Sturgeon Point Light - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse

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....

on Lake Huron

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...

in Haynes Township

Haynes Township, Michigan

Haynes Township is a civil township of Alcona County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 724 at the 2000 census. The township is to the north of the city of Harrisville and to the northeast of the village of Lincoln, which are the nearest population centers.-Communities:*Alcona is a...

, Alcona County

Alcona County, Michigan

Alcona County is a county of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population is 11,719. Its county seat is Harrisville. Alphabetically it is the first county in Michigan, as its flag states "First of the 83".-History:...

, northeastern lower Michigan

Lower Peninsula of Michigan

The Lower Peninsula of Michigan is the southern of the two major landmasses of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is surrounded by water on all sides except its southern border, which it shares with Ohio and Indiana. Geographically, the Lower Peninsula has a recognizable shape that many people...

. Established to ward mariners off a reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

that extends 1.5 miles (2.4 km) lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod

Cape Cod (house)

A Cape Cod cottage is a style of house originating in New England in the 17th century. It is traditionally characterized by a low, broad frame building, generally a story and a half high, with a steep, pitched roof with end gables, a large central chimney and very little ornamentation...

style 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...

lighthouse.

History

The light station was built in 1869 by the United States Lighthouse Board

United States Lighthouse Board

The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...

. The Board was in the midst of a lighthouse building boom on the Great Lakes due to increased maritime traffic, and in response to a large number of lost ships and men: Congress approved 70 lights on the western Great Lakes in thirty years: 28 in the 1850s, and 21 in each of the following decades. The location is roughly halfway between Alpena's Thunder Bay Island

Thunder Bay Island

Thunder Bay Island is a island in Lake Huron. The island is one of eight constituent islands of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The island is part of Alpena Township in Alpena County...

and the northern entry to Saginaw Bay

Saginaw Bay

Saginaw Bay is a bay within Lake Huron located on the eastern side of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms the space between Michigan's Thumb region and the rest of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Saginaw Bay is in area...

. Importantly, this point sits atop a formidable reef that is an imminent hazard to navigation

Navigation

Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...

. Moreover, the area north of Sturgeon Point and south of Alcona, Michigan is a bay that can provide shelter from northerly and southerly winds and waves. Historically, this area is locally known as "Sanctuary Bay," which is in distinct contrast to "Misery Bay", the area to the north, between Alpena and Thunder Bay Island. The Lighthouse Board further recognized that being able to navigate close to (but not over) the reef and the point would aid transport into and out of Saginaw Bay.

It is made of brick

Brick

A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

masonry

Masonry

Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...

on an ashlar

Ashlar

Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...

limestone

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....

foundation. The tower stands 70 feet 9 inches (21.5 m) in height, with a diameter of 16 feet (4.9 m) at the base. The focal plane is listed by the Coast Guard at 69 feet (21 m), which would be the height from the "mean high water mark," That figure is important, in that it could be used by mariners to chart their location, using a method of triangulation

Triangulation

In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly...

to give them the distance to the light. The adjoining, two-story 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 quarters was designed in the Cape Cod

Cape Cod (house)

style and built of the same materials. At the time, the Board was often using this architectural motif. See Point Iroquois Light. In fact, Poverty Island Light, built in 1874, is considered to be a "sibling" as it is direct copy of Sturgeon Point.

The light began its service with a sixth-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...

which was upgraded to a 3½-order lens (that was originally installed at Oswego, New York

Oswego, New York

Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...

), twenty years later. It was one one of only a dozen used around the country, most of which were on the Great Lakes. The other Great Lakes 3½-order lenses were at (in alphabetical order): DeTour Reef (two 3½-order lenses, after the bivalve lens broke), 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 :...

, Michigan Island, St. Helena Island, and Toledo Harbor.

The 3½-order Fresnel lens

Fresnel lens

is still in place and in use. This is one of only 70 such Fresnel lenses that are still operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

of which eight are in Michigan.

In 1876, the light station was joined in its service by an adjacent United States Life-Saving Service

United States Life-Saving Service

The United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers...

station.

There is no question that the presence of this light on this highly dangerous reef has forestalled "countless accidents."

In 1875, a U.S. Life-Saving Service

United States Life-Saving Service

The United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers...

station was opened. The first light keeper became the first captain of the surf team.

In 1915, this station became part of the U.S. Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...

.

In 1939 the U.S. Lighthouse Service

United States Lighthouse Service

The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...

also merged under the control of the U.S. Coast Guard. In the same year the station was electrified and automated.

By the 1940s, the light was fully automated, and the Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

withdrew all personnel in 1941 and thereafter dismantled the life-saving station. One source claims (erroneously) that the lifesaving saving station and the lighthouse were "abandoned" in the 1940s; in point of fact personnel were withdrawen, but the light remains an active aid to navigation to this day.

The lifesaving bell was purloined in 1951, and was "anonymously returned" in 2002 to the custody of the Alcona County Historical Society (according to a plaque at the light). The fog horn building was torn down. The brick outhouse

Outhouse

An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...

, built in 1869, remains, however.

The Life Saving station's foundation is still visible.
The lifesaving watch tower also was torn down.

In 1982 the Alcona Historical Society leased the light and began a three-years restoration project.

The keeper's house itself fell into disrepair until it was taken over by the Alcona Historical Society in 1982.

Historic context

At the time of the light station’s construction, the Alcona County region hosted an active commercial fishery
Commercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...

. Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...

was also in the midst of a timber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....

boom, during which wood products were shipped to markets over Lake Huron from nearby ports at Harrisville
Harrisville, Michigan
Harrisville is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alcona County. The population was 493 at the 2010 census. The city is surrounded by Harrisville Township, but is administratively autonomous...

, Alcona, and Black River. Despite the later addition of agricultural produce
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...

to the cargoes shipped by lake from the region, by the early 20th century the Sturgeon Point Light primarily served passing vessels engaged in the bulk mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

trade, which did not stop at nearby ports.
Sturgeon Point is one of over 150 past and present lighthouses in Michigan. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state. See Lighthouses in the United States
Lighthouses in the United States
This 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...

.
In the Big Blow of 1913
Great Lakes Storm of 1913
The Great Lakes Storm of 1913, historically referred to as the "Big Blow", "Jeff Kinsland's Wash," the "Freshwater Fury" or the "White Hurricane", was a blizzard with hurricane-force winds that devastated the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern United States and the Canadian province of Ontario...

, two of three ships that had the most crew lost, 28 victims each, were thereafter reported to have gone down in the area near Sturgeon Point. Those ships are the John A. McGean and the Isaac M. Scott. See also, Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm
Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm
This is a list of shipwrecks during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913.-References:*Brown, David G. . White Hurricane. International Marine / McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-138037-X.*-External links:***...

and List of victims of the 1913 Great Lakes storm. However, the better evidence suggests that the McGean is in fact 9.5 miles (15.3 km) due east of Harbor Beach, Michigan
Harbor Beach, Michigan
Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:...

, which is on the east side of Michigan's Thumb
The Thumb
The Thumb is a region and a peninsula of Michigan, so named because the Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten; thus the Thumb is the area that looks like the thumb of the mitten. The Thumb is generally considered to be in the Mid-Michigan area of the state, located east of Flint/Tri-Cities...

. The Scott was first discovered in 1976, and is laying on the bottom about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) northeast of Thunder Bay Island
Thunder Bay Island
Thunder Bay Island is a island in Lake Huron. The island is one of eight constituent islands of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The island is part of Alpena Township in Alpena County...

.

Contemporary status

Ownership was transferred from the Coast Guard to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...

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...

, and operations are maintained by the Alcona Historical Society.

During the planning stages of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve is a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary on Thunder Bay, part of Lake Huron, within the U.S. state of Michigan. The sanctuary and underwater preserve protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from nineteenth...

, the Sturgeon Point Light was proposed to mark the southernmost extent of the sanctuary, although the final sanctuary boundary was drawn short of the light. Nevertheless, 15 historic shipwrecks have been identified with place of loss listed as "Sturgeon Point". Indeed, the question of expanding the National Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve continues to be a subject of inquiry and discussion.

Although the United States Coast Guard

United States Coast Guard

continues to operate the light, the property has been transferred to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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...

. The transfer from the Department of the interior was effective May, 2005. The Alcona Historical Society operates a museum in the restored historic buildings. The Sturgeon Point Light 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 1984.
Sturgeon Point, on which the lighthouse is built, is a Michigan Scenic Site overseen by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

. It is listed as part of the National Maritime Heritage Program with the National Park Service. The station structure is also listed as a state historic site in February 1982.

Additionally, it is on the National Registry of Historic Places, Reference #84001370, Name of Listing: STURGEON POINT LIGHT STATION (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES TR) and is also on the state inventory, being listed in 1969.

In 2006, the U.S. Coast Guard sought to forever darken the light, and in fact shut it off for a short time. Resistance to the initiative developed, and over five thousand signatures were collected on petitions to "Save Our Light." Numerous public comments were submitted as part of the regulatory process. In due course, an arrangement was made whereby the light was left on (albeit with its operating expenses to be paid by the Alcona County Historical Society) and it was designated as an official "seasonal private aid to navigation." from April 1 through November 1. The Coast Guard reversed course after the public pressure, and the light will remain on.

A transfer of ownership of the light itself, from the Coast Guard to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is pending in 2008 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...

. The Alcona County Historical Society is a lessee at this time.

Because of its picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, paintings, drawings, and even of needlepoint illustrations. In fact, it is also the setting of an illustrated children's storybook.

The following contact information may be of use to travelers:
Sturgeon Point Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Sturgeon Point Road
Harrisville, MI 48740
(989) 724-5107

Current Events at the lighthouse and museum

The lighthouse is located in Sturgeon Point Scenic Site, a Michigan state park.
The lighthouse is maintained and operated by the Alcona Historical Society, a private organization that funds the maintenance and operation with few public funds. The Society is in the process of raising contributions to renovate and paint the lighthouse.
The tower is regularly open during the summer for climbing by the public (for a small fee to cover insurance costs). The museum is open to the public, and is supported by donations.
On the grounds is the Old Bailey School, a 1907 One-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...

house, which was moved there from Mikado, Michigan in 1998.
A strawberry social is held at the at Bailey School on the last Sunday of June (adjacent to the lighthouse) which has as its purpose fund raising for the Alcona Historical Society.
The annual Sturgeon Point Light Station Sanctuary Bay sail boat race, which also has a local picnic, is also a fundraiser for the Alcona County Historical Society. It is regularly held on the first Saturday in August, and is a handicapped race for day sailors of all classes. The course is two times around a triangular 6 mile (9.2 kilometer) course in Sanctuary Bay, the area between Sturgeon Point Light and Alcona.
Michigan is the only state that supports lighthouse preservation with a program that includes annual grants from the state to local preservation groups. Consequently, there are many organizations and their volunteers working hard to save and restore lighthouses. The Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy is a state preservation society, and the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is based in the state. The Alcona County Historical Society is in the process of collecting $70,000.00 for renovation (particularly brick work and painting) of its light, half of which is being funded by the state of Michigan. The White Shoal light
White Shoal Light (Michigan)
The White Shoal Light is a lighthouse located 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan. It is an active aid to navigation.-Overview:...

is the prominent design element—used by the State of Michigan as an icon
Secular icon
A secular icon is an image or pictograph of a person or thing used for other than religious purpose. -Icons versus symbols:...

to generate revenue—on its Save Our Lights, Michigan License Plate.

Directions

From the south at the

M-72

M-72 (Michigan highway)

M-72 is a state trunkline highway in the US state of Michigan, running from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The highway connects M-22 in Empire with US Highway 23 in Harrisville. It is one of only three Michigan state trunklines that cross the Lower...

terminus (becoming Main Street in Harrisville) at the traffic light that intersects with US 23, proceed 2.6 miles (4.2 km) north on

US 23

U.S. Route 23 in Michigan

US Highway 23 is a United States Numbered Highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan. In the US state of Michigan, it is a major north–south state trunkline highway that runs through the Lower Peninsula...

; turn right on Lakeshore Drive. Take Lakeshore Drive 1.2 miles (1.9 km); turn right on Point Road (there are signs that direct you to the lighthouse). Sturgeon Point Lighthouse is a mile down Point Road on the left.

From the north (e.g., Alpena, Michigan

Alpena, Michigan

Alpena is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located in the city. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census...

) take

US 23

U.S. Route 23 in Michigan

, proceeding through Ossineke, Michigan

Ossineke, Michigan

Ossineke is an unincorporated community in Sanborn Township, Alpena County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place used for statistical purposes. The population was 1,059 at the 2000 census. The community is located several miles south of Alpena on U.S. Highway 23...

, then turn left onto Alcona Road. Follow Alcona Road down the Mount Joy Cemetery hill for 1.1 miles (1.8 km) to Lakeshore Drive. Do not cross the railroad tracks. Turn right on Lakeshore Drive for 3.2 miles (5.1 km) and turn left on Point Road. Sturgeon Point Lighthouse is a mile down on the left hand side.

The Lighthouse keeper

Lighthouse keeper

's house is a maritime museum open to the public: Monday though Thursday from noon to 3 p.m.; and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The tower is open from noon to 3 p.m., Friday through Sunday, during the same period. Grounds are open all year. Questions may be answered via telephone during operating hours at (989) 724-6297.

Grounds open year round. Dwelling/tower open in season, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

Specialized Further reading

Alcona Historical Society, A Pictorial of Sturgeon Point. (1987).
Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Alcona County
Swenson, Helen. "Sturgeon Point Coast Guard Station." Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University
Central Michigan University is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan...

Term Paper, Clarke Historical Library, 1967.

External links

Aerial photos, Sturgeon Point Light, marinas.com.
Alcona Historical Society/Sturgeon Point Light Station website
Interactive map, list, information for lighthouses in North and West Lake Huron.
Interactive map of lighthouses in area.
Map of Michigan Lighthouse in PDF Format.
Pictures of Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, Archives of Michigan.
Satellite view of Sturgeon Point Light at Google maps
Google Maps
Google 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...

.
U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Index
Sturgeon Point Scenic Site
Wind reports, Sturgeon Point Light

History

Historic context

Contemporary status

Current Events at the lighthouse and museum

Directions

See also

Specialized Further reading

External links

Further reading