Green Island Light (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Green Island Light is a lighthouse
located on Green Island
in Lake Erie
, U.S. state
of Ohio
, to the west of the Bass Islands
. Abandoned since its deactivation in 1939, it survives as a hollow shell near the existing skeleton tower.
, a source of strontium
, was discovered there during a boundary survey. The United States government purchased the island in 1851, and in 1854 the first lighthouse was built, a wooden structure of which no definite image remains. This light was equipped with a reflector system.
The lighthouse caught fire on December 31, 1863, during a ferocious storm in which the temperature dropped to minus 25 degrees. The lighthouse keeper, Charles Drake, his wife and daughter were forced to take refuge in an outhouse, wrapped in a pair of comforters, after an unsuccessful attempt to quench the fire with buckets of lake water. Drake's son Pitt, attending a party at Put-in-Bay
, was dissuaded from braving the storm; the next day he went with a rescue party to the island to find nothing standing but the outhouse. Though suffering from exposure, the three refugees were found alive.
The following year a new light was erected, a two story limestone residence with a square tower applied to one end. In later years a small barn was added to house livestock belonging to the keeper; newspaper reports state that one keeper also maintained a team of greyhound
s which pulled his children across the ice to school by sled. In 1889 a boathouse was constructed at the northeast corner of the island, and a walkway, originally of planks but later of concrete, was run the length of the island to link it to the light.
By 1900 mining on the island had ceased, and in 1926 the light was automated and the residence abandoned. In 1939 a new steel tower, considerably taller than the old light, was erected on the extreme southwest corner of the island. The old light was discontinued, and at some point vandals set it afire, leaving only the tower and the shell of the house standing among the trees which have grown up in the pasture which once surrounded the station.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on Green Island
Green Island (Ohio)
Green Island is a small island of the U.S. state of Ohio, in Lake Erie. It is located approximately three miles southwest of Put-in-Bay.- History :...
in Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, to the west of the Bass Islands
Bass Islands
The Bass Islands are three American islands in the western half of Lake Erie. They are north of Sandusky, Ohio and south of Pelee Island, Ontario. South Bass Island is the largest of the islands, followed closely by North Bass Island and Middle Bass Island . They are located in Ottawa County in...
. Abandoned since its deactivation in 1939, it survives as a hollow shell near the existing skeleton tower.
History
Green Island attracted attention beginning in 1820 when celestiteCelestite
Celestine or celestite is a mineral consisting of strontium sulfate. The mineral is named for its occasional delicate blue color.-Occurrence:Celestine occurs as crystals, and also in compact massive and fibrous forms...
, a source of strontium
Strontium
Strontium is a chemical element with the symbol Sr and the atomic number 38. An alkaline earth metal, strontium is a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element that is highly reactive chemically. The metal turns yellow when exposed to air. It occurs naturally in the minerals celestine and...
, was discovered there during a boundary survey. The United States government purchased the island in 1851, and in 1854 the first lighthouse was built, a wooden structure of which no definite image remains. This light was equipped with a reflector system.
The lighthouse caught fire on December 31, 1863, during a ferocious storm in which the temperature dropped to minus 25 degrees. The lighthouse keeper, Charles Drake, his wife and daughter were forced to take refuge in an outhouse, wrapped in a pair of comforters, after an unsuccessful attempt to quench the fire with buckets of lake water. Drake's son Pitt, attending a party at Put-in-Bay
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...
, was dissuaded from braving the storm; the next day he went with a rescue party to the island to find nothing standing but the outhouse. Though suffering from exposure, the three refugees were found alive.
The following year a new light was erected, a two story limestone residence with a square tower applied to one end. In later years a small barn was added to house livestock belonging to the keeper; newspaper reports state that one keeper also maintained a team of greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
s which pulled his children across the ice to school by sled. In 1889 a boathouse was constructed at the northeast corner of the island, and a walkway, originally of planks but later of concrete, was run the length of the island to link it to the light.
By 1900 mining on the island had ceased, and in 1926 the light was automated and the residence abandoned. In 1939 a new steel tower, considerably taller than the old light, was erected on the extreme southwest corner of the island. The old light was discontinued, and at some point vandals set it afire, leaving only the tower and the shell of the house standing among the trees which have grown up in the pasture which once surrounded the station.
External links
- photo showing old and current lights from Lighthouse Depot