Michigan Island Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Michigan Island Lighthouse is operated by the National Park Service
and is located on Michigan Island
on western Lake Superior
in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
.
The 3½-order Fresnel lens
, coupled with a 24,000 candela electric light and the 170 feet (51.8 m) focal plane (aided by its placement on a cliff) aided by the tower's location atop the cliff, made the light range of visibility to a "remarkable 22 miles." This was a relative rarity, being one of only a dozen used around the country, most of which were on the Great Lakes, These lights were typically reserved for places that were an especially serious hazard to navigation. See, for example, Sturgeon Point Light
. Other Great Lakes lights that had 3½-order Fresnel lenses were at (in alphabetical order): DeTour Reef, Eagle Bluff, Grays Reef, Huron Island
, St. Helena Island, and Toledo Harbor.
In 1972, the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a DCB-224
aero beacon manufactured by the Carlisle & Finch
Company. In turn, that was replaced by the 300 mm Tideland Signal acrylic optic. The restored Fresnel lens is on display at the visitor center of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
in Bayfield.
The structure shares its design with towers at Rawley Point Light on Lake Michigan and Whitefish Point Light at Lake Superior's eastern end. However, the Michigan Island tower has a small brick building is located at the base of the center tube, apparently a workroom for the early lighthouse keeper
s.
and part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977, as reference number 77000145. Listed in the Library of Congress
, Historic American Buildings Survey
,
WI-317 (A-C).
National Park Service
The 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...
and is located on Michigan Island
Michigan Island
Michigan Island is one of the Apostle Islands located in western Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula, in northern Wisconsin. This island has no human inhabitants, and is managed by the National Park Service as part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is centered at approximately...
on western Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands and shoreline encompassing 69,372 acres on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior....
.
History
There are two historical lighthouses that have served as the Michigan Island light. The oldest was constructed in 1857, but not activated until 1869. It served until 1929 when it was replaced by a taller, 118 feet (36 m) skeletal tower, which is still operational.The 3½-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
, coupled with a 24,000 candela electric light and the 170 feet (51.8 m) focal plane (aided by its placement on a cliff) aided by the tower's location atop the cliff, made the light range of visibility to a "remarkable 22 miles." This was a relative rarity, being one of only a dozen used around the country, most of which were on the Great Lakes, These lights were typically reserved for places that were an especially serious hazard to navigation. See, for example, Sturgeon Point Light
Sturgeon Point Light
The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse on Lake Huron in Haynes Township, Alcona County, northeastern lower Michigan. Established to ward mariners off a reef that extends 1.5 miles lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod style Great Lakes...
. Other Great Lakes lights that had 3½-order Fresnel lenses were at (in alphabetical order): DeTour Reef, Eagle Bluff, Grays Reef, Huron Island
Huron Island Light
Huron Island Light is a lighthouse on Lake Superior near Big Bay, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Huron Islands Lighthouse in 1975. It is on one of the Huron Islands .- History :...
, St. Helena Island, and Toledo Harbor.
In 1972, the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a DCB-224
DCB-224
The model DCB-224 is a high-power spotlight designed and built by Carlisle & Finch. Originally intended for use use as an aero beacon, it was also widely used in marine lighthouses....
aero beacon manufactured by the Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch
Carlisle & Finch is a producer of nautical equipment and searchlights, and the inventor of the electric toy train. It is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History :...
Company. In turn, that was replaced by the 300 mm Tideland Signal acrylic optic. The restored Fresnel lens is on display at the visitor center of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands and shoreline encompassing 69,372 acres on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior....
in Bayfield.
The structure shares its design with towers at Rawley Point Light on Lake Michigan and Whitefish Point Light at Lake Superior's eastern end. However, the Michigan Island tower has a small brick building is located at the base of the center tube, apparently a workroom for the early lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s.
Status
Currently owned by the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The 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...
and part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977, as reference number 77000145. Listed in the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
, Historic American Buildings Survey
Historic American Buildings Survey
The Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
,
WI-317 (A-C).
Getting there
Most of the Apostle Islands light stations may be reached on the Apostle Islands Cruise Service water taxi or by private boat during the summer. During the Annual Apostle Island Lighthouse Celebration, a ferry tour service is available for all the lighthouses. During the tourist season, volunteer park rangers are on the many of the islands to greet visitors.See also
- Wisconsin lighthouses
- Apostle Islands LighthousesApostle Islands LighthousesThe Apostle Islands Lighthouses are a group of six lighthouses, located in the Apostle Islands, Wisconsin and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as reference number 77000145....
Specialized Additional reading
- 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:...
. - Michigan Island: The Mistake that Became a Treasure. 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...
(Mar 1999), pp. 21–24. - Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Wobser, David, Michigan Island Lights, Great Laker Magazine, boatnerd.com.
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1-55046-399-3.
External links
- Aerial photos of Michigan Island Light, Marina.com.
- Lighthouse tour preview: September, 2005 VIP photo.
- Old tower Lighthouse friends article.
- New tower Lighthouse friends article.
- Michigan Island Light Station.
- 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...
, Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Wisconsin, Michigan Island Lights. - Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey Survey number HABS WI-317
- Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Michigan Island Light (New).
- Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Michigan Island Light (Old).