USLHS Special Events

Special Presentation by author Lynn Guenther on lighthouse keeper & naturalist Laura Hecox of Santa Cruz, CA

Pioneer, naturalist, collector, activist, lighthouse keeper, museum benefactor—few people accomplished more in their lifetimes, or meant more to the history of Santa Cruz, California, than Laura Hecox. She was keeper of the lighthouse in Santa Cruz from 1883 to 1916, and her collection of natural history specimens and artifacts is the foundational collection of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

Lynn Gunether's historical novel "Light of the Bay" brings Laura to life, telling her remarkable story from a first-person perspective. Through Laura’s eyes, readers travel across the country by wagon train, meet an array of colorful historic figures, and fall in love. Lynn Guenther serves her community as a member of organizations fostering art, ecology and education. Her passion for teaching inspired her 2022 novel "Light of the Bay." She is also an artist and jeweler.

Also participating is Kathleen Aston, collections manager of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.

This is a special virtual presentation of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, originally presented on March 25, 2023.

Special Presentation of the book about Rhode Island lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis
Lenore Skomal's book "The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter," about renowned Rhode Island lighthouse keeper Ida Lewis, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. On February 18, Lenore gave a presentation about Ida Lewis via Zoom. She was joined by Nico Raineau, a filmmaker who is developing a movie based on the book.

Special Presentation of our 2023 Spain Lighthouse Tour
This Zoom event, which was originally presented on February 4, 2023 is a preview of the U.S. Lighthouse Society's 2023 Spain tour, which will take place September 15-27, 2023. Giving the presentation is tour leader Henry Gonzalez, who is the vice president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Click on "Tours" in the top menu to learn more about the Society's domestic and international tours.

Special virtual event: Guide to USLHS videos

Flying Santa Third Annual Virtual Gala 2022

The Flying Santa tradition began in 1929, when Maine pilot Bill Wincapaw dropped presents from his plane for lighthouse keepers and their families in the Penobscot Bay region as a gesture of gratitude. Maritime historian Edward Rowe Snow became involved in the flights in the 1930s, and he kept the tradition going through 1980. Today the nonprofit Friends of Flying Santa manages helicopter flights to Coast Guard stations as a show of appreciation to Coast Guard personnel and their families.

This is the third annual Zoom event presented by Friends of Flying Santa and the U.S. Lighthouse Society. This event includes a presentation on the history of the Flying Santa by U.S. Lighthouse Society historian Jeremy D'Entremont, a discussion of this year's flights with Friends of Flying Santa President Brian Tague, and other special guests including descendants of Edward Rowe Snow and Bill Wincapaw.

Join USLHS historian Jeremy D'Entremont and Executive Director Jeff Gales for a tour of the videos offered on the USLHS website and YouTube channel. From tour retrospectives and previews, mini-documentaries on lighthouse history, podcast episodes, and special events spotlighting America's lighthouses, there's something for everyone. Originally presented on September 17, 2022.

Virtual Tour of Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse, Florida

The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society’s historian, Ralph Krugler, spent several years researching his book, "The (Almost) Complete History of the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse." In this Zoom event, Ralph will take participants on a virtual tour of the lighthouse and grounds, as well as discussing highlights of the site’s history. Also discussed will be preservation efforts and public tours of the station. Presented on June 18, 2022.

Virtual Tour of Bolivar Point Lighthouse, Texas

Join representatives of the U.S. Lighthouse Society along with Amy Maxwell Chase and Mark Boyt of the Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation for this look at one of the Gulf Coast's most historic light stations. Its planned restoration is also discussed. This event was presented on April 2, 2022.

Flying Santa Second Annual Virtual Gala 2021

The Flying Santa program was started in 1929 by pioneering Maine pilot Bill Wincapaw as a way of showing gratitude to lighthouse keepers and their families. The flights continue today through the work of the nonprofit Friends of Flying Santa. Helicopters visit Coast Guard stations throughout the Northeast, with more than 1000 children of Coast Guard families receiving gifts from Santa. It’s a perfect way to express appreciation to an under-appreciated branch of our military.

Happy 150th birthday, Pomham Rocks Lighthouse!

Pomham Rocks Lighthouse stands on a tiny island in the Providence River, near the Riverside section of East Providence, Rhode Island. This video tells some of its history, leading up to the recent restoration of efforts of the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The crown jewel in the restoration was the return of the fourth-order lens to the lighthouse, after more than 40 years at a museum in Massachusetts.

Point Arena Lighthouse Virtual Tour

Join the United States Lighthouse Society and Point Arena Lighthouse Executive Director Mark Hancock for a virtual tour of the historic Point Arena Light Station’s museum and iconic lighthouse tower. This Zoom presentation allows you to virtually tour the museum, which houses the original first-order Fresnel lens, and to climb to the top of the tallest lighthouse on the Pacific coast. This virtual tour is made possible by the amazing 360-degree camera work of Michael Chandler of Third Eye Visuals, who drives the tour while Mark presents the fascinating history and technology of the Point Arena Light Station.

Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses stamps - Featuring the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Stamps depicting the beauty, mystery and romance of lighthouses that have fascinated and enchanted people for centuries continue in 2021 with the issuance of Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses, the latest in the Postal Service’s continuing series of lighthouse stamps. The Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses stamps are now being sold at Post Office locations nationwide and online at usps.com/lighthousestamp. The Mid-Atlantic Lighthouses are the seventh installment in the Postal Service’s long-running lighthouse series. Howard Koslow (1924-2016) was the artist for these stamps, as well as for previous issuances in the Lighthouses series. Each stamp features an original acrylic painting by Koslow, based on photographs of the lighthouses. Greg Breeding was the stamp designer and art director.

There is another video that is posted by Chesapeake Bay Magazine on Facebook and can be seen here: https://fb.watch/7i5In07dwq/

Stay at a Lighthouse Presentation - Lighthouses with overnight accommodations

Friends of Flying Santa Virtual Gala

Haunted Lighthouse of New England

Bar Harbor Whale Watch's all-day "Grand Slam" lighthouse cruise, of the northern Maine coast and New Brunswick, Canada.

Remembering Glen Tart