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I love lighthouses. I collect them. The real ones? Of course not! But I have several miniature replicas, many of which are from our Michigan. And, photos of them too. Thought I would share some of my favorites and a little about them and hopefully arouse your curiosity so that you’ll pay a visit.
Lighthouses are not unique to Michigan, for goodness sake. NO, but they are unique in design and purpose for the Great Lakes – one hundred and forty nine of them – more than any other state. The history behind each is special and the romanticism of the lighthouse is still with us. Despite many being closed and abandoned, civic groups and others have adopted and restored them to their former glory.
Our Michigan lighthouses guide the “lakers or freighters,” ships unique to our Great Lakes. "Salties" or saltwater fleets from over 25 foreign countries sail the waters as well. With ships as long as 1,000 feet and 105 feet wide, and carrying cargo from Buffalo, New York, to Chicago, Illinois, to Duluth, Minnesota and ports in between, the lighthouses attempted to make passage possible through gales, fog and calm.
One of my favorites is the Holland Harbor Light at Holland, Michigan, also called "Big Red." Searching the Michigan Historical Markets website, and the Internet Public Library, I found that "The first lighthouse built at this location was a small, square wooden structure in 1872. By 1880, the lighthouse service installed a new light atop a metal pole in a protective cage. The oil lantern was lowered by pulleys for service. At the turn of the century, a steel tower was built for the light and in 1907, the present square building was erected. Named Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse, it has a gabled roof that reflects the Dutch influence in the area." The light was automated in 1932. In 1970, the U.S.. Coast Guard recommended that the lighthouse be abandoned, causing a citizen petition to be circulated to rescue it. The Holland Harbor Lighthouse Historical Commission was born to preserve and restore this landmark, a premiere visit site for tourists, especially during its famous Tulip Festival. Want to visit "Big Red"? Locate the Holland State Park on the shore of Lake Michigan and glance across the channel. The red is vivid and the design is unique.
Bring a camera.
Another favorite is the Rock of Ages Light off of Isle Royale in Keweenaw County, out in upper Lake Superior. According to Wikipedia, construction began in 1908. The crew and materials had to be ferried on the lighthouse tender, Amaranth, four miles off the southwestern end of the Isle to a section of rock. The rock had to be blasted to create a flattened area to build a foundation. Considering the often fierce weather that far north, the brave men were true warriors.
A steel cylindrical wall was placed and filled with concrete to erect a pier that was 50 feet in diameter and 25 feet tall. The tower skeleton was built from steel with the inner and outer walls constructed of brick with the concrete floors supported on radial steel beams. With a spiral staircase of cast iron the tower reached 130 feet. A temporary light was lit on the lighthouse in 1908.
A second-order Fresnel light made by Barbier, Benard & Turenne was purchased and installed in 1910. Imagine the massive lens at 81.46 inches high with a focal length of 27.6 inches and weighing 3,530 pounds. Its range was 20 nautical miles. Hourly oil consumption was 17 1/5 ounces.
The crew of keepers landed at the station each spring at the beginning of the shipping season and left in the late fall utilizing a bunkhouse, mess hall and galley built on a timber platform. The Rock of Ages light was automated in 1978, which ended 68 years of service by the lighthouse keepers. In 1985, the Fresnel Lens was replaced when solar energy became the power source.
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Back on shore, a real beauty to visit is the New Presque Isle Light at Presque Isle, on the bank of Lake Huron. Searching Wikipedia, I learned that construction began in 1870 and was completed in 1871. At a height of 109 feet, the tower included 138 steps to the top galley. "This was so unique and elegant that it inspired several other lighthouses around the Great Lakes to copy its design.” The third-order Fresnel Lens, manufactured in Paris, had a very intense, narrow light that could be seen for several miles- a great advantage to ships lost in a storm or in dangerous weather common to the lakes.
Finally, I have to tell about the Whitefish Point Lighthouse, the oldest on the Great Lakes. It began operating in 1849, though the tower one sees today was built later. It was completed in 1848 at a cost of $8,298, some $3,298 more than had been expected. Because of its remote location, it was difficult to maintain keepers, with seven men coming and going in the first ten years. The 65 ft. tower's octagonal shape had eight windows for the thirteen Lewis Lamps, each equipped with a 14-inchsilvered reflector. In 1857, a fourth-order Fresnel Lens was installed making visibility possible for 13 miles into Lake Superior.
The area is known as the "Graveyard of the Lakes" with more than seventy shipwrecks through the years. The most famous occurred on November 10, 1975 when the Edmund Fitzgerald was lost. Today, many artifacts of the Fitzgerald and other memorabilia concerning the shipping industry and its beloved "lakers" may be viewed at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. I strongly recommend the drive and the effort getting there.
So, what do you think? Only four of our precious lighthouses have been highlighted and just a scarce amount of detail about them. BUT they are a part of our Michigan and must be seen to be appreciated. I haven't seen them all, but it's a part of my future to continue visiting the stately structures and learning about their history. How about you?
A fascinating book to peruse is Michigan Lighthouses, an Aerial Photographic Perspective by photographer/editor John L. Wagner, published in 1994. Over the course of seven years, Mr. Wagner flew with the birds in a Cessna 172 taking aerial photos of every Michigan lighthouse. The book contains over 175 color shots of each unique lighthouse in all its glory.
Make it a family trip and visit a Michigan lighthouse soon. You too will say, "I love lighthouses!"
Bette Dunlap Carrothers, wife of William, mother of three, grandmother of seven, graduate with BS and MA from Central Michigan University, retired music teacher at Anchor Bay Schools, New Baltimore, MI, still directs two adult choirs and loves life, including lighthouses.
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