Michigan City East Light
Encyclopedia
The Michigan City Breakwater lighthouse
is located in the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana
.
This is the successor to the Old Michigan City Light
, when the lantern, lens and light was moved to the new light at the end of the newly extended pier.
This is one of very few lights on the Great Lakes
which still has the iron walkway atop the pier (see Manistee Pierhead lights
and Grand Haven Light
).
For 170 years there has a lighthouse in Michigan City. However, "most people in Indiana don’t realize there is a lighthouse in the state." Mayor Oberlie passes out lapel pins to illustrate its importance and scope. He calls Lake Michigan "the city’s crown jewel," which became prominent when he was city planner in the 1970s.
In May 2007, this aid to navigation was deemed excess by the Coast Guard. It was offered at no cost to eligible entities, including federal, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
. "According to Mayor Chuck Oberlie, Michigan City filed a letter of interest for the lighthouse and will seek ownership."
It is one of a dozen past or present lighthouses in Indiana.
I-94
, take Highway 35 into Michigan City. Where Highway 35 intersects Highway 12, turn left on Highway 12 then right on Pine Street (which becomes Franklin Street after two blocks). After two blocks, which will lead you over a bridge to Lakeshore Drive where you will see the lighthouse to your left. The lighthouse is open every day except Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m.
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....
is located in the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City, Indiana
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder....
.
This is the successor to the Old Michigan City Light
Old Michigan City Light
The Old Michigan City lighthouse is located in the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana.Built in 1858 at a cost of $8,000, this lighthouse, replaced an 1837 brick & stone light built at water's edge...
, when the lantern, lens and light was moved to the new light at the end of the newly extended pier.
This is one of very few lights on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
which still has the iron walkway atop the pier (see Manistee Pierhead lights
Manistee Pierhead lights
The Manistee Pierhead lights are a pair of active aids to navigation located on the north and south pier in the harbor of Manistee, Michigan, "Lake Michigan’s Victorian Port City."-History:...
and Grand Haven Light
Grand Haven Light
The Grand Haven Breakwater lighthouse is located in the harbor of Grand Haven, Michigan.Grand Haven Lighthouses are two different lighthouses on the south pier of the channel where Grand River comes in to Lake Michigan. A lighthouse was first established there in 1839...
).
For 170 years there has a lighthouse in Michigan City. However, "most people in Indiana don’t realize there is a lighthouse in the state." Mayor Oberlie passes out lapel pins to illustrate its importance and scope. He calls Lake Michigan "the city’s crown jewel," which became prominent when he was city planner in the 1970s.
In May 2007, this aid to navigation was deemed excess by the Coast Guard. It was offered at no cost to eligible entities, including federal, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
. "According to Mayor Chuck Oberlie, Michigan City filed a letter of interest for the lighthouse and will seek ownership."
It is one of a dozen past or present lighthouses in Indiana.
Getting there
From I-94Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
, take Highway 35 into Michigan City. Where Highway 35 intersects Highway 12, turn left on Highway 12 then right on Pine Street (which becomes Franklin Street after two blocks). After two blocks, which will lead you over a bridge to Lakeshore Drive where you will see the lighthouse to your left. The lighthouse is open every day except Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m.
See also
- Lighthouses in the United StatesLighthouses in the United StatesThis is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights...
- National Historic Lighthouse Preservation ActNational Historic Lighthouse Preservation ActThe National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
External links
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, Maritime History Project, Inventory of Historic Lights, Michigan City Lights. - Satellite view at Google mapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
.
Specialized additional reading
- Andreas, A.T. (1884) History of Chicago from the Earliest Period to the Present Time,
- Chicago's Front Door, Chicago Public Library Digital Collection, website.
- Chicago, Scribner's Monthly (September 1875) Vol. X, No. 5.
- Graham, Charlote, Another Step into History at Old Michigan City Light (August, 2003) Lighthouse DigestLighthouse DigestLighthouse Digest is a specialty magazine for lighthouse and maritime history enthusiasts published in East Machias, Maine. Launched in May, 1992, by FogHorn Publishing, it is dedicated to preserving lighthouse history, current and yesteryear, for future generations.-Scope:Coverage includes...
. - Harris, Patricia. Michigan City: Indiana's Only Lighthouse. The Keeper's Log (Spring, 1987), pp. 22–25.
- Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. (1995) The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University PressWayne State University PressWayne State University Press , founded in 1941, is a university press that is part of Wayne State University. It publishes under its own name and also the imprints Painted Turtle and Great Lakes Books....
. ISBN 0-8143-2554-8 ISBN 978-0-8143-2554-4. - Havighurst, Walter (1943) The Long Ships Passing: The Story of the Great Lakes, Macmillan PublishersMacmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
. - Karamanski, T. Ed. , Historic Lighthouses and Navigational Aids of the Illinois Shore of Lake Michigan Loyola UniversityLoyola University ChicagoLoyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
& Illinois Historic Preservation AgencyIllinois Historic Preservation AgencyThe Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....
, (1989). - Longstreet, Stephen (1973) Chicago 1860-1919 (New York: McKay).
- Lopez, Victor. "This Old Lighthouse: Chicago Harbor Beacon Gets a Facelift." Coast Guard (September, 1997), pp. 24–25.
- Mayer, Harold M. (1957) The Port of Chicago University of Chicago PressUniversity of Chicago PressThe University of Chicago Press is the largest university press in the United States. It is operated by the University of Chicago and publishes a wide variety of academic titles, including The Chicago Manual of Style, dozens of academic journals, including Critical Inquiry, and a wide array of...
. - Rice, Mary J., Chicago: Port to the World (Follet Publishers, 1969).
- Richards, Rick A. Michigan City's Love Affair With It's (sic) Lighthouse July, 2009, Lighthouse DigestLighthouse DigestLighthouse Digest is a specialty magazine for lighthouse and maritime history enthusiasts published in East Machias, Maine. Launched in May, 1992, by FogHorn Publishing, it is dedicated to preserving lighthouse history, current and yesteryear, for future generations.-Scope:Coverage includes...
. - Sapulski, Wayne S., (2001) Lighthouses of Lake Michigan: Past and Present (Paperback) (Fowlerville: Wilderness Adventure Books) ISBN 0-923568-47-6; ISBN 978-0-923568-47-4.