Historic Light Station
Information
& Photography
ILLINOIS
CARTER HARRISON CITY WATERWORKS CRIB WITH LIGHTHOUSE
Photographs:
CHICAGO LIGHT
Location: North harbor pier
Station Established: 1832
Year Current/Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1859
Operational: no
Automated:
Deactivated: 1893
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: steel
Tower Shape: skeletal
Height:
Markings/Pattern:
Characteristics:
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens:
Foghorn:
Historical Information:
- 1832 – First Chicago lighthouse built.
- 1859 – Skeletal structure built on North harbor pier.
- 1871 – Grosse Point becomes main light to direct maritime traffic into the Chicago River.
- 1893 – Chicago Harbor light built to replace the skeletal lighthouse.
- 1894 – Lantern and upper watch room moved to Rawley Point, WI.
Keepers:
- George W. Snow (Head Keeper 8/15/1833 – 9/10/1833)
- Samuel C. Lasley (Head Keeper 9/10/1833 – 12/31/1834)
- William M. Stevens (Head Keeper 1/1/1835 – 1839, 9/1841 – 7/1/1842)
- John C. Gibson (Head Keeper 1839 – 9/1841)
- Silas Meacham (Head Keeper 7/1/1842 – 12/4/ 1844)
- James Long (Head Keeper 12/4/ 1844 – 7/19/1849)
- Charles Douglass (Head Keeper 7/19/1849 – 5/19/1853)
- Henry M. Fuller (Head Keeper 5/19/1853 – 2/19/1855)
- Mark Beanbien (Head Keeper 2/19/1855 – 10/7/1859)
- Morris Walsh (Head Keeper 10/7/1859 – 3/27/1861)
- John Lobstine (Head Keeper 3/27/1861 – 11/27/1866)
- Leonard Miller (Head Keeper 11/27/1866 – 9/28/1869)
- Mrs. Magdalene Miller (1st Assistant Keeper 7/5/1867 – 9/28/1869)
- Charles H. Boynton (Head Keeper 9/28/1869 – 1/6/1874)
- Mrs. Emily Boynton (1st Assistant Keeper 9/28/1869 – 11/8/1869)
- Amassa J. Boynton (1st Assistant Keeper 11/8/1869 – 9/23/1871, 4/1/1872 – 7/1/1872)
- O. B. Gardner (1st Assistant Keeper 9/23/1871 – 1/4/1872)
- Anthony Hagan (1st Assistant Keeper 7/6/1872 – 4/29/1873, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/8/1874 – 6/21/1875, Head Keeper 6/21/1875 – 12/10/1887)
- Adilon Benoit (1st Assistant Keeper 4/29/1873 – 8/11/1873)
- Charles F. Raven (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 8/11/1873 – 4/8/1874, Acting Head Keeper 4/8/1874 – 6/21/1875)
- James Peterson (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 7/23/1875 – 9/29/1875, 1st Assistant Keeper 9/29/1875 – 4/1/1876)
- Hans L. Hansen (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/1/1876 – 11/16/1876, 1st Assistant Keeper 11/16/1876 – 4/3/1878, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 3/29/1880 – 7/10/1880, 1st Assistant Keeper 7/10/1880 – 5/27/1881, Head Keeper 2/10/1888 – 7/1/1890)
- Christian Hagan (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/11/1876 – 3/29/1877)
- Hans L. Hagenson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 3/29/1877 – 9/27/1877; 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/27/1877 – 4/3/1878; Acting 1st Assistant Keeper, 4/3/1878 – 6/27/1878; 1st Assistant Keeper 6/27/1878 – 3/29/1880)
- Otto Tennyson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/3/1878 – 3/30/1880)
- Joseph Marlin (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 3/30/1880 – 5/27/1880)
- Charles Klingston (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/27/1880 – 11/10/1880, 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/10/1880 - 6/2/1881, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 6/2/1881 – 7/22/1881, 1st Assistant Keeper 7/22/1881 – 4/12/1882)
- Christian Johnson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/15/1881 – 7/22/1881, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/22/1881 – 4/11/1883)
- Thomas H. Hendrickson (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/12/1882 – 7/14/1882, 1st Assistant Keeper 7/14/1882 – 4/25/1883)
- Simon P. Nelson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/11/1883 – 4/25/1883, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/25/1883 – 7/3/1883, 1st Assistant Keeper 7/3/1883 – 8/18/1883, 1st Assistant Keeper 9/6/1883 – 3/15/1889, Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/10/1890 – 7/5/1890, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/5/1890 – 8/12/1890, 1st Assistant Keeper 8/12/1890 – 10/1/1895)
- Ole Hansen (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/4/1883 – 7/3/1883, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/3/1883 – 8/18/1883, 1st Assistant Keeper 8/18/1883 – 9/6/1883, 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/6/1883 – 9/10/1885, Head Keeper 7/1/1890 – 3/1/1893)
- Charles Green (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/27/1885 – 12/21/1885)
- Andrew Linder (2nd Assistant Keeper 3/24/1886 –
8/12/1886)
Hakon Debes (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/15/1886 – 12/8/1886, 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/8/1886 – 4/2/1887) - Joseph Hanson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/2/1887 – 6/20/1887, 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/20/1887 – 4/16/1889, 1st Assistant Keeper 4/16/1889 – 8/12/1890)
- Charles A. Lindstrom (Head Keeper 12/10/1887 – 2/10/1888)
- Bendix Rolfson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper
4/16/1889 – 6/7/1889)
Soren Christianson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/21/1889 – 10/3/1889, 2nd Assistant Keeper 3/10/1889 – 4/28/1890) - Edward N. Curran (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/27/1890 – 12/10/1890, 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/10/1890 – 5/11/1891)
- Albert S. Samuelson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/1/1891 – 8/6/1891, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/6/1891 – 7/2/1894)
- Thomas J. Bailey (Acting Head Keeper 3/1/1893 – 11/1/1893)
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Photographs:
CHICAGO PIERHEAD LIGHT
Photographs:
CHICAGO HARBOR LIGHT
CHICAGO HARBOR ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1832
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1893
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1979
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: RUBBLE STONE W/CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE/ORIG. RED
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1893
Photographs:
FOUR MILE CRIB LIGHT
Photographs:
No Photograph available
GROSSE POINT LIGHT
Location: LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1872
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1935
Deactivated: 1935
Foundation Materials: STONE/CONCRETE
Construction Materials: BRICK ENCASED IN CONCRETE
Tower Shape: CONICAL ATTACHED TO STORAGE BLDG.
Markings/Pattern: YELLOW W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1874
Historical Information:
- 1860 – Schooner Augusta rammed sidewheel passenger steamer Lady Elgin, prompting calls for a lighthouse at Grosse Point.
- 1871 – Congress appropriated $35,000 for the lighthouse.
- 1872 – Construction began.
- 1874 – Construction of tower completed.
- 1881 – Fog signal installed.
- 1892 – Steam sirens replaced by steam whistle.
- 1900 – Oil house built.
- 1914 – Walls of tower covered with 4” of concrete.
- 1923 – Lighthouse electrified.
- 1933 – Fog signal discontinued; photoelectric cell installed in tower to turn light on automatically.
- 1934 – Bureau of Lighthouses discontinued position of Keeper at Grosse Point.
- 1935 – Lighthouse property transferred to city of Evanston, Illinois who, in turn, leased it to North East Park District.
- 1941 – Federal government abandoned lighthouse; light extinguished due to WWII.
- 1942 – Light tower transferred to city.
- 1946 – Control of tower given from North East Park District to Evanston Historical Society. Beacon re-lit.
- 1976 – Lighthouse placed on National Registry of Historic Places.
Keepers:
- Charles Woodford (1st Assistant Keeper 12/12/1873 - 3/9/1874, Acting Keeper 3/9/1874 – 3/31/1874)
- Charles Boynton (Keeper 1/6/1874 – 3/9/1874, Acting Keeper 4/8/1874 – 11/18/1876, Keeper 11/18/1876 – 6/29/1880)
- Robert Seaman (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/8/1874 – 1/13/1876)
- Peter Danielson (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 1/13/1876 – 11/18/1876, 1st Assistant Keeper 11/18/1876 – 10/26/1881)
- George Hale (Acting Keeper 8/12/1880 – 11/10/1880, Keeper 11/10/1880 – 2/11/1882)
- William Bishop (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/6/1880 – 10/29/1880)
- Edwin Anderson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/3/1880 – 6/11/1881, 3/7/1883 – 7/3/1883, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/3/1883 – 8/24/1883, 1st Assistant Keeper 8/24/1883 – 12/8/1886)
- Archibald McFadyen (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/11/1881 – 7/22/1881, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/22/1881 – 10/22/1881)
- John Sandell (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/28/1881 – 11/19/1881, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 11/19/1881 – 1/3/1882, 1st Assistant Keeper 1/3/1882 – 8/24/1883)
- Henry Goggin (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/23/1881 – 6/3/1882, 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/3/1882 – 11/3/1882)
- Joseph Harris, Jr. (Acting Keeper 2/11/1882 – 6/3/1882, Keeper 6/3/1882 – 8/4/1885)
- Charles Old (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/3/1882 – 1/9/1883)
- Edwin J. Moore (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/15/1883 – 8/21/1884, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/21/1884 – 10/20/1885, Keeper 8/27/1888 – 3/2/1924)
- James W. Rich (Keeper 8/4/1885 – 12/10/1887)
- Robert A. Bridges (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1885 – 5/22/1886)
- Peter Corrigan (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/22/1886 – 7/21/1886)
- William H. Mabley (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/6/1886 – 10/29/1886)
- Henry J. Burns (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/29/1886 – 12/8/1886, 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/8/1886 – 12/11/1886, 1st Assistant Keeper 12/11/1886 – 9/10/1887)
- William T. Shade (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 1/7/1887 – 4/6/1887)
- Oliver Hanson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1887 – 7/11/1887, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/11/1887 – 3/26/1888)
- Robert F. Graham (1st Assistant Keeper 9/10/1887 – 8/27/1887)
- Anthony Hagan (Keeper 12/10/1887 – 8/4/1887)
- Byron B. Palmer (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 3/26/1888 – 7/21/1888, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/21/1888 – 8/15/1888)
- Orrin Warren Jr. (1st Assistant Keeper 8/27/1888 – 7/27/1889)
- Stephen Creutz (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/19/1888 – 5/1/1889, 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/1/1889 – 8/19/1889)
- Thomas J. Dunlap (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/5/1889 – 10/3/1889, 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/3/1889 – 4/5/1890)
- Peter J. Peterson (1st Assistant Keeper 1/20/1890 - 3/16/1891)
- Thomas W. Pollock (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/5/1890 – 8/2/1890)
- John C. King (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/23/1890 – 2/5/1891, 2nd Assistant Keeper 2/5/1891 – 10/5/1892)
- George W. Rose (1st Assistant Keeper 4/1/1891 – 3/27/1895)
- August Beckstrom (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1892 – 8/25/1893, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/25/1893 – 4/1/1895)
- Gabriel Ariansen (1st Assistant Keeper 3/27/1895 – 8/19/1895)
- Alfred Sheridan (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/1/1895 – 8/15/1895, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/15/1895 – 1/1/1896)
- Frederick Samuelson (1st Assistant Keeper 8/19/1895 – 11/15/1898)
- Charles Protis (2nd Assistant Keeper 3/5/1896 – 11/15/1898, 1st Assistant Keeper 11/15/1898 – 6/27/1899)
- John B. Young (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/15/1898 – 2/1/1900)
- Isaac W. Blanchard (1st Assistant Keeper 7/12/1899 – 1912)
- Edward O. Pooler (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 2/1/1900 – 3/26/1900)
- William W. Foster (2nd Assistant Keeper 3/26/1900 – 3/25/1902)
- Harry J. Moore (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/10/1902 – 5/27/1902, Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1903 – 4/6/1903)
- Walter F. Gankel (2nd Assistant Keeper 5/27/1902 – 3/31/1903)
- Rhinehart Pfiel (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1903 – 3/31/1905)
- Walter A. Donovan (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/1/1905 – 11/5/1916)
- William C. Berg (1st Assistant Keeper 1917 – 1/9/1920)
- John T. Trucker (2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1916 – 1917, 1st Assistant Keeper 1917 – 7/15/1930, Keeper 7/15/1930 – 5/4/1934)
- Oscar H. Knudsen (Keeper 4/3/1924 – 6/30/1930)
- Ralph R. Moore (1st Assistant Keeper 7/15/1930 – 6/1934)
- Frederick Sellers (1st Assistant Keeper 1935)
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Photographs:
WAUKEGAN HARBOR LIGHT
Photographs:
WAUKEGAN HARBOR LIGHT TOWER WITH ATTACHED STRUCTURE
WAUKEGAN HARBOR LIGHT TOWER WITHOUT ATTACHED STRUCTURE (PRE-1912)
Last Modified 8/7/2008