The Doty Dilemma: Technological Advancements in Lighthouse Lamps and Subsequent Patent Infringement
Most lighthouse research is drudgery. You go from item to item of mostly boring detail and slowly, very slowly, progress is made. But once in awhile, an unusual discovery is made and you run across a real gem buried in the musty details. That was the case with this story. In an obscure file box in the National Archives, I ran across information about Captain H. H. Doty that filled in many missing pieces of information about his struggles with our government some one hundred and thirty years ago.