intact story attract attention faster and hold it longer.
That doesn’t just mean “pretty.”
It means preserved details, honest materials, and a clear sense of era — the stuff you can’t fake.
Want me to spotlight your neighborhood’s historic vibe in a future volume?
Reply with City + neighborhood.
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Forever Home Project
Early days — we’re building it the right way
We’re still early in the planning phases, but the mission stays the same:
preservation with a purpose — restoring historic homes while creating real second chances.
If you have experience with 501(c)(3) nonprofits (forming, structuring, board setup, fundraising),
I’d appreciate a conversation.
Reply and put “501c3” in the subject line.
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HLC Apparel
Wear the mission
If these stories mean something to you, the simplest way to support the work is to wear it.
The Foundation Collection is made for people who believe preservation matters.
Shop the Store →
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Reply Prompt
Where are you reading from?
Hit reply and tell me your city —
and one building/place you’ve got real memories tied to that deserves an episode.
Format it like this: “PLACE + CITY + why it matters.”
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