Lake Huron

Americans share a common maritime heritage with our Canadian neighbors, especially along the Great Lakes. Similar to the development of American lighthouses along the shores of the Lakes, the Canadians followed a similar trend of settlement from Lake Ontario over the Niagara escarpment to the shallow reaches of Lake Erie, through Lake St. Clair and then along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. In the early days, local commissions governed the establishment and operation of Canadian light stations. The Canadian system was modeled on that of England.

The Presque Isle light station was constructed in 1870 at a cost of $48,000. It was completed in November of that year and first lighted the next spring. For three generations the Garraty family were keepers of this station as well as the nearby harbor range lights and served at other stations too. 

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.

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.