Security Levels

Historic Light Station Information
& Photography

MICHIGAN

ALPENA LIGHT

Location: ALPEAN, MICHIGAN; LAKE HURON; THUNDER BAY RIVER ENTRANCE
Station Established: 1877
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1914
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1974
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: BREAKWATER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Height: 80-feet
Markings/Pattern: RED SKELETAL TOWER, UPPER PART ENCLOSED
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER
Foghorn:

Historical Information :

This bright red, steel frame structure has been nicknamed "Sputnik" by the people of this northern Michigan City. Resembling the Russian space satellite, it is believed to be the only lighthouse of this type in the United States. The current structure is believed to be the 3^rd lighthouse in the area, following two others built during the 1800’s.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ALPENA LIGHTHOUSE

ALPENA LIGHTHOUSE, DIFFERENT VIEW

AU SABLE LIGHT

Location: AU SABLE POINT/LAKE SUPERIOR; 31 MILES EAST OF MUNSING; 13 MILES WEST OF GRAND MARIAS, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1874
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1958 (Solar)
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Height:
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Characteristics:    Fixed White
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1874
Foghorn:    Steam whistle and airhorn (removed).

Historical Information :

This light was called Big Sable Light until 1910.
The National Park Service is in the process of restoring the lighthouse. The tower and red brick building keepers dwelling and matching red brick fog signal building are still standing. The boarded lantern area is an impressive sight.
The third order fresnel lens is on display at the National Lakeshore’s Nautical and Maritime Museum in Grand Marias.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

AU SABLE LIGHTHOUSE

BAY FURNACE LIGHT
(GRAND ISLAND RANGE LIGHTS)

Location: Lake Superior, near Christmas, Alger County, MI
Date Built: 1868 (Original Structure); 1914 (Existing Lighthouse)
Type of Structure: Original rear range lighthouse was a wooden keeper’s house with lantern on top. Original front range light was wooden frame tower. Existing tower is a black conical steel tower with a white lantern room.
Height: existing tower is 62 ft.
Status: decommissioned in 1969; front light taken down.
Source: Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy Web site

The above was researched and drafted by Bill Simms, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

BAY FURNACE LIGHTHOUSE

BEAVER HEAD (BEAVER ISLAND) LIGHT

Location: South end of Beaver Island
Date Built: 1851
Type of Structure: Brick tower, iron lantern room, keepers house attached via covered walk.
Operational: No
Date Automated:
Deactivated: 1962
Height: 46’
Foghorn: added in 1888
Builder: John McReynolds
Appropriation: $5,000
Foundation Material: Reinforced concrete
Construction Material: brick
Tower Shape: conical
Relationship to Other Structure: Attached
Original Lens: 14 Lewis lamps and reflectors
Characteristics: Fixed white
Range: 16 miles after 1858 upgrade.
Status: decommissioned

Historical Information:

Much of the following history was compiled by Terry Pepper and is on his web site. www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/beaverhead/beaverhead.htm

As early as the 1830’s there were requests for a light marking the southern tip of Beaver Island. Mariners would pass between Beaver Island and North Fox Island to the south and the light would help navigate the area. It was not until September of 1850 that $5,000 was approved for the construction of the light.
In November of 1850 a 158-acre tract of Federal land was set aside for the lighthouse which was completed in 1851.
Conditions were rough and the light deteriorated rather quickly so a significant amount of repairs were required 1858. The lens was upgraded to a revolving fourth order Fresnel with a flash every 90 seconds. Range was 16 miles.
In 1866 the current Keeper’s quarters were constructed.
In 1868 the light was threatened by forest fires. Keeper’s had complained about leaking cisterns, but nothing was done about it until the fires almost destroyed the light due to lack of adequate water supply.
In 1886 the boat ramp had to be repaired because it had been shifted by heavy ice on the lake the preceding winter. However, the repairs didn’t last long as a particularly severe storm destroyed the boat house and boat ramps. Replacements were built in 1887.
In 1888 it was determined that increase in traffic would benefit from a fog signal being placed on the island. An additional 10 acres was acquired and $5,500.00 appropriated for the project. The siren used at Skillagallee light station were transferred to Beaver Head Light and placed in service in December of 1890.
To handle the additional chores of the fog signal a second assistant keeper was hired and the Keeper’s dwelling was enlarged to accommodate the additional personnel.
The fog building was replaced in 1915 due to extensive deterioration of the original building.
In 1917 the illuminating apparatus was upgraded to an incandescent oil vapor system. The characteristic changed to a fixed white light with single flash every 20 seconds.
In 1933 the fog signal was upgraded to an air “Tyfon” powered by diesel engine.
In 1938 the illuminating apparatus was again changed – this time to an electric arc lamp.
1939 the fog signal was replaced by an air diaphragm horn emitting two blasts every 30 seconds.
In 1953 the station received its first telephone.
In 1962 the light was decommissioned. The lens was removed and is on display in the keeper’s dwelling.
In 1975 ownership of the light and surrounding 64 acres of land were turned over to the Charlevoix Public School System who used the restoration of the light as an educational program.
In 1978 summer work programs were begun and various restoration projects took place. In December of 1978 the light was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2003 a grant was obtained to restore the fog building which was deteriorating

The above was researched and drafted by Bill Simms, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

BEAVER HEAD LIGHTHOUSE

BEAVER ISLAND HARBOR LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

STATION WITH KEEPER'S QUARTERS

STATION WITHOUT THE KEEPER'S QUARTERS

BELLE ISLE LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

BELLE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE

BIG BAY POINT LIGHT

Location: Southern Shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Station Established: 1896
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1896
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1941
Deactivated: 1961-1990
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK/REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK WITH WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER

Historical Information:

In 1896 Big Bay Point Light was lit. The square tower was attached to a two-story brick duplex. The duplex served as residence for the Keeper and Assistant Keeper.
The light contained a third order Fresnel lens. The light was automated in 1941.
The property changed owners several times over the next few decades. It was purchased in 1979 and became a bed and breakfast in 1986. The owners retrieved the original lens and had it reassembled for display.
The light still serves as an active aid to navigation.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

BIG BAY POINT LIGHTHOUSE

BIG SABLE POINT (GRAND POINT AU SABLE) LIGHT

Location: Eastern shore of Lake Michigan; nearest Town or City is Ludington, Michigan
Date Built: 1867
Type of Structure: This lighthouse was originally a brick conical cast iron tower white with middle third black; it was encased in steel plates in 1900.
Height: Tower height was 112 feet with a height of focal plan of 106 feet
Characteristics: Fixed White
Lens: Original third order Fresnel lens (now at Rose Hawley Museum at White Pine Village) and was automated in 1968.
Status: Light is operational with current use active aid to navigation

Historical Information:

The lighthouse station was leased to the Foundation for Behavioral Research in 1986. The foundation has worked with the Big Sable Lighthouse Association to preserve the buildings.
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Keepers:

Alonzo Hyde, Sr. (1867-1871)
Newton Bird (1871-1873)
Burr Caswell (1874-1882)
Hans Hansen (1882-1887)
James Rich (1887-1888)
Tomas Bailey (1889-1893)
George Blake (1899—1903)
Samuel Gagnon (1905-1923)
Joseph Kimmers (1922-1923)
Leweilyn Vanatter (1923-1936)
George Rogan (1936-1949)
David Sauers (1949-1954)
Henry Vavrina (1955-1965)
Homer Meverden (1965-1968)

Researched and written by Catherine (Kitty) Price, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

BIG SABLE POINT LIGHTHOUSE

BOIS BLANC ISLAND LIGHT (OLD)

STRAITS OF MACKINAC, LAKE HURON, BOIS BLANC ISLAND, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1829
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1924
Foundation Materials: EMPLACED
Construction Materials: YELLOW BRICK
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL WITH WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

Bois Blanc Island Light was the second light station established on Lake Huron. The first lighthouse at the station was a 65 foot masonry tower and keeper’s quarters. Built dangerously close to the surf, the tower fell into the lake in 1837.
A second lighthouse was built on the island in 1839 on higher ground. It was a 30 foot stone tower. A fourth order Fresnel lens was installed in 1857.
The third and current lighthouse was built in 1867, after the second lighthouse was considered to be in a “severely dilapidated” condition. It is a two story dwelling with an attached tower in the front. The tower is 38 feet tall. The fourth order lens from the second light was installed in this tower.
The Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse was deactivated in 1924 and was replaced by a new automated acetylene light on a steel tower.
The light was decommissioned in 1955 and sold to a private owner in 1956. The 1867 lighthouse is a private residence but the steel tower is an active aid to navigation.

The above was researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Keepers:

Eber Ward (1829-1843)
William Church (1843-1843)
Lyman Granger (1845-1854)
Mrs. Charles O’Malley (1854-1855)
Henry Grainger (1855-1857, Mary Grainger filed in for him for a few month)
Peter Therien (1857-1859)
Charles Syons (1859-1861)
Charles Louisignau (1861-1866)
Charles Hamel (1866-1867)
John Wackter (1867-1870)
Vetal Bourisau (1870-1874)
Levi Chapman (1874-1881)
William Marshall (1881- acting keeper for two months)
Lorenzo Holder (1881-1894)
Henry Metivier (1894-1924)

The above was researched and written by Catherine (Kitty) Price, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

"OLD" BOIS BLANC ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

CHARITY ISLAND LIGHT

Location: Big Charity Island, Saginaw Bay entrance on Lake Huron, Michigan
Station Established: 1857
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1857
Operational: NO
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: 1939
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Height: 45’5” above mean high water
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Characteristic: Fixed White
Original Lens: KEROSENE

Historical Information:

The original keeper’s quarters was a duplex built of wood. The tower was attached by a walkway.
The light was discontinued in 1939 and replaced with a light at Gravelly Shoal.
The lighthouse is now privately owned. After being abandoned, the dwelling fell into severe decay and was razed in the spring 2003, leaving only the cellar remaining. A replica of the house was built on the old foundation.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society volunteer.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

CHARLEVOIX LIGHT

Location: ENTRANCE TO LAKE CHARLEVOIX, CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1884
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1948
Operational? YES
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: N.A
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

In 1873 the Pine River was cut and dredged to allow shipping between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. Engineers knew if they didn’t protect the shores of Pine River the lake would fill it full of the sand they had removed. A pier was built to the north of the river to break the action of the waves.
In 1884 a lighthouse was built at the end of the pier. It was a skeletal 30-foot structure. The upper part was enclosed to serve as a storage room and shelter. There was no keeper’s quarters at the site so if a keeper was caught in bad weather, they had some shelter. The lighthouse was first lit in September of 1885.
An oil shed was built in 1890. A lifesaving station was built just north of the lighthouse in 1900.
Due to deterioration, the pier was rebuilt in 1904. During reconstruction the light was raised on blocks. It was lowered back into place with new crossties and decking.
Extensions and improvements were done to both the north and south piers in 1914. The lighthouse at the end of the north pier was relocated to the south pier. A red 56-foot tall tower was built on the north pier. It was lit on April 14, 1914.
In the early 1980’s, the Fresnel lens replaced by a 300 mm acrylic optic, The light remains an active aid to navigation. The pier is open to the public but the light is not.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CHARLEVOIX LIGHTHOUSE

CHARLEVOIX SOUTH PIER LIGHT

Location: ENTRANCE TO LAKE CHARLEVOIX, CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1914
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1948
Operational? YES
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

There were two piers built along the entrance of the Pine River between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. These piers helped to break the waves from Lake Michigan so the shipping lanes of Pine River could remain open.
A lighthouse was built at the end of the north pier in 1885. It was a skeletal wood structure. The top portion was enclosed for storage and shelter.
In 1914 the piers were extended. The lighthouse was moved from the north pier to the south pier. A new steel skeletal tower was built on the north pier.
After over 60 years of exposure the wood tower needed to be rebuilt. In 1948 a steel tower replaced the wooden tower at the same location. The original fifth order lens was installed in the new light. The wooden tower was destroyed.
The light remains an active aid to navigation. The pier is open to the public but the light is not.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CHARLEVOIX SOUTH PIER LIGHTHOUSE

CHEBOYGAN CRIB LIGHT

Location: CHEBOYGAN HARBOR ON LAKE HURON, CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1857
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1901
Operational? NO
Automated? 1920
Deactivated: UNKNOWN
Foundation Materials: OAK RING
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

A water crib is an offshore structure that collects water from the bottom of a lake and sends it to an onshore pumping station for filtration. Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York are cities that use cribs to supply the cities’ water.
The foundation for the Cheboygan Crib Light was wooden and assembled on land. It was towed to its location roughly 2,000 feet from shore and sunk. A large deck was built on top of the foundation which the tower would rest on.
The tower for the light was cast iron with an octagonal lantern room. It was painted brown and a fourth order Fresnel lens was installed.
No keeper’s quarters were built on the site. Maintaining the site was treacherous. In 1897 a small dwelling was added. A new fourth order lens was installed the following year.
Since the entire site was unprotected from the elements by 1899 the decking needed to be replaced. Rip rap was also brought in to attempt to stave off the effects of the lake.
In 1901 the station was painted white to increase it’s visibility as a daymarker. Two years later, the wooden superstructure was removed and replaced with sturdier concrete. Iron railings were also installed to aid with safety. That railing would have to be replaced after a schooner ran into the station. In 1906 a fog bell was installed to insure such collisions were a thing of the past.
The light was automated in the 1920’s. The last keeper left the site in 1929 and the site went into a state of deterioration.
The light earned the nickname “The Dummy” from the locals. When locals learned of the Coast Guard’s plans to demolish the site, an agreement was made to donate the light to the city of Cheboygan. The light was moved to the West Breakwall in the Gordon Turner Park. Restoration work has been done on the tower. The grounds are open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CHEBOYGAN CRIB LIGHTHOUSE

CHEBOYGAN RIVER RANGE FRONT LIGHT

Location: CHEBOYGAN RIVER, LAKE HERON, CHEBOYGAN, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1880
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1880
Operational? YES
Automated? UNKNOWN
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: BROWN THEN LATER CHANGED TO WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

In 1880 building began on a set of range lights to guide vessels through the newly widened Cheboygan River. The front range light was a keeper’s quarters with a tower attached. The lantern was constructed of wood and equipped with a sixth order Fresnel lens.
The rear range light was a skeletal tower that was lit on the same day as the front light.
In 1900, the rear range light was replaced with an iron 75 foot tower. At the same time, the front light was repainted white.
It is unknown when the lights were automated. The original optics were replaced by locomotive type lights.
The range lights still serve as a active aid to navigation and are not open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CHEBOYGAN RIVER FRONT RANGE LIGHT

CHEBOYGAN RIVER REAR RANGE LIGHT

CHEBOYGAN MAIN LIGHT

Location: EASTERN POINT OF DUNCAN BAY, LAKE HURON, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1851
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1859
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1930
Foundation Materials: EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK/WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE WITH OCTAGONAL LANTERN ROOM
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The first light at would become known as “Lighthouse Point” in the western part of Duncan Bay was lit in 1851. The 40 foot brick tower was equipped with a fifth order Fresnel lens. It was one of the first Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes. Since the tower was built too close to the shoreline, in only eight years it needed to be replaced.
The new lighthouse was a dwelling with the tower attached on the roof. The lantern was octagonal and fitted with the fifth order lens from the original tower.
The Fourteen Foot Shoal Light was built nearby and off-shore in 1930. The Cheboygan Main Light was considered obsolete and was deactivated. The station fell victim to vandals and the elements. By the 1940’s, it was demolished by the Coast Guard.
The land where the lighthouse stood is now part of the Cheboygan State Park. The remains of the light station are on the park grounds.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CHEBOYGAN MAIN LIGHTHOUSE

COPPER HARBOR LIGHT

Location: KEWEENAW PENINSULA/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1849
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1866
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1919
Deactivated: 1933
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FRESNEL 1856

Historical Information:

Copper Harbor is one of the first two lighthouses to be established on Lake Superior (Whitefish Point is the other).
1847 – Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse at this site.
1849 – 1st lighthouse built.
1856 – 4th order Fresnel lens installed.
1866 – Current tower built.
1883 – The lighthouse was discontinued due to waning harbor traffic.
1888 – The lighthouse was re-established. The original lens had been relocated to another lighthouse, so a new 4th order lens was installed.
1927 – The light was removed from the lighthouse and put on a steel tower.
1937 – Light electrified and 300 mm lens installed.

Keepers:

Henry Clow (1849 – 1853)
Henry Shurter (1853 – 1855)
Napoleon Bonaparte Beedon (1855 – 1869)
John Power (1869 – 1873)
Charles Corgan (1873 – 1881)
Edward Chambers (1881 – 1882)
James Rich (1882 – 1883)
Henry Corgan (1883 – 1919)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

COPPER HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

CRISP POINT LIGHT

13 MILES W. OF WHITEFISH POINT/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1904
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1904
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1947
Foundation Materials: POURED CONCRETE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL ATTACHED TO ENTRANCE ROOM
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1904

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

CRISP POINT LIGHTHOUSE

DETOUR REEF LIGHT

Location: MOUTH OF ST. MARY'S RIVER/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1847
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1931
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1974
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE/STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD AND HALF ORDER

Historical Information:

1931/32 – Lighthouse built for $140,000.
1974 – Lighthouse automated.
1988 – Fresnel lens removed and replaced by modern optic.
1996 – New VRB-25 optic installed.
1998 – Detour Reef Light Preservation Society (DRLPS) formed.
2000 – DRLPS obtained 20-year lease on the lighthouse from the Coast Guard.

Keepers:

James Beloungea (1st Assistant, 1931 – 1939)
John Sweet (1933 – 1940)
Lyle Garfield (2nd Assistant, 1937 – 1941)
Charles Jones (1940 – 1963)
Thomas P. Brander (1st Assistant, 1940 – 1945)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

DETOUR REEF LIGHTHOUSE

DETROIT RIVER (BAR POINT SHOAL) LIGHT

Location: LAKE ERIE S. OF DETROIT RIVER ENTRANCE
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1885
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1979
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: WOOD/CEMENT CRIB; GRANITE PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON PLATE/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK UPPER
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER

Historical Information:

Also known as Bar Point Shoal.
1875 – Lightship established on the shoal.
1885 – Current lighthouse built.
1979 – Lighthouse automated and solar power installed.

Keepers:

Charles Northup (1885 – 1886 and 1893 – 1898)
Richard Oddrey (1887 – 1890)
Joseph Crawford (1898 – 1902)
Enoch Scribner (1902 – 1912)
Horace Watts (1912 – 1916)
Walter Marshall (1916 – 1919)
Harry Kcondway (1919 – 1921)
John Sweet (1926 – 1933)
William Small (1933 – 1938)
Eli Martin (1938 – 1939)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

DETROIT RIVER LIGHTHOUSE

EAGLE HARBOR LIGHT

Location: WEST END OF HARBOR/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1851
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1980
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE TOWER ON RED DWELLING
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1857

Historical Information:

1849 – Congress appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse at this site.
1851 – Light lit for the 1st time.
1857 – Lantern updated and 4th order lens installed.
1870 – Congress appropriated $14,000 for a new lighthouse.
1895 – Fog signal added.
1928 – Fog signal upgraded to a diaphone.
1929 – Radio beacon installed in fog signal watch room.
C. 1930s – Electricity brought in to the lighthouse.
1962 – Fresnel lens replaced with aerobeacons.
1978 – Fog signal replaced by off-shore bell buoy.
1980 – Lighthouse automated.
1983 – Keweenau County Historical Society opened a museum in the keeper’s house.

Keepers:

John Griswold (1851-1859)
John Alexander (1859)
George Griswold (1859-1860)
James Bouden (1860-1861)
R. Latterly (1861-1865)
Peter Bird (1865-1874)
George Bird (1875-1877)
Stephen Cocking (1877-1889)
Henry Pierce (1889-1893)
Thomas Thomson (1893-1903)
William Rohrig (1st Assistant 1895-1902)
Jean Dimet (1st Assistant 1905-1917)
John Nolen (1904-1915)
Frank Irwin (1st Assistant 1905)
Albert Peppler (1st Assistant 1906-1907)
Thomas Bennetts (1st Assistant 1907-1908)
Claude Burrows (1st Assistant 1908)
Riley Cox (1st Assistant 1908-1910)
Elmer Byrne (1st Assistant 1910-1913, Keeper 1916-1918)
Hans Christensen (1st Assistant 1913-1925)
Hans Robinson (1918-1939)
William Miller (2nd Assistant 1924-1928)
Louis Wilks (1st Assistant 1926-1929)
Edward Byttyle (1st Assistant 1929-1939)
Earl Duffy (2nd Assistant 1936-1939)
Albert Stridfeit (2nd Assistant 1939, Keeper c. 1970)
James Brander (1939-1940)
Thomas Brander (1940)
Leon Lee (c. 1980)
Jerry McKinney (USCG, c. 1982)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

EAGLE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

EAGLE HARBOR RANGE LIGHTS

Location: FRONT RANGE ON SOUTH SHORE OF HARBOR/LAKE SUPERIOR;
REAR RANGE ABOUT 1000 FEET SE OF FRONT RANGE.
Station Established: 1877
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit:
Operational? NO
Automated?
Deactivated: 1911
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: BOTH TOWERS SQUARE; REAR RANGE IN KEEPERS DWELLING.
Markings/Pattern: BOTH PAINTED WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: 1000 FEET APART.
Original Lens: 12” DIAMETER LENS LANTERNS IN BOTH TOWERS.

Historical Information:

Rear Range also known as Cedar Creek Range Rear.
1863 – Lighthouse Board recommended range lights for this location.
1875 – Congress appropriated $8,000 to build the lights.
1877 – Lights lit for the first time on September 20.
1884 – Rear range raised to put in a basement and a new foundation.
1885 – Catwalk built to the front range.
1894 – Lanterns improved and lens lanterns installed.
1901 – Rear dwelling raised and concrete floor poured. Two story barn built.
1930 – Rear light sold via public auction. Now used as private residence.

Keepers:

George W. Howard (Acting Keeper 1877 – 1878, Keeper 1878 – 1879)
Henry Pearce (1879 – 1889)
Thomas Thomson (Acting Keeper 1889 – 1890, Keeper 1890 – 1893)
James Carson (Acting Keeper 1893 – 1894, Keeper 1894 – 1898)
Alexander McLean (1898)
Mary A. Wheatley (1898 – 1905)
Mrs. C. E. Thomson (Acting Keeper 1905)
Thomas G. Thomson (1905 – 1908)
Norman W. Smith (1908 – 1911)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

EAGLE HARBOR FRONT RANGE LIGHT

EAGLE HARBOR REAR RANGE LIGHT

EAGLE RIVER LIGHT

EAGLE RIVER, LAKE SUPERIOR, EAGLE RIVER, MI
Station Established: 1854
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1857
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1908
Foundation Materials: CRIB (CONCRETE AND STEEL)
Construction Materials: STONE
Tower Shape: SQUARE W/CONICAL LANTERN
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

Eagle River became a bustling harbor after the discovery of the “Cliff Lode” of copper.
Congress appropriated the $6500 to build the Eagle River Light Station in 1850. It took three years to get a clear title to the land and the lighthouse wasn’t complete until 1857.
The District Inspector refused to accept the light station when it was first complete, citing the station was not built “in conformity to the terms of the contract”. The actual discrepancies were not documented but changes were made and the District Inspector accepted the light after a second inspection.
The brick station had a one and half story yellow keeper’s house with a twelve foot tower in the northeast corner. It was fitted with a sixth order Fresnel lens.
By 1867 large cracks formed in the base of the tower. The funds to build a replacement were appropriated but later withdrawn. Repeated requests were made for the funds but only patch and repair work was completed. In 1884 the repair work was finally done and the station was once again in good working order.
Eagle River was the only lighthouse between the Keweenaw Waterway and Eagle Harbor. When the copper boom ended in the 1870’s the Eagle River harbor started to decay. By the 1890’s, it seemed the only ship coming into the harbor was the lighthouse service tender. It was recommended to build a new lighthouse at Sand Hills where most of the lake traffic was traveling and to decommission Eagle River.
The light station was decommissioned in 1908 and sold at a public auction in August of that year. The light station remains in private hands.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

ESCANABA LIGHT

MARKS SHOAL/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1938
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1938
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1976
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: 375 mm
Characteristic: FL. W., 6 SEC.
Fog Horn: HORN, DIAPHRAGM AIR; BLAST 2 SECONDS, SILENT 18 SECONDS

Historical Information:

1938 – Lighthouse built on cribbing. Designed to be turned on and off by remote control.
1976 – Automated.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ESCANABA LIGHTHOUSE

FORT GRATIOT (PORT HURON) LIGHT

LAKE HURON/ST. CLAIR RIVER
Station Established: 1825
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1829
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1933
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL ATTACHED TO WORKROOM
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

As early as 1823, the government recognized the importance of protecting commerce on Lake Huron and, on March 3rd of that year, Congress appropriated $3,500 to construct "a lighthouse near Fort Gratiot, in Michigan Territory". Winslow Lewis, a Massachusetts contractor specializing in lighthouses was awarded the contract and he, in turn, contracted Daniel Warren of Rochester, New York to build the light tower and keeper’s dwelling. April 2, 1825, Congress appropriated an additional $5,000 for the project and on August 8th, it was completed. The tower rose 32 feet above ground level and was 18 feet in diameter at the bottom and 9½ feet at the top. It was the first lighthouse constructed on Michigan shores.

Rufus Hatch and Jean B. Desnoyers operated the light until December 2nd when George McDougall of Detroit arrived. McDougall had been appointed as official keeper after pulling some political strings. He was a large man, weighing over 200 pounds and finding that the specifications for the lighthouse varied considerably from what actually existed, he reported his dismay to William Woodbridge, then Collector of Customs at Detroit. Woodbridge would later become Governor of Michigan and a Senator, but as Collector of Customs, McDougall would inform him that the stairs were so steep that they had to be ascended sideways and the trap door, measuring 18 inches by 21¼ inches was barely large enough to squeeze through.

The light had other problems also. It was not only poorly located, not being visible until boats were too near the river’s mouth, it was poorly constructed. During the summer of 1828 the walls began cracking and the tower sagged toward the east. Erosion, caused by the current was also eating away the ground and after a violent three-day storm in early September, the tower was so severely damaged that in late November it collapsed completely. Immediate steps were taken to erect a new structure, at a better location. $8,000 was appropriated for the project by an Act of Congress, March 2, 1829. Lucius Lyon, who later became a U. S. Senator was awarded the contract in April. The structure was 74 feet high and 25 feet in diameter, constructed of brick and completed in December, 1829. In 1861, the height was increased to 86 feet and in 1874 a brick duplex was added for the keeper and his assistants. The structure still stands today. McDougall remained keeper until his death in October, 1842. Since he was constantly bothered by gout and numerous other ailments, an assistant keeper was always employed by him to do the actual work. Reuben Hamilton performed the work for many years, being paid directly by McDougall since the government did ot authorize an assistant keeper until June, 1870. Today’s light is completely automated, has a range of 8 miles and flashes for one half second every 15 seconds.

151 years after the first light was exhibited at Fort Gratiot, a silent sentinel still beams out to guide a new generation of Lake Huron mariners. In 1971, the Michigan Historical Commission named Fort Gratiot Light a historic site. As Port Huron grew and the St. Clair River became a popular spot for tourists and recreational boaters, lifesaving operations, which for years had centered around the Lake View Beach Station, began a gradual shift southward.

In 1931, 3½ acres of land adjoining Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was purchased by the government and on April 13, 1932, the Coast Guard opened the Port Huron Station. Originally, the station consisted of a main building, boathouse and lookout tower with crew quarters, breakwater and fog signal added later. Among the duties assigned to the Port Huron Station was the responsibility of providing supplies and transportation to the men aboard the Lightship Huron. The Lightship’s station had been established in 1893 on Corsica Shoals, replacing a somewhat ineffective gas buoy. Three vessels bore the designation as Huron Lightship from 1893 to 1970. The first of these was a wooden-hulled vessel, painted red with the words "Corsica Shoals" painted white on her sides. Officially listed as Lightship No. 61, she served from September 1893 until 1921. During the November storm of 1913, in which at least 12 ships and 200 lives were lost, the lightship was torn from its moorings and forced onto the Canadian shore near Point Edward. She was replaced in 1921 by Lightship No. 96, the first vessel to actually be called Huron Lightship.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

FORT GRATIOT LIGHTHOUSE

FORTY MILE POINT LIGHT

LAKE HURON, ROGERS CITY, MI
Station Established: 1897
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1897
Operational? YES
Automated? 1969
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The Lighthouse Board decided to create a series of lights along the Michigan shore of Lake Huron. The plan was to situate the lights so mariners would always be in sight of at least one light. Forty Mile Point was nearly in the middle of an eighteen mile stretch of coast line that was dangerously unmarked. The point was named for the forty mile sailing distance from Mackinaw Point.
In 1896 construction began on the light station. The structure mirrored the Big Bay Lighthouse which was concurrently being built on Lake Superior. The dwelling was a two story duplex with a tower built into the lake facing wall. Skylights were built into each “apartment” of the duplex so the keeper and the assistant could monitor the light without having to climb the tower.
The station was completed as winter was setting in so it wasn’t operational until May 1897.
In 1969 the station was automated. Presque Isle County was deeded the property in 1998. While the light still remains an active aid to navigation, the grounds have been opened to the public as a park. One of the apartments in the duplex is a museum and the tower is open for climbing as well.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

FORTY MILE POINT LIGHTHOUSE

FOURTEEN FOOT SHOAL LIGHT

SHEBOYGAN HARBOR ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1930
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1930
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PNEUMATIC/SUB
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE/STEEL
Tower Shape: CONICAL ON RECTANGULAR HOUSE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: FL. W., 3 SEC.
Fog Signal: DIAPHONE, AIR; BLAST 1 SECOND, SILENT 14 SECONDS

Historical Information:

So named because of the depth of the water at the site.
1920s – Lighthouse built.
1930 – Light began operation. The light itself was radio-controlled from Poe Reef lighthouse. After the lighthouse was established and deemed reliable, the Cheboygan light was extinguished.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

FOURTEEN FOOT SHOAL LIGHT

FOURTEEN MILE POINT LIGHT

BETWEEN ONTONAGON/KEWEENAW WATERWAY/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1894
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1894
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1894

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

FRANKFORT NORTH BREAKWATER LIGHT

LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1873
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1932
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: PYRAMIDAL SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

FRANKFORT NORTH BREAKWATER LIGHTHOUSE

FRYING PAN ISLAND LIGHT

ST. MARY’S RIVER, LAKE HURON, NEAR DETOUR VILLAGE, MI
Station Established: 1879
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1882
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: UNKNOWN
Foundation Materials: EMPLACED
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: HEXAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: BROWN, LATER PAINTED WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The Frying Pan Light was built on a small island to warn of the Frying Pan Shoal on the St. Mary’s River. It served as a front range light with the light on Pipe Island.
To keep the cost of the light station down, the tower did not have a brick lining, any type of work or storage space or a dwelling for the keeper.
The light was lit in September of 1882. A storage building was added to the station in 1884. It was outfitted with a bunk, shelves and cleaning table to accommodate a keeper.
Originally brown the tower was painted white for easier visibility in 1894. In 1902 the Lighthouse Board requested funds for a more substantial keeper’s quarters since a keeper was living in the storage building. There is no record if the dwelling was ever built.
At some point a pole light replace the tower. The tower was moved to the Sault Ste. Marie Coast Guard station where it was restored and displayed. It remains there today.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

FRYING PAN ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

GRAND HAVEN SOUTH PIERHEAD LIGHTS

GRAND RIVER/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1839
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1905
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1969
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON; Second Tower: CAST IRON OVER WOOD FRAME
Tower Shape: CONICAL; Second Tower: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE; Second Tower: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1839 – Original tower completed. Sometime later, a winter storm undermined the keeper’s house.
1855 – New lighthouse built on a bluff.
1857 – Breakwater built.
1875 – Fog signal building built.
1881 – Lighthouse constructed on pier.
1883 – South pier lengthened.
1895 – Light added to fog signal building, forming front range.
Circa 1900’s- cast iron tower built to replace rear tower.
1905 – Rear light moved to inner end of pier. As a result, the 1855 lighthouse was discontinued and its 4th order Fresnel relocated to the new lighthouse.
1910 – The 1855 lighthouse was razed and its masonry walls used to build a two-story keeper’s house.
1921 – Cast iron catwalk built to replace wooden one.
1922 – Fog signal building covered with corrugated metal sheeting.
1988 – Lights added along the length of the catwalk.
1995 – Piers and breakwaters placed on National Register of Historic Places.

Keepers:

Nehemiah Merritt (1839 – 1847)
William Haucland (1847 – 1849)
George Torrey (1849 – 1853)
Peter Vanderberg (1853 – 1858)
Jebediah Gray (1858 – 1861)
J. Belger (1861)
H. Miller (1861 – 1875)
Harry Smith (1875 – 1883)
Emanuel Davidson (1883 – 1900)
Frank Fraga (1900 – 1911)
Joseph Kilgore (1911 – 1920)
Charles Bavry (1922 – 1926)
Nels Enberg (1926 – 1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRAND HAVEN SOUTH PIERHEAD REAR RANGE LIGHT

GRAND HAVEN SOUTH PIERHEAD FRONT RANGE LIGHT

GRAND ISLAND EAST CHANNEL LIGHT

GRAND ISLAND/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1913
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: WOOD FRAME
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

GRAND ISLAND HARBOR RANGE REAR LIGHT

LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR CHRISTMAS, MI
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1914
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1969
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: BLACK TOWER/WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The Grand Island Range Lights were first lit in 1868. The front range light was a wooden pyramid structure with a sixth order Fresnel lens. The rear range sat 500 feet behind, on a tower atop a keeper’s dwelling and also displayed a sixth order Fresnel lens.
By 1914 the wooden structures were rotted beyond repair and were replaced. The new rear light sat atop a 64 foot tower, the upper 32 feet were part of a tower relocated from Vidal Shoals. The front range light was 23 foot tall iron mast and was now 750 feet in front of the rear range light.
The original Fresnel lenses were replaced in 1939 with modern optics. The rear range light has weathered time very well but the front range did not fair as well. In 1968 it was replaced with a tubular steel structure. It is sometimes referred to as a “D9” derived from the Coast Guard district that designed it.
The range lights are sometimes called the Bay Furnace Range Lights. The Bay Furnace Company operated a blast furnace in the area.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

GRAND ISLAND NORTH (OLD NORTH) LIGHT

GRAND ISLAND/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1854
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1867
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1961
Deactivated: 1961
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: SQUARE BRICK TOWER ATTACHED TO DWELLING
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1853 – Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse on Grand Island.
1856 – Lighthouse completed.
1860 – Walkways and tramline built to connect boathouse and lighthouse.
1865 – Inspector recommended replacing the lighthouse.
1866 – Congress approved $12,000 for new lighthouse.
1867 – New, brick lighthouse built.
1882 – Fog signal was requested for this site, but never received Congressional approval.
1885 – Walkway rebuilt.
1927 – Lighthouse automated.
1961 – Light moved to 25’ steel pole.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRAND ISLAND NORTH LIGHTHOUSE

GRAND MARAIS HARBOR RANGE LIGHTS

GRAND MARAIS HARBOR/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1895
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

GRAND TRAVERSE LIGHT

GRAND TRAVERSE POINT, LEELANAU PENINSULA, NORTHPOINT, MI
Station Established: 1852
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational? NO
Automated? 1972
Deactivated: 1972
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK/WOOD/IRON
Tower Shape: SQUARE ON ROOF ON DWELLING
Markings/Pattern: RED W/BLACK TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The original lighthouse at Grand Traverse Point was built in 1852 at a cost of $4000. The tower was constructed from rubble stone and a keeper’s dwelling was nearby.
By 1858, the tower was in danger of falling into the water. It and the keeper’s quarters were demolished to make way for a more suitable light station. The new light station was built on higher ground.
A square tower was mounted on the roof of the keeper’s dwelling. The nine sided lantern room was fixed with a fifth order Fresnel lens.
In 1899 a fog signal building was added to the station. With the addition of the fog signal a keeper’s assistant was needed at the station. The dwelling was enlarged to a duplex.
In 1972 the light station was replaced by an automated light on a skeletal tower. In 1985 the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Foundation began restoring the lighthouse. It was opened to the public in 1987 as a museum and the grounds are on Leelanau State Park. The light is sometimes referred to as “Cat’s Head Point light” or the “Northpoint light”.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRAND TRAVERSE LIGHT

GRANITE ISLAND LIGHT

NW END GRANITE ISLAND/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1939
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: ROCK
Construction Materials: GRANITE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1869

Historical Information:

1865 – Congress approved lighthouses for Granite Island and Huron Island.
1866 – 67 – Government condemned the land in order to acquire it for the Granite Island lighthouse.
1867 - $20,000 appropriated for lighthouse.
1869 – Lighthouse lit for 1st time.
1872 – Lighthouse Keeper Isaac Bridges drowned after his boat capsized.
1879 – Fog signal built. The bell used was the same one that had previously been removed from Thunder Bay Island lighthouse.
1902 – New boathouse built.
1937 – Boathouse and boat destroyed during the winter.
1939 – Lighthouse automated.
1999 – Lighthouse sold, along with the entire island, into private hands.

Keepers:

Isaac Bridges (1868 – 1872)
David Campan (1872 – 1873)
Samuel Barney (1873)
Isaac Wilson (1873 – 1880)
Frank Reuben (1880 – 1885)
William Wheatley (1885 – 1893)
James Wheatley (1893 – 1915)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRANITE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

GRASSY ISLAND NORTH CHANNEL RANGE LIGHTS

The front light is in 3 1/2 feet of water, near the northerly end of the flats lying to the northward and westward of Grassy Island, Michigan. The rear light is in 5 1/2 feet of water, 2,000 feet S. 27* 20'W in rear of front light.
Station Established: 1897 (Both lights)
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1897
Operational?
Automated?
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: Wood
Tower Shape: Square, enclosed pyramidal wooden tower.
Markings/Pattern: Yellowish drab
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRASSY ISLAND NORTH CHANNEL RANGE FRONT LIGHT, 1904

GRASSY ISLAND NORTH CHANNEL RANGE REAR LIGHT, 1904
(Note the two keepers standing on the tower balcony)

GRASSY ISLAND SOUTH CHANNEL RANGE LIGHTS

GRASSY ISLAND LIGHT-STATION, DETROIT RIVER
Station Established: 1849 (Rear), rebuilt 1881; 1896 (Rear)
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1896
Operational?
Automated?
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure:
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRASSY ISLAND SOUTH CHANNEL RANGE FRONT LIGHT, 1896

GRASSY ISLAND SOUTH CHANNEL RANGE REAR LIGHT, 1904

GRAVELLY SHOAL LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRAVELLY SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE

GRAYS REEF LIGHT

GRAYS REEF EAST CHANNEL/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1891
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1936
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1976
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: SUBMERGED STONE/CONCRETE CRIB
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE/STEEL
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL ON SQUARE DWELLING
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD AND HALF ORDER

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GRAYS REEF LIGHTHOUSE

GROSSE ISLE NORTH CHANNEL RANGE LIGHTS

DETROIT RIVER
Station Established: 1894
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1906
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1963
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GROSSE ILE NORTH CHANNEL REAR RANGE LIGHT, 1904

GROSSE ISLE SOUTH CHANNEL RANGE LIGHTS

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GROSSE ISLE SOUTH CHANNEL FRONT RANGE LIGHT, 1904

GROSSE ISLE SOUTH CHANNEL REAR RANGE LIGHT, 1904

GULL ROCK LIGHT

Location: WEST OF MANITOU SOUND, LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR COPPER HARBOR, MI
Station Established: 1867
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1867
Operational? YES
Automated? 1913
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: MASONRY
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: ORIGINALLY YELLOW LATER PAINTED WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: FLASHING RED, 0.4 SECONDS
Fog Signal: NONE

Historical Information:

The prevailing northwest winds on Lake Superior can make the most experienced mariner look for a harbor of refuge. The Keweenaw Peninsula offers such a place but getting through the passage to it can be tricky.
Gull Rock Light is situated on a rocky outcropping on the western side of Manitou Island. Construction began in 1867. It is similar in design to several other Great Lake lighthouses that were built at the same time. The original optic was a fourth order Fresnel lens which was lit on November 1, 1867.
Gull Rock was considered one of the most isolated posts for a lighthouse keeper. There was no fog bell or out buildings to tend to. Assistant keepers were assigned to the station to combat loneliness and boredom more than to ease the duties of the keepers. The turnover rate of the assistant keepers was still high so it was decided that the Keepers’ wives could be appointed Assistant Keeper.
In 1901 a 40 foot retaining wall was built near the northeast corner of the structure to protect it from the waves that would wash over the island.
The responsibility of care and maintenance of the light were transferred to the keeper at Manitou Light in 1913 when it was automated. Gull Rock Light was then secured and all but abandoned.
On November 8th of that same year, the freighter Waldo was pushed aground on Gull Rock by hurricane force winds. The ship split in two. The crew of 24 sought shelter in the front half of the ship. Because of heavy seas and ice it took the life saving crew four days to reach the battered ship. Twenty-two men, 2 women and the ships dog were all safely rescued.
Lake Superior has taken its toll on the structure. It has fallen into vast disrepair. In 2005 the light station was transferred to the non-profit group Gull Rock Lightkeepers. The group is working to restore the lighthouse. It is currently closed to the public and is still an active aid to navigation.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

GULL ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

HARBOR BEACH LIGHT

N. SIDE BREAKWATER ENTRANCE/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1885
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1968
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: TIMBER CRIB
Construction Materials: CAST IRON W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: WHITE FLASH 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 4 SECONDS, RED FLAS 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 4 SECONDS
Fog Signal: DIAPHONE, AIR; BLAST 5 SECONDS, SILENT 25 SECONDS
Radio Signal: RADIOBEACON (TRANSMITTED ON 304 KC; GROUPS OF 2 DOTS, 1 DASH

Historical Information:

Originally called Sand Beach.
1858 – First lighthouse built on this site.
1885 – Current lighthouse built.
1913 – The so-called “Big Storm” that hit the Great Lakes undermined the breakwater.
1983 – Lighthouse placed on National Register of Historic Places.
1986 – The original 4th order Fresnel lens was removed from the lantern and given to the local Harbor Beach Historical Society.
1987 – Another storm caused several million dollars in damages to both the lighthouse and the breakwater.
1988 – Storm related repairs were completed. Canadian Vicki Keith, who swam across Lake Huron, started her historic swim from Harbor Beach.

Keepers:

Loren J. Trescott (1880 – 1912)
Archebald Davidson (1920 – 1928)
Otto Both (1935 – 1940)
Thomas Radcliff (1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

HARBOR BEACH LIGHTHOUSE

HOLLAND HARBOR (SOUTH PIERHEAD) LIGHT

BLACK LAKE, LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR HOLLAND, MI
Station Established: 1872
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1936
Operational? YES
Automated? 1932
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED TOWER ON RED DWELLING
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

Reverend A. C. Van Raalte was searching for a permanent settlement for himself and his Dutch followers. He decided on Black Lake. The entrance to Black Lake from Lake Michigan was blocked by a sand bar. He turned to the government to help. When that avenue failed the Dutch settlers dug the new channel themselves. On July 1, 1859, the steamboat “Huron” put into port.
In 1867 two piers were built to protect the channel. It was recommended a light be put at the end of the piers to mark the channel for vessels. A 27 foot tall timber beacon was built on the longer south pier. The upper part of the structure was enclosed to give the Keeper a bit of protection if he was at the light in unfavorable conditions.
Waves frequently washed over the pier so the need arose for a raised walkway. It was added in 1874. At an unknown date a keeper’s quarters were built near the pier.
In 1902 a steel tower replaced the wooden light. The wooden walkway was also replaced by steel in 1903. A storm in 1904 caused the water to move the crib the light was built on. Fearing the tower would fall, the tower was dismantled and sent off for repairs. When the tower was fixed it returned to its place at the end of the pier.
A fog building was built in 1907. The style of the building pays homage to the Dutch heritage in the area. Even though a Keeper’s house was already built on land, living space was added to the second story of the fog building. A second tower was added to the breakwater to form range lights in 1916.
The lights were electrified and automated in 1932. A square tower was built on the west end of the fog building roof and the steel beacon was removed from the pier in 1936.
In 1956 the Coast Guard painted the structure red and the locals gave it the nickname “Big Red”. The Coast Guard recommended the structure be abandoned in 1970. The local citizens founded the Holland Harbor Historical Lighthouse Commission to preserve and restore the light. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the Netherlands Museum in Holland, Michigan.
The light is still an active aid to navigation and is open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs:

Holland (Black Lake) Range Light: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "HOLLAND (BLACK LAKE) RANGE [;] NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT (CHICAGO) [;] REAR LIGHT & FOG SIGNAL. 100 FT. S. S. E. [;] AUGUST 1913."; No photo number; photographer unknown.

Holland Harbor Pierhead Light: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "Light #1538"; Photo No. 537; photographer unknown.

HURON ISLAND LIGHT

WEST HURON ISLAND/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1877
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1972
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: SURFACE ROCK
Construction Materials: GRANITE/BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THREE-ONE-HALF ORDER FRESNEL 1868
Characteristic: FLASH WHITE 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 2 SECONDS, FLASH WHITE 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 6 SECONDS
Foghorn:DIAPHONE, AIR, GROUP OF 3 BLASTS EVERY 60 SECONDS, 3 BLASTS 2 SECOND EACH, 2 SILENCES 2 SECONDS EACH, 1 SILENCE 50 SECONDS
Radiobeacon: TRANSMITTED ON 314 KC, GROUPS OF DASH, DOT, DASH

Historical Information:

The Huron Islands are a group of seven small islands located in the shipping channel below the Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. The lighthouse is located on the western-most island.
1860 – The side-wheeler Arctic shipwrecked in May on the eastern-most island of the Huron Islands. Even though no lives were lost, the wreck became the final straw in the battle to get a lighthouse in this location.
1867 – Congress appropriated $17,000 for a lighthouse “somewhere” in the Huron Islands. Surveyors later recommended that it be placed on the western-most island.
1868 – The first lighthouse was lit on October 20.
1881 – Two fog signal buildings were built a half mile away from the lighthouse.
1883 – A new boathouse and dock were constructed. A tramway was built from the dock to the fog signal building.
1890 – Lightning strike damaged the lighthouse.
1898 – Larger fog signal building built.
Circa 1930s - Compressed air diaphone fog signal installed. Ship to shore radio installed.
Post 1939 – Lighthouse electrified by Coast Guard installed diesel powered generators.
1940s – Coast Guard built new keeper’s house to accommodate the five med stationed there.
1961 – New barracks built near the fog signal building.
1972 – Lighthouse automated.

Keepers:

Abel Hall (1868 – 1879)
Duncan Cameron (1881 – 1891)
Francis Jacker (1892 – 1897)
Charles Schulz (1897 – 1900)
Frank White (1901 – 1914)
James Edwin Collins (1935 – 1951)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

HURON ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

ISLE ROYALE LIGHT

MENAGERIE ISLAND, LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR HOUGHTON, MI
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1875
Operational? YES
Automated? 1913
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: ROCK
Construction Materials: RED SANDSTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: RED
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: FLASHING WHITE 0.4 SECOND
Fog Signal: NONE
Radiobeacon: NONE

Historical Information:

Isle Royale is located just 14 miles south of the Canadian border.
Copper was discovered on the island in 1843 and two camps were established. Rock Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1855 to guide ships to the camp on the northern of the island. When the copper boom went bust in 1859, the light was extinguished.
Copper was soon in demand again and miners returned to Isle Royale. Rock Harbor Lighthouse was re-lit. It soon became obvious that another light was needed. A decision was made to put the station on Menagerie Island, a small easterly island off of Isle Royale that marks the entrance to Siskiwit Bay. A 61-foot sandstone tower was lit in 1875 with a fourth order Fresnel lens. Four other structures were built at the same time including a keeper’s dwelling which was connected to the tower by a covered walkway.
When the production of the copper mines ceased the maritime traffic also dwindled. The light was automated in 1913. The original Fresnel lens was removed and replaced with a modern optic at an unknown date.
The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation and is part of the Isle Royale National Park.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ISLE ROYALE LIGHTHOUSE

KALAMAZOO LIGHT

MOUTH OF KALAMAZOO RIVER/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) N/A
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1914
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens:

Historical Information:

Also known as Saugatuck lighthouse.
1837 – Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse to mark the mouth of the Kalamazoo River.
1839 – First lighthouse built. It was one of the first lights built on Lake Michigan.
1858 – The first lighthouse fell over after the foundation was undermined by eroding sand.
1859 – New lighthouse built on higher ground.
1876 – Light was moved from the lighthouse onto a pole on the south pier.
1892 – After a steamer ran into the pier, the light was placed back in the lighthouse.
1914 – The lighthouse was deactivated by the Coast Guard and abandoned.
1956 – Tornados running through the area destroyed the lighthouse.

Keepers:

Stephen Nichols (1839 – 1840, 1860 – 1861)
William Scoville (1844 – 1845)
William Carley (1845 – 1849)
Cephas Field (1849 – 1853)
Timothy Coates (1853 – 1860)
Samuel Underwood (1861 – 1878)
George Baker (1878 – 1909)
George Sheridan (1909 – 1914)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

KALAMAZOO LIGHTHOUSE

KEWEENAW WATERWAY ENTRANCE LIGHT

PORTAGE RIVER ENTRANCE, PORTAGE LAKE, LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR JACOBSVILLE, MI
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1920
Operational? YES
Automated? 1973
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: BRICK WITH REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER

Historical Information:

The original lights that marked the entrance of the Portage River, they were designed as range lights. A 19-foot tower was the front range and the rear range consisted of a lantern 25 feet above a dwelling.
The range lights were replaced by the current tower. The octagonal tower was built in 1920. It was designed to be automated from the start.
It remains an active aid to navigation and remains in its original condition. It is not open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

KEWEENAW WATERWAY UPPER ENTRANCE LIGHT

KEWEENAW WATERWAY LOWER ENTRANCE LIGHT

LAKE SAINT CLAIR LIGHT

Location: West side of mid-lake channel at turn, Lake St. Clair
Station Established: 1941
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1941
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes, 1941
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: Crib
Construction Materials: Steel, reinforced concrete
Tower Shape: Cylindrical
Markings/Pattern: White
Relationship to Other Structure: N/A
Original Lens: 375 mm

Historical Information:

Lighthouse replaced the lightship that was placed on site earlier. The lighthouse was built in 1941 to mark a bend in the shipping channel.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LAKE SAINT CLAIR LIGHTHOUSE

LANSING SHOAL LIGHT

NORTHERN LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR NAUBINWAY, MI
Station Established: 1900
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1928
Operational? YES
Automated? 1976
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: CRIB (CONCRETE AND STEEL)
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE AND STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: OCC. W., 15 SECONDS
Fog Signal: DIAPHONE, AIR; BLAST 2 SECONDS, SILENT 18 SECONDS
Radiobeacon: TRANSMITTED ON 296 KC, GROUPS OF 2 DASHES, 2 DOTS

Historical Information:

The Lansing Shoals are a treacherous area in northern Lake Michigan that ships must pass through on their way to northern harbors. The rocky reefs make the narrow stretch dangerous for all vessels.
As more and more cargo ships passed through the area the cry for a permanent light rose. Building a manned lighthouse in such a remote area was extremely costly.
The Lightship LV55 was moved from Simmons Reef when a gas buoy was placed at that location. LV55 served at Lansing Shoals until a permanent lighthouse was built in 1928. Lansing Shoal Lighthouse was one of the last major lights to be built on the Great Lakes.
The lighthouse was built on a crib that is 74 feet square and 20 feet high. The lighthouse is 59 feet tall. It was fitted with a third order Fresnel lens.
The original optic was replaced in 1976 with an acrylic optic. The original lens is on display at the Lansing State Museum in Lansing, Michigan.
The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation and is not open to the public. It is only viewable from the water.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LANSING SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE

LITTLE POINT SABLE LIGHT

EAST SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1874
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1955
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: WOOD PILINGS
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: RED BRICK/ORIG. WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1874

Historical Information :

Little Sable Lighthouse, a white brick tower, 107 feet in height, connected to the keeper’s dwelling, and surrounded by a picturesque group of trees, stands on a point about 10 miles south of Pentwater. The lighthouse was built in 1874, and the light now shown from the tower is fixed and flashing white, the flashes being of 40,000 candlepower. Several miles to the northward is Big Sable Lighthouse, on the point of that name, distinguished at night from Little Sable by having a fixed white light, and by day by the color of the tower, banded in black and white. Big Sable Lighthouse is the same height as the tower at Little Sable, but was erected in 1867.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LITTLE POINT SABLE LIGHTHOUSE

LITTLE RAPIDS CUT LIGHT

MISSION POINT/ST. MARYS RIVER
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1911
Deactivated: 1929
Foundation Materials: TIMBER CRIB
Construction Materials: WOOD FRAMING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: BLACK LANTERN ON YELLOW DWELLING
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1895 – Lighthouse built to mark the turn from Bayfield Channel into Little Rapids Cut.
1911 – Lighthouse automated
1929 – Lighthouse decommissioned and later torn down.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LITTLE RAPIDS CUT LIGHTHOUSE

LITTLE TRAVERSE (HARBOR POINT) LIGHT

NORTH SIDE OF LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY/LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR HARBOR SPRINGS, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1884
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1963
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1963
Foundation Materials: CUT STONE
Construction Materials: RED BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

·         In 1871, funds were requested for the building of a lighthouse on Harbor Point on Little Traverse Bay. However, Congress did not approve the request simply because they had no funds to offer. Another point of contention was most of the land in Harbor Point belonged to the native people.
·         A treaty originally signed in 1855 was “modified” in 1875 to allow settlers to move into the area of Harbor Point. Lumber companies quickly moved in to harvest the nearby forests. Along with commerce, came recreation. Little Traverse Bay was known for its beauty and traffic on the bay quickly increased. The need for the lighthouse was once again put before Congress. This time the funds were secured.
·         Construction began on the site in 1884. A one and a half story dwelling with a 10 foot square 40 foot tall tower attached was completed in September. A Fourth Order Fresnel lens was installed.
·         Elizabeth Whitney Williams, one of the first female keepers on the Great Lakes, had accepted a transfer from St. James Harbor Lighthouse, and lit the beacon on September 25, 1884 which could be seen 13 miles away.
·         A square pyramidal bell tower was added to the station in 1896 and stands in front of the tower. Other structures built at the site include a brick paint locker, a summer kitchen which is attached to the lighthouse by a covered portico, a wooden boat storage shed and a modern automobile garage.
·         A new 41 foot skeletal tower was built in 1963 and the brick lighthouse was decommissioned. The property was sold to the Harbor Point Association which is the community where the property is located. This is a gated community with no public access to the lighthouse. It can be seen from the water. The new skeletal tower is still an active aid to navigation.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LITTLE TRAVERSE LIGHT

LUDINGTON NORTH BREAKWATER LIGHT

PERE MARQUETTE HARBOR/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1871
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1924
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1972
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL/REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: SQUARE PYRAMIDAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1924 - Current tower built.
1972 - Lighthouse automated.
1993 - Coast Guard renovated the building, replacing the glass in the lantern and in the portholes with Lexan.
1995 - Lens removed from the tower. It is now on display at the Rose Hawley Museum in White Pine Village near Ludington.
2005 - Lighthouse became available under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
2006 - Ownership transferred to the City of Ludington City partners with Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association to manage the lighthouse.

Keepers:

Frederick Samuelson (1924-1937)

John Paetschow (1937-1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

LUDINGTON NORTH BREAKWATER LIGHT

MACKINAC POINT LIGHT (OLD)

STRAITS OF MACKINAC PASSAGE, LAKE HURON, NEAR MACKINAW CITY, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1889
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1892
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1957
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

Long before the settlers came to Great Lakes, the native people burned fires along the shores of the Straits of Mackinac. The Straits are littered with shoals and islands which make navigation hazardous.
As maritime traffic on Lake Huron increased, the need to light the Straits became apparent. In 1829 the Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse was built to guide ships into the Straits and to warn them of the shoals. McGulpin’s Point Light Station, three miles west of Old Mackinac Point. Fog was a considerable problem on the Straits and it was decided that Old Mackinac Point’s location would be ideal for a light station.
A fog bell was built at the site in 1890. Construction of the actual lighthouse commenced in 1891 and was completed in 1892.
The tower which is 40 or 45 feet tall was made from Cream City brick named for the clay found near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bricks were widely used in the area and gave the nickname “Cream City”. The tower is attached to a “duplex” keepers quarters that more than a little resembles a castle. Perhaps that is the basis for the statement “lighthouses are to Americans what castles are to Europeans.”
A Fourth Order Fresnel lens was installed and was visible for 16 miles.
The Mackinac Bridge was completed in 1957 and the lights on the structure at night rendered the lighthouse obsolete. The property was purchased by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in 1960. Restoration has been completed and the lighthouse is open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MACKINAC POINT LIGHTHOUSE

MANISTEE LIGHT

ENTRANCE TO MANISTEE RIVER, LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR MANISTEE, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1867
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1927
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1927
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The first lighthouse at the mouth of the Manistee River from Lake Michigan began shining on the first day of the navigational season in 1870. An integrated tower sat atop a wooden dwelling and a Fifth Order Fresnel lens was fitted.
A major fire that had been ripping through area forests reached the Manistee River. It jumped across the river and burned everything in its path as it headed south. The town of Manistee was devastated.
The Keeper, John McKee, established a temporary light on a pole until the lighthouse could be rebuilt.
In 1873 the new lighthouse was complete and appears to be a duplicate of the original. The original lens was destroyed in the fire and a new Fifth Order was installed.
Two piers that were constructed to mark the entrance of the Manistee River were extended 150 feet into Lake Michigan. This meant the Manistee Light was now a distance from the water. The decision was made to establish lights at the end of the piers which made the Manistee Main Light obsolete three years after it was rebuilt. The dwelling was used as the Keeper’s Quarters.
In 1893 the Manistee Main Light was relit for use as a coastal light. In 1894 the station was officially reestablished but in 1927 the light was officially moved to the north pier. The lantern was removed and the dwelling was sold into private ownership. The structure was moved to a residential area and is unrecognizable as a lighthouse.
The pier head lights remain active aids to navigation.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MANISTEE LIGHTHOUSE

MANISTEE (NORTH PIERHEAD) LIGHT

MANISTEE RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1927
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1927
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER

Historical Information:

1894 – Pierhead built. A light was located on a trolley which traveled along a conduit which ran from the pierhead to the fog signal building.
1900 – The conduit system was discontinued and a lantern and gallery added to the fog signal building. As a result, the fog signal whistles had to be raised by 4’.
1914 – The Army Corps of Engineers built the South Breakwater.
1925 – The lighthouse was electrified.
1927 – Fog signal building removed, new iron tower constructed at the end of the North pier.
1994 – The Coast Guard repaired and renovated the lighthouse.
2009 – The General Services Administration issued a Notice of Availability for the lighthouse under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

Keepers:

Octavius Barney (1869 – 1871)
John McKee (1871 – 1875)
William King (Acting) (1875 – 1883)
John Roberts (1883 – 1888)
Thomas Robinson (1888 – 1903)
Milton McClure (1903 – 1923)
Wallace Hall (1923 – 1939)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MANISTEE CAST-IRON LIGHT TOWER

MINISTEE LIGHT TOWER INCORPORATED IN TO THE KEEPER'S DWELLING

MANISTIQUE (EAST BREAKWATER) LIGHT

MANISTIQUE RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1915
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1917
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1969
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE PYRAMIDAL
Markings/Pattern: RED W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1892 – Lighthouse Board recommended a light at this location.
1917 – Pierhead light constructed on end of east pier. It was originally painted white – then the color was later changed to red.
1969 – Light automated.
2000 – Corps of Engineers replaced the breakwater with rip-rap.

Keepers:

Charles Corlette (1914 – 1920)
Walter Ottesen (1920 – 1940)
William Keller (1947 – 1949)
Anton Jessen, Jr. (1949 – 1951)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MANISTIQUE LIGHTHOUSE

MANITOU ISLAND LIGHT

KEWEENAW PENINSULA, LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR COPPER HARBOR, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1850
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1861
Operational? YES
Automated? 1978
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: DESTROYED BY EROSION
Construction Materials: IRON
Tower Shape: SKELETAL WITH CENTRAL COLUMN
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The first lighthouse on the eastern point of Manitou Island was a 60 foot rubble stone tower with an attached keeper’s quarters. The tower deteriorated at an alarming rate and had to be replaced just ten years later.
The second lighthouse was an 80 foot iron skeletal tower built in 1861. The lighthouse is identical to Whitefish Point. The tower was fitted with a Third Order Fresnel lens, one of only nineteen on the Western Great Lakes.
The original lighthouse tower and dwelling were in such disrepair, they were destroyed when the new structures were completed.
The station was automated in 1978 and remains an active aid to navigation. The Keweenaw Land Trust now owns the property. The lighthouse is not open to the public but the grounds are.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MANITOU ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHT

NORTH POINT, LAKE SUPERIOR, NEAR MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1853
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1866
Operational? YES
Automated? UNKNOWN
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The original tower built at Marquette Harbor has been lost to time. It is thought it would have been a short rubble stone tower attached to a keeper’s dwelling with a Sixth Order Fresnel lens. It was completed in 1853 but had to be replaced by 1866.
The current lighthouse is a one and a half story dwelling with an attached tower. A Fourth Order Fresnel lens was installed.
In 1875 a 2,000 foot breakwater was built to combat the wind and waves. A light was established at the end. Two whistle signals were installed on the point. These additions required the help of an assistant keeper. However, the dwelling was not large enough for everyone. A barn was converted as a temporary solution for the assistant keeper.
In 1909 a second story was added to the keeper’s house and other additions were done in the 50’s. It is unknown at what date the light was automated.
A US Life Saving Station was established on the lighthouse grounds. When that organization merged with the US Coast Guard, it became a training station.
In 2002 the Marquette Maritime Museum signed a 30 year lease on the lighthouse. Public access to the lighthouse is available through the museum only as the site is still an active Coast Guard station.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

MARQUETTE HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE AFTER THE DWELLING MODIFICATIONS

MARQUETTE BREAKWATER LIGHT

SOUTH END OF THE BREAKWATER, MARQUETTE HARBOR/ SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1908
Operational? NO
Automated?
Deactivated: 1985
Foundation Materials: wood crib
Construction Materials: wood, steel
Tower Shape: square, pyramidal
Markings/Pattern: white w/ black lantern
Relationship to Other Structure: on end of breakwater
Original Lens: 4th order Fresnel

Historical Information:

1867 -1875 – The breakwater was constructed during this time frame. In 1875, once the breakwater was completed, a wooden tower containing a light was placed on the end. This tower was originally used at Mendota and was moved here from there.
1886 – A storm washed away the light along with much of the catwalk above the breakwater. The tower ended up on the beach. It was then repaired and placed back in service.
1890 – A new, longer breakwater built. This breakwater contained a tunnel to give the keeper a safer means of access to the light tower. A new tower was built and the light apparatus was changed to a 6th order lens.
1898 – An electric cable was run to the light tower. It was among the first towers on the Great Lakes to be electrified. Whenever a power outage occurred, the keeper had to go back to using the old kerosene lamp.
1908 – The breakwater was extended again and a new tower was placed at the end.
1985 – Coast Guard removed the breakwater light. The lens and lantern are on display at Marquette Maritime Museum.

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MARQUETTE BREAKWATER LIGHTHOUSE

MARTIN REEF LIGHT

REEF EAST OF STRAITS OF MACKINAC/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1927
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1927
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE/STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

1927 - Completed lighthouse replaced the lightship which had marked the reef since 1906. The lighthouse was duplicated at Poe Reef.
2000 – Ownership transferred to Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Keepers:

Herbert Crittenden (1927 – 1928)
Lawrence Clark (1928 – 1930)
Frank Davis (1931 – 1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MARTIN REEF LIGHTHOUSE

MCGULPIN POINT LIGHT

SOUTH POINT MICHILIMACKINAC HARBOR, LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR MACKINAW CITY, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1869
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1906
Foundation Materials: UNKNOWN
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL WITH DECAGONAL LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD AND A HALF ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

As maritime traffic increased in the Straits of Mackinac the need for lights along the way also increased. Waugoshance Light marked the entrance to the Straits but sailors were on their own when they entered.
Congress approved the construction of a lighthouse and fog signal at McGulpin Point in 1854. However, 15 years would pass before construction began in 1869.
McGulpin Point Lighthouse was built using the same “Norman Gothic” design as Chambers Island and Eagle Bluff. This design would also be the template for Eagle Harbor, White River, Passage Island, Sand Island and Squaw Island.
The tower and attached Keeper’s Quarters were built of “Cream City” brick, which are bricks made from clay found near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The color of the clay which was used heavily in the area, gave it the name Cream City.
The tower is attached to the Keeper’s Quarters on the Southwestern corner. It was topped of with a decagonal (ten sided) cast iron lantern and fitted with a Third and a Half Order Fresnel lens.
In 1906, it was decided that McGulpin Point Lighthouse was no longer of aid as the Old Mackinac Point lighthouse was more visible to traffic in the Straits. It was decommissioned after just 37 years in service and at some point the lantern and Fresnel lens were removed.
The property was sold to a private owner and was a private residence until 2008. Emmet County bought the property and have restored the lighthouse including installing a rebuilt lantern. The lighthouse is now a private aid to navigation and is open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MCGULPINS POINT LIGHTHOUSE

MENDOTA (BETE GRISE) LIGHT

MENDOTA SHIP CHANNEL/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1933
Deactivated: 1960-1998
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: YELLOW W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1895

Historical Information:

Name “Bete Grise” is French for “Gray Beast”, a Native American reference to the fog.
1867 – Congress approved $14,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the end of the pier.
1870 – The lighthouse was decommissioned, dismantled and moved to Marquette Breakwater.
1870 – 1890 – Without an official light to mark the shoreline, a local woman, at the request of her husband, lit a kerosene lamp in her window to guide him home.
1893 – The Lighthouse Board authorized $7500 for a new light to be placed in the old keeper’s house.
1895 – $7500 appropriated for a new lighthouse.
1913 – The light was electrified.
1933 – The light was automated.
1956 – The lighthouse was decommissioned and sold to private owners.
1998 – The light was re-lit as a private aid to navigation.

Keepers:

Henry Kuchli (1869 – 1870)
William Kirby (1870)
William Jilbert (1895 – 1933)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PHOTOGRAPH NOT AVAILABLE

MENOMINEE (NORTH PIER) LIGHT

MENOMINEE HARBOR, LAKE MICHIGAN, MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1887
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1927
Operational? YES
Automated? 1972
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: PIER/CONCRETE
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: RED WITH BLACK LANTERN/WHITE BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

A lighthouse was built on the Menominee Harbor in 1877. Sadly no record exists of this lighthouse so its design, building materials and location are unknown at the present time.
As a result of large scale mining in the area, massive improvements were made to the Menominee Harbor in the 1920’s. In 1927 a cast iron lighthouse was installed on the north pier of the Harbor. It was 37 feet tall, white and housed a Fourth Order Fresnel lens. An attached fog signal building was also built, along with a raised wooden catwalk to keep the keepers from being washed out to sea when the waves would wash over the pier.
While the exact date is unknown, at some point the wooden pier was replaced with a concrete structure which included a forty foot diameter crib under the lighthouse and the fog signal building was dismantled.
The light was automated in 1972 and the catwalk was removed. The lighthouse was placed on a white base and painted bright red. The light remains an active aid to navigation and is not open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ORIGINAL MENOMINEE LIGHT TOWER

MODIFIED MENOMINEE LIGHT TOWER

MIDDLE ISLAND LIGHT

BETWEEN THUNDER BAY ISLAND/PRESQUE ISLE/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1905
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1905
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH ORANGE BAND IN MIDDLE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The name comes from its location – halfway between Thunder Bay Island and Presque Isle.
1896 – Lighthouse Board first recommended a lighthouse for this location.
1902 – Congress finally approves the request.
1904 - $25,000 appropriated for the construction of the lighthouse.
1905 – Lit for the first time.
1906 – Oil building built.
Circa 1928 – 4th order Fresnel lens replaced with a third order lens.
1939 – Daymark changed to white tower with horizontal black band.
1961 – Light automated.
1992 – Middle Island Lightkeepers Association formed.
2001 – Light station operated as bed and breakfast inn.

Keepers:

Patrick Garraty, Jr. (1905 – 1917)
Michael Nolan (1923 – 1928)
Stanley Clark (1934 – 1939)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MIDDLE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

MINNEAPOLIS SHOAL LIGHT

10 MILES SOUTH OF PENINSULA POINT, LAKE MICHIGAN, NEAR ESCABANA, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1935
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1935
Operational? YES
Automated? 1979
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER ON CONCRETE CRIB
Construction Materials: STEEL/REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: CREAM COLORED
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

A lightship marked the position where the Minneapolis Shoal lighthouse sits. The light marks the entrance of Little Bay De Noc on Lake Michigan.
The light is identical to Gray’s Reef. The tower is in the Art Deco style and sits on a concrete crib that houses the Keeper’s Quarters. Recent pictures show it has been painted white with a red band covering most of the top half of the tower.
The light is still an active aid to navigation and is not open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MINNEAPOLIS SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE

MISSION POINT LIGHT (OLD)

OLD MISSION PENINSULA IN GRAND TRAVERSE BAY
Station Established: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated: 1933
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE TOWER ON DWELLING
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: 1870

Historical Information:

Located exactly on the 45th parallel.
1838 – Mission established in accordance with the Treaty of 1836.
1870 – Light exhibited for the first time.
1889 – Timber revetment built in front of lighthouse to stave off erosion of the sandy bank. Brick cistern constructed in cellar.
1899 – Oil storage building built.
1901 – Walkways and fences constructed.
1940s – Ownership transferred to the state of Michigan.
1948 – Ownership transferred to Peninsula Township.

Keepers:

Jerome Pratt, Sr. (1870 – 1877)
John McHaney (1877 – 1881)
John Lane (1881 – 1906)
Sarah Lane (Acting - 1906 – 1907)
James Davenport (1907 – 1919)
William Green (1919 – 1924)
Emil Johnson (1924 – 1933)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MISSION POINT LIGHTHOUSE

MONROE LIGHT

MOUTH OF THE RIVER RAISIN, WESTERN LAKE ERIE, MONROE, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1829
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: N/A
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1916
Foundation Materials: UNKNOWN
Construction Materials: MASONRY
Tower Shape: ROUND
Markings/Pattern: UNKNOWN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: UNKNOWN

Historical Information:

There is very little information available regarding this lighthouse.
The original light was a 40 masonry tower. A canal was built that moved the Monroe Harbor four miles north of the lighthouse in 1843.
In 1849 a second Monroe Light was built. An octagonal, wooden tower was built at the new location of the Monroe Harbor.
In approximately 1885 a third light house was built. This was a tower a top a one and a half story dwelling. The light was deactivated in 1916 and destroyed at an unknown date.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

MONROE PIERHEAD LIGHT

Location: On a crib at the outer end of the north pier at the entrance to the ship canal leading to the Raisin River, westerly shore of Lake Erie, Michigan, and about 1-1/2 miles to the northward of the mouth of the river.
Station Established: 1849
Year Latest Tower First Lit: 1884
Operational: No
Automated: N/A
Deactivated: 1916
Foundation Materials: Stone pier
Construction Materials: Wood, corrugated iron
Tower Shape: Conical
Markings/Pattern: White, conical tower surmounted by a black lantern; brown, corrugated iron fog-signal house; on hexagonal stone pier
Characteristic: Fixed red
Relationship to Other Structure: Integral
Original Lens: 4th Order
Foghorn: Yes; 10-inch steam whistle; blasts 5 seconds, silent intervals 25 seconds

Photographs:

Monroe Pierhead Light, circa 1911: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "MONROE, MICHIGAN [;] NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT (CLEVELAND)"; photo dated June, 1911; Photo Number 81; photographer unknown.

Monroe Pierhead Light, circa 1911: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "MONROE, MICHIGAN [;] NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT (CLEVELAND) [;] Looking W 400 ft.."; photo dated June, 1911; Photo Number 80; photographer unknown.

Monroe Pierhead Light, circa 1911: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "MONROE, MICHIGAN [;] NINTH NAVAL DISTRICT (CLEVELAND) [;] Looking S 200 ft."; photo dated June, 1911; Photo Number 83; photographer unknown.

MUNISING RANGE LIGHTS

MUNISING BAY CHANNEL/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1908
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1908
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE
Construction Materials: STEEL PLATE
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: ADAM & WESTLAKE REFLECTORS 1908

Historical Information:

1905 – Lighthouse Board requested an appropriation of $13,500 from Congress in order to erect a set of range lights in this location to replace the Grand Island Range lights. Congress ignored the request.
1906 – Lighthouse Board reiterated the need for the new lights.
1907 – Congress approved $15,000 for the needed lights.
1908 – Steel towers lit for the first time.
2002 – Ownership transferred under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Keepers:

George Prior – (1909 – 1912)
Alfred Evenson – (1913 – 1940)
Capt. Thomas Robinson – (1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

MUSKEGON SOUTH BREAKWATER LIGHT

MOUTH OF THE MUSKEGON CHANNEL, LAKE MICHIGAN, MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1851
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1903
Operational? YES
Automated? UNKNOWN
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: RED
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL

Historical Information:

The first lighthouse in Muskegon, Michigan was a wooden tower atop the Keeper’s Quarters built in 1851. It was situated on land.
In 1871 a square, steel tower was built on the end of the breakwater and the main light was rebuilt.
A third light was built in 1903 on the south pier head. This red conical tower and the light on the south breakwater replaced the light that was built in 1851. Both lights are active aids to navigation and not open to the public.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

MUSKEGON SOUTH BREAKWATER LIGHTHOUSE

NORTH MANITOU SHOAL LIGHT

OFF NORTH & SOUTH MANITOU ISLANDS/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1935
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1935
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1980
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE CRIB
Construction Materials: STEEL
Tower Shape: SQUARE ON SQUARE HOUSE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER

Historical Information:

Lighthouse is similar in structure to Detour Reef lighthouse.
1935 – Crib light built. The 4th order lens was relocated from the North Manitou Island lighthouse.
1980 – Lighthouse automated.

Keepers:

George Larson (1875 – 1882)
Ernst Hutzler (1946 – 1958)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NORTH MANITOU SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE

ONTONAGON LIGHT

ONTONAGON RIVER MOUTH/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1852
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1866
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1964
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: YELLOW BRICK W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1857

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

NO PHOTOGRAPH AVAILABLE

PASSAGE ISLAND LIGHT

PASSAGE ISLAND OFF ISLE ROYALE/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1882
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1882
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1978
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: FIELDSTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE & RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1882

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PASSAGE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

PEACH ISLE REAR RANGE LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PEACH ISLE REAR RANGE LIGHT

PENINSULA POINT LIGHT

PENINSULA POINT/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1866
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1866
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1922
Deactivated: 1936
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: OIL LAMP

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PENINSULA POINT LIGHTHOUSE

PENTWATER PIERHEAD LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PENTWATER PIERHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

PIPE ISLAND LIGHT

Location: "On the southwesterly side of Pipe Island, Michigan, easterly side of channel, about 2 miles N. 1/4 W. of Frying -Pan Island Light-House, Detour Passage, St. Marys River."
Station Established: 1888
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1888
Operational: ?; daymark
Automated: ?
Deactivated: Yes, still a daymark
Foundation Materials: ?
Construction Materials: Brick (?)
Tower Shape: Octagonal
Tower Height: 15 feet from base of tower to center of lantern
Markings/Pattern: White tower; black lantern room;
Characteristic: Fixed Red
Relationship to Other Structure: Separate
Original Lens: 5th Order
Fog Horn: No

Historical Information:

Established in 1888.
Built by the Lake Carriers Association to aid shipping entering the St. Mary's River from Lake Huron.
Included a detached on-and-one half story white frame dwelling about 50 feet from the tower.
According to the 1901 Lights and Fog Signals of the United States: "Coast Light. Marks a range with Frying-Pan Island Light, for entering and leaving Detour Passage, and marks turning point into channel."
Tower height was increased with the addition of a steel skeleton placed on top of the original structure in 1937.
Now a daymark; island is privately owned.

Photographs:

Pipe Island Light, circa 1890; (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); original caption: Pipe Island Lt. Sta. 18?? [;] 11th Dist. Photo."; date obscured on photo: "18??"; no photo number; photographer unknown.

Pipe Island Light, circa 1890; (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); original caption: Pipe Island Lt. Sta. 18?? [;] 11th Dist. Photo."; date obscured on photo: "18??"; no photo number; photographer unknown.

POE REEF LIGHT

STRAITS OF MACKINAC SOUTH CHANNEL/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1893
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1929
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1974
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE CRIB
Construction Materials: CONCRETE
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE & BLACK BANDS W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

POE REEF LIGHTHOUSE

POINT BETSIE LIGHT

NEAR CRYSTAL LAKE ON LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1858
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1984
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1858

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

POINT BETSIE LIGHTHOUSE

POINT IROQUOIS LIGHT

WHITEFISH BAY/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1855
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1962
Deactivated: 1971
Foundation Materials: CEMENT
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE TOWER/BLACK PARAPET & LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1870

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

POINT IROQUOIS LIGHTHOUSE

POINTE AUX BARQUES LIGHT

POINTE AUX BARQUES REEF/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1848
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1857
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1958
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK & RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

POINTE AUX BARQUES LIGHTHOUSE

PORT AUSTIN REEF LIGHT

LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1878
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1899
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: YELLOW BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: BUFF
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1899

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORT AUSTIN REEF LIGHTHOUSE

PORT SANILAC LIGHT

POINT SANILAC/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1886
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1886
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL HOURGLASS
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1886

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORT SANILAC LIGHTHOUSE

PORTAGE LAKE LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORTAGE LAKE LIGHTHOUSE

PORTAGE LAKE PIERHEAD LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORTAGE LAKE PIERHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

PORTAGE LAKE SHIP CANAL LIGHT

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORTAGE LAKE SHIP CANAL LIGHTHOUSE

PORTAGE RIVER (JACOBSVILLE) LIGHT

PORTAGE RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1856
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1900
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PORTAGE RIVER LIGHTHOUSE

POVERTY ISLAND LIGHT

POVERTY ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1874
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1957
Deactivated: 1976-1982
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL W/OUT LANTERN
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER 1874

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

POVERTY ISLAND LIGHT TOWER WITH LANTERN ROOM

POVERTY ISLAND LIGHT TOWER WITHOUT LANTERN ROOM

PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTS

PRESQUE ISLE PENINSULA/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1840
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1840, 1871
Operational? NO; Second Tower? YES
Automated? YES 1970
Deactivated: 1871; Second Tower: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER; Second Tower: BRICK
Construction Materials: LOWER 2/3 STONE, UPPER BRICK; Second Tower: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE; Second Tower: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER FRESNEL 1870

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

1871 PRESQUE ISLE LIGHT TOWER

PRESQUE ISLE PIER HEAD LIGHT

PRESQUE ISLE FRONT RANGE LIGHT

PRESQUE ISLE REAR RANGE LIGHT

ROCK HARBOR LIGHT

MIDDLE ISLAND PASSAGE/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1855
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1855
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1879
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK/STONE
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1875

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ROCK HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE

ROCK OF AGES LIGHT

OFF ISLE ROYALE/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1908
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1908
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1978
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER/STEEL CAISSON
Construction Materials: STEEL/MASONRY/CONCRETE
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL "BOTTLE SHAPE"
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK BASE & LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1910

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ROCK OF AGES LIGHTHOUSE

ROULEAU POINT RANGE LIGHTS

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ROULEAU POINT RANGE LIGHT STATION

ROULEAU POINT FRONT RANGE LIGHT

ROULEAU POINT REAR RANGE LIGHT

ROUND ISLAND (ST. MARY'S RIVER) LIGHT

ST. MARY RIVER/BETWEEN PT AUX FRENES & LIME ISLAND
Station Established: 1892
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1892
Operational? NO
Automated?
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: BRICK
Construction Materials: WOOD
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: BROWN SHINGLE/WHITE TRIM/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: LENS LANTERN 1892

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAINT MARY'S RIVER LIGHTHOUSE

ROUND ISLAND LIGHT

STRAITS OF MACKINAC
Station Established: 1895
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1924
Deactivated: 1947-1996
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: RED W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: 1895

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

ROUND ISLAND PASSAGE LIGHT

STRAITS OF MACKINAC/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1947
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1948
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1973
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE TOWER ON RED HOUSE ON WHITE BASE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SEALED BEAM

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

ROUND ISLAND PASSAGE LIGHTHOUSE

SAGINAW RIVER (REAR RANGE) LIGHT

SAGINAW RIVER ENTRANCE
Station Established: 1841
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1876
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1960
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAGINAW RIVER REAR RANGE LIGHT

SAND HILLS LIGHT

FIVE MILE POINT/EAGLE RIVER/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1919
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1919
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1939
Deactivated: 1954
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: YELLOW BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1919

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAND HILLS LIGHTHOUSE

SAND POINT (BARAGA) LIGHT

KEWEENAW BAY/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1878
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1878
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/WHITE LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAND POINT LIGHTHOUSE

SAND POINT (ESCANABA) LIGHT

WEST SHORE LITTLE BAY DE NOC/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1867
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1867
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1939
Foundation Materials: NATURAL/EMPLACED
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE W/OCTAGONAL LANTERN
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1868

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

PHOTOGRAPH NOT AVAILABLE

SEUL CHOIX POINTE LIGHT

UPPER PENINSULA/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1892
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1895
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1972
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: ASHLAR STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1895

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SEUL CHOIX POINTE LIGHTHOUSE

SKILLAGALEE (ILE AUX GALETS) LIGHT

SW OF WAUGOSHANCE ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1850
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1888
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SKILLAGLALEE LIGHTHOUSE

SOUTH FOX ISLAND LIGHT

APPROACH TO STRAITS OF MACKINAC/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1868
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: SQUARE - BADLY DETERIORATING
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SOUTH FOX ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

SOUTH HAVEN SOUTH PIERHEAD LIGHT

BLACK RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1872
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1903
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: RED W/BLACK TOWER
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1903

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SOUTH HAVEN SOUTH PIERHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

SOUTH MANITOU ISLAND LIGHT

SOUTH MANITOU ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1839
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1872
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated: 1958
Foundation Materials: PILING
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1871

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SOUTH MANITOU LIGHTHOUSE

SPECTACLE REEF LIGHT

Location: STRAITS OF MACKINAC/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1870
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1972
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1874

Historical Information :

The Spectacle Reef Lighthouse cost $406,000 and is the best specimen of monolithic stone masonry in the United States. The work on the lighthouse, which stands on a submerged limestone reef off the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinaw, was commenced in May 1870. It was planned and built by Maj. 0. M. Poe, who was General Sherman’s chief engineer on his march to the sea. The light was first exhibited from the finished structure in June 1874. The available working time on the structure was, however, only about 20 months, because no work could be done on it during the winter months.

The nearest land to Spectacle Reef is Bois Blanc Island, 1012 miles away. The stone for it was prepared at Scammon’s Harbor, 16 miles distant and one of the items in its cost was the purchase of a steamer to convey the materials to the site.

The waves at Spectacle Reef have a fetch of 170 miles to the southeastward and the ice fields, which are moved by a current and are thousands of acres in area, are often 2 feet thick. These had to be especially provided for because when they move in mass, they have an almost irresistible force. This force was overcome by interposing a structure against which the ice is crushed and by which its motion is so impeded that it grounds on the 7-foot shoal, which thereby forms a barrier against other ice fields.

The tower, in the shape of a frustrum of a cone, is 32 feet in diameter at the base and rises 93 feet above the base, which is 11 feet below the water. The focal plane is 4 feet 3 inches above the top of the parapet, making it 97 feet 3 inches above the top of the submerged rock and 86 feet 3 inches above the surface of the water. For 34 feet up the tower is solid and from them on up it is hollow. In it are five rooms, one above the other each 14 feet in diameter, with varying heights. The walls of the hollow portion are 5 feet 6 inches at the bottom, tapering to 16 inches at the spring of the cornice.

The blocks of stone below the cornice are 2 feet thick, and those of the solid portion of the tower are cut to form a lock on each other in each course, and the courses are fastened together with wrought iron bolts 2 1/2 inches thick and 2 feet long. The tower is bolted to the foundation rock with bolts 3 feet long which enter the bed rock 21 inches, the other courses receiving the bolts for 9 inches. Each bolt is wedged at both ends, and the bolt holes, which were made with a diamond drill, after the stones were in place, are plugged with pure portland cement, now as hard as the stone itself. Hence the tower is, in effect, a monolith.

The stones were cut at the depot at Scammon’s Harbor, 16 miles away, and fitted, course by course, on a platform of masonry. The stones were so well prepared that a course could be set, drilled, and bolted in 3 days.

The foundation, 11 feet under water, was laid in a cofferdam protected by a crib work of 12-inch timber, built upon ways at the depot, as a ship might have been, than launched and towed by a number of steamers to the reef and grounded on the site. This crib was 92 feet square and 24 feet high. This afforded a protected pond for the cofferdam, a landing wharf, and quarters for the men all 12 feet above water. The cofferdam was then pumped out until the bedrock was exposed and on this bedrock the masonry courses were laid.

A severe gale in September 1872 did considerable damage, though only of a temporary character, exposing the east face of this crib at a point where it had not been sheathed to protect it from the ice during the winter. It swept away the temporary cribs and nearly destroyed the workmen’s quarters.

After the winter of 1873-74, when the keepers returned to the newly completed tower, they found the ice piled against it at a height of 30 feet, or 7 feet higher than the doorway, and they could not gain entrance until they had cut away the iceberg of which the lighthouse formed the core.

The light now flashes alternately white and red, every 60 seconds, the white light being 400,000 candlepower and the red light 80,000 candlepower, both second-order electric, and visible for 17 miles. There is also a 100 candlepower white winter light which flashes every 5 seconds. An air-diaphone fog signal is also located at the station.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SPECTACLE REEF LIGHTHOUSE

SQUAW ISLAND LIGHT

NORTH OF BEAVER ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1892
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1892
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: RED BRICK
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens:

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SQUAW ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

ST. CLAIR FLATS RANGE LIGHT STATION

Location: SOUTH END OF HARSENS ISLAND, NEAR ALGONAC, MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1934
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1934
Operational: No
Automated:
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: Steel
Tower Shape: Skeletal
Markings/Pattern: White
Relationship to Other Structure: Separate
Original Lens:
Height:
Characteristic:
Fog Signal: None

Historical Information:

Station established in 1934, replacing the two 1871 St. Clair Flats Canal lights.
Station included a two-story keeper's house.
An assistant keeper's residence was built in 1938.
Station reduced in size in 1985
From 1985 to 1991 station used as a summer substation
Station was sold to a private individual in 2003

Photographs:

Flats Light Station, 1940: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "ST. CLAIR FLATS LIGHT STATION - Harsens Island, Michigan; 24 July 1940. Left to right: 1st Assistant Keeper's Dwelling, range light, Keeper's dwelling. Photo taken from boat."; Photo No. 19-093; photographer unknown.

ST. CLAIR FLATS SOUTH CHANNEL RANGE LIGHTS

Location: OFF HARSENS ISLAND/LAKE ST. CLAIR
Station Established: 1859
Year Current Towers First Lit: 1859
Operational:
          Front Range: Yes
          Rear Range: No
Automated: ?
Deactivated: (see historical description below)
Foundation Materials:
          Rear: Wooden crib filled with stone
          Front: Submerged timber crib
Construction Materials:
          Rear: Brick
          Front: Brick
Shape:
          Rear: Conical
          Front: "Small, yellow-brick tower, on crib"
Tower height:
          Rear: 44 feet above lake level
          Front: 28 feet above lake level
Original Optics:
          Rear: 4th Order
          Front: 6th Order
Markings/Pattern:
          Rear: Yellow brick
          Front: Yellow brick, on crib, connected with dwelling by covered way.
Characteristics: fixed white (both)
Foghorn: None

Historical Information:

Construction of the South Channel Range Lights began in 1855 and was completed in 1859.
The front light began to lean in 1875 and was dismantled, the crib rebuilt, and the light returned to service.
The lights were taken out of service in 1907.
At some point the front light was put back into service and remains an active aid to navigation
The keeper's house on the rear light was dismantled in the early 1930s.

Photographs:

South Channel Rear Range Light: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "St. Clair Flats Range, Front, 1904 (Lt. Discontinued: Close Navigation 1907)"; no photo number; photographer unknown.

South Channel Front Range Light: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "St. Clair Flats Range, Rear, 1904 (Lt. Discontinued: Close Navigation 1907)"; no photo number; photographer unknown.

ST. CLAIR FLATS CANAL, LOWER

Location: ON THE LOWER END OF THE WEST PIER OF THE UNITED STATES SHIP CANAL
Station Established: 1871
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1871
Operational: No
Automated: No
Deactivated: 1934
Foundation Materials: ?
Construction Materials: Brick
Tower Shape: Octagonal tower
Markings/Pattern: Red brick
Relationship to Other Structure: Integral
Original Lens: 4th Order
Height: 40 feet
Characteristic: Fixed red
Fog Signal: None

Historical Information:

Station established in 1871
Lights marked the U.S. Ship Canal.
Tied in with the front range light, located at the "upper end of the west pier. . .about 7,000 feet NE 3/8 N. from" the rear range light.
The pier was removed and both lights burned down in 1934.

Photographs:

Flats Canal, Lower, circa 1904: (75 dpi) ; (300 dpi); Original caption: "St. Clair Flats Canal, lower, 1904."; no photo number; photographer unknown.

ST. HELENA ISLAND LIGHT

Location: STRAITS OF MACKINAC/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1873
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1873
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1922
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD-ONE-HALF ORDER, FRESNEL 1873

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAINT HELENA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

ST. JAMES (BEAVER ISLAND HARBOR) LIGHT

Location: WESTERN APPROACH MACKINAC STRAITS/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1852
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1870
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1927
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE (ORIG. YELLOW)
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1870

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAINT JAMES LIGHTHOUSE

ST. JOSEPH NORTH PIERHEAD LIGHTS

Location: ST. JOSEPH RIVER ENTRANCE/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1832
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1906
Operational? NO
Automated? UNK
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: PIER
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: CYLINDRICAL; Second Tower: OCTAGONAL ON SQUARE HOUSE
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE; Second Tower: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FIFTH ORDER, FRESNEL; Second Tower: FOURTH ORDER 1907

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAINT JOSEPH NORTH PIERHEAD LIGHTS

ST. MARTIN ISLAND LIGHT

Location: ST. MARTIN ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1905
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1905
Operational? NO
Automated? YES
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: GRANITE
Construction Materials: REINFORCED CONCRETE
Tower Shape: HEXAGONAL EXOSKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

SAINT MARTIN ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

STANNARD ROCK LIGHT

Location: OFF KEWEENAW PENINSULA/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1868
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1882
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1962
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: CRIB
Construction Materials: DRESSED STONE
Tower Shape: CONICAL TOWER ON CYLINDRICAL CRIB
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1882

Historical Information :

Stannard Rock, lying about 23 miles southeast of Manitou Island, was for years the most serious danger to navigation in Lake Superior. The rock was first marked by a day beacon in 1868, but by 1871 the rapid increase in commerce between Duluth and the lower lakes demanded the construction of a lighthouse on the rock. The construction of Spectacle Reef Light, that presented a similar problem had been started in 1870 and it was believed that all the costly apparatus and machinery purchased for that job could be made available for constructing a lighthouse on Stannard Rock.

In 1873, when the Spectacle Reef construction was three-quarters completed, Congress appropriated $10,000 for a preliminary survey. This indicated that a structure would be needed of the most substantial and costly kind, that it would probably be located in 11 feet of water and would cost $300,000. As a matter of fact the final cost was $305,000.

It was not until 1877, 4 years after Spectacle Reef Lighthouse had been completed, that Congress appropriated $50,000 for commencing the construction of the lighthouse. All the machinery that had been used in constructing Spectacle Reef was moved to the depot at Huron Bay where necessary quarters, docks, shops, etc., were erected. The tower was to be similar to that of Spectacle Reef, with the addition of a permanent protective crib. This crib was begun at Huron Bay in July 1877 and taken out to the rock in August, where soundings were made to fit it to the bottom. It was then returned to Huron Bay and built up to 14 courses and in August 1878 was taken out and placed in position at Stannard Rock. By October it had been filled with concrete and stone mined from a quarry opened on Huron Island. Congress had meanwhile appropriated another $100,000 for this work.

By June 1879 the iron casting for the concrete pier was in place and the pier had been built up to the surface of the water with another $50,000 appropriation. By midyear 1880 the work was 14 feet above lake-level. The tower was completed and the light first exhibited July 4, 1882, with another $123,000 made available.

Work on the tower and its various appliances continued in 1883. The light is exhibited 102 feet above water and shows a 20,000 candlepower flashing white light of the second order, visible about 18 miles. There is also an air diaphone fog signal at the station.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

STANNARD ROCK LIGHTHOUSE

STURGEON POINT LIGHT

Location: STURGEON POINT/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1869
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1869
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1939
Deactivated:
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1869

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

STURGEON POINT LIGHTHOUSE

TAWAS POINT (OTTAWA POINT) LIGHT

Location: SAGINAW BAY/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1853
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1876
Operational? YES
Automated? YES
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL ATTACHED TO KEEPERS BY PASSAGEWAY
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/GREY & RED TRIM
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

TAWAS POINT LIGHTHOUSE

THUNDER BAY ISLAND LIGHT

Location: SE END THUNDER BAY ISLAND/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1832
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1832
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1980
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Construction Materials: BRICK
Tower Shape: CONICAL (MODIFIED 1857)
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

THUNDER BAY ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

WAUGOSHANCE LIGHT

Location: NW OF WAUGOSHANCE ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1832
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1851
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: 1912
Foundation Materials: TIMBER CRIB FILLED W/STONE
Construction Materials: BRICK ENCASED W/IRON PLATE
Tower Shape: CONICAL (ENCASED IN IRON IN 1883)
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL

PHOTOGRAPH NOT AVAILABLE

WHITE RIVER LIGHT

Location: WHITE LAKE CHANNEL/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1875
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1875
Operational? NO
Automated? YES 1945
Deactivated: 1960
Foundation Materials: LIMESTONE
Construction Materials: LIMESTONE
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL
Markings/Pattern: NATURAL W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1875

Historical information:

Had a female light keeper, Frances Johnson, who served from 1948-1954.

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

WHITE RIVER LIGHTHOUSE

WHITE SHOAL LIGHT

NW OF WAUGOSHANCE ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1891
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1910
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1976
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: TIMBER CRIB/CONCRETE PIER
Construction Materials: TERRA COTTA/STEEL W/BRICK INT.
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE/ORIG. RED AND WHITE SPIRAL BANDS
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

WHITE SHOAL LIGHT TOWER WITH WHITE & RED BANDS

WHITE SHOAL LIGHT TOWER WITHOUT BANDS

WHITEFISH POINT LIGHT

Location: kkk6WHITEFISH BAY/LAKE SUPERIOR
Station Established: 1848
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1861
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1970
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE/PILE
Construction Materials: CAST IRON
Tower Shape: SKELETAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE W/RED ROOF
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 1857

Keepers:

1848-1851:    James B. Van Renselaer
1851-1853:    Amos Stiles
1853-1856:    William C. Crampton
1856-1859:    Belloni McGulpin
1859-1861:    Charles Garland
1861-1864:    Joseph Kemp
1864-1868:    Thomas Stafford
1868-1874:    Edward Ashman
1874-1882:    Charles J. Linke
1882-1883:    Edward Chambers
1883-1903:    Charles Kimball
1903-1931:    Robert Carlson

Photographs (click on light name below to access image):

WHITEFISH POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Download Plug-Ins

Last Modified 1/26/2010

Security Levels

Historic Light Station Information & Photography

MICHIGAN

Historic Light Station Information
& Photography