Michigan

From the bow of the Marigold, John Soldenski silently watched his new home rise out of the lake as the lighthouse tender steadily forged through white-capped Lake Superior. At first he could see only the white shaft against the dark water. Gradually he could distinguish details of the circular tower, mounted on a great round base of concrete rising from the lake and surmounted by the housing of the great lens.

It was a wild night when the lighthouse fell...Father (Eber Ward) had Igone over to Mackinaw two days before and a storm had arisen that prevented his getting back." Thus began Emily Ward's first-person account of her experiences helping her father, when he was Keeper on Bois Blanc Island in upper Lake Huron. She continued, "The Lighthouse had originally been placed too near the water and every heavy storm was full of peril for the old lighthouse.

Showed the light on May 12, 1873

July 24 - U.S. Steamer Haze arrived, Cdr. Murray Inspector, new keeper and wife came ashore. Charles Corgan Principal Keeper transferred to Copper Harbor lighthouse per Str. Haze.

Sept. 8 - first three masted steam barge passed up.

To those of you not too well acquainted with the Great Lakes area, this story takes place between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Leaving Lake Erie, you enter the Detroit River and proceed northerly into Lake St. Clair. About 20 miles across the lake, is the southern end of the St. Clair River which runs northerly to Lake Huron. The first 4 or 5 miles  of the river is known as the St. Clair Flats. The west side of the river is in the state of Michigan and the east side is in Ontario, Canada.

The Rock Harbor station, on Isle Royale in Lake Superior, was constructed in 1855 in support of two copper mines in the area. It was constructed for $5,000. Within four years the mines were depleted and abandoned. With the subsequent drop in shipping, the Lighthouse Board closed the light station. A second mining boom developed on Isle Royale in the 1870s. In 1874 the government refurbished and reopened the station, only to close it again, in 1879, when the copper boom fizzled.

March 19, 1888 -Today at 3:30 p.m. two ladies came to call on Mrs. Roberts and when getting into the boat one of them fell overboard and tipped the boat over and they both got nicely wet. Captain Finch of the station, with the help of his wife and Mrs. Roberts got them out safely. It was blowing a gale from the Southeast and Mrs. Johnson hung on to the boat for about 20 minutes and floated near the mouth of the harbor before we could catch her with another boat. Nothing but clear grit saved her life.

When the U.S. Coast Guard took over operation of aids to navigation from the Lighthouse Service in 1939, changes occurred to the Sand Point Light Station, which has been marking the entrance into Escanaba Harbor on Little Bay du Noquet. The original lighthouse was constructed in 1867 and first lighted on May 13, 1868 The structure was a one-and-a-half story rectangular brick building and an attached brick tower and iron lantern. The 4th order Fresnel lens displayed a fixed red light.

During my childhood at Point Iroquois I was firsthand witness to the faithful dedication of the keepers of the flame. I watched my father and his two assistants climb the 75 cast iron steps to the lantern room carrying large cans of kerosene to fuel the lamp. I saw them shovel tons of hard coal into the fog signal furnace which powered the steam whistle. I saw them fuel river buoys and range lights. I was always hovering around as they polished brass, painted and maintained the buildings and worked on the station grounds.

The year 1897-
Nov. 11 - Keeper left station at 11 am to go to Marquette on foot being called by message to the deathbed of his only sister and remaining until after the funeral.

The first sign of Spring at the lighthouse was flocks of large, black, ragged-winged birds: squalling, squawking and squabbling against the blue March sky and white patches of snow. The crows had come back.