History of the Monroe Lighthouses, Monroe, MI: Only Yesterday

Sailors have often found Lake Erie to be the most challenging of the Great Lakes. Its shallowness can cause violent waves, especially during turbulent weather. On May 23, 1828 Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to build a lighthouse on the west end of Lake Erie at a place known as Otter Creek Point in Monroe, Michigan. The decision came after years of pleas from residents, including Monroe's first newspaper editor, Edward D. Ellis. He learned during the winter of 1825-1826 that Congress was considering building a lighthouse to guide vessels into the Monroe Harbor, which was then located in LaPlaisance Bay at the natural mouth of the River Raisin.