Bridgeport, Connecticut Lighthouse: Only Yesterday

Bridgeport's first aid to navigation was established in 1806, when Congress appropriated $1,000 to construct an unlighted beacon at the entrance to the harbor. It was an iron spindle surmounted with a cage and often had to be replaced after being destroyed by storms or ice floes. In the 1820s, steamboat service was established between Bridgeport, CT and other ports along Long Island Sound. In those early years, cargo consisted primarily of passengers and oysters harvested from the harbor.