Michigan 'ghost towns' that once thrived. 5 places that have faded away

Forgotten chapters of Michigan history lie in remote spots, ghost towns that recall yesteryear's flourishing settlements.

From the northern tip of the Upper Peninsula to the Thumb, in the heart of mid-Michigan and along the west Michigan coast, the state is dotted with fragments of formerly prosperous communities — relics of a bygone era.

In the heart of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the western Upper Peninsula, Delaware represented a thriving 19th century copper mining town along what's now U.S. 41. Once home to more than 1,100 residents and boasting its own postal service, according to Visit Keweenaw, the unfruitful mine then saw the community dwindle, only a few historic homes now remaining.

In Michigan's Thumb, St. John's Lutheran Church marks the cornerstone of Kilmanagh, nearly all