Thacher Island
Encyclopedia
Thacher Island is a small island off Cape Ann
on the Massachusetts
coast in the United States
. It is a part of the Town of Rockport
. It was a place where some naval confrontations, both minor and major, took place, which helped secure victory for the colonists. The island, named after Anthony Thacher, is located in perilous waters, where there have been many shipwrecks. With the large number of shipwrecks around this area, there was a petition sent from sea captains to erect a light on the island. On April 22, 1771, the provincial government authorized construction of two lighthouses
on the island. The lights went on December 21, 1771.
Although these lights were valuable assistance for the fishermen and sailors of the sea, there was a strong feeling among the townspeople that the lighthouse was helping the British fleet more than it was helping the Patriot
cause. This feeling increased after hostilities erupted with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
and the Battle of Bunker Hill
. Early in July 1775, Dr. Samuel Rogers of Gloucester led his company of minutemen
to the island. There they destroyed the lights, and brought the keeper, one Captain Kirkwood, his family, and his assistants back to the mainland.
The Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge
occupies the northern part of the island.
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
on the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
coast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a part of the Town of Rockport
Rockport, Massachusetts
Rockport is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,952 at the 2010 census. Rockport is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula...
. It was a place where some naval confrontations, both minor and major, took place, which helped secure victory for the colonists. The island, named after Anthony Thacher, is located in perilous waters, where there have been many shipwrecks. With the large number of shipwrecks around this area, there was a petition sent from sea captains to erect a light on the island. On April 22, 1771, the provincial government authorized construction of two lighthouses
Cape Ann Light
Cape Ann Light, is a historic lighthouse on Thacher Island, off Cape Ann in Rockport, Massachusetts.The Cape Ann Light Station is nationally significant as the last light station to be established under colonial rule and the first station in the United States to mark a navigational hazard rather...
on the island. The lights went on December 21, 1771.
Although these lights were valuable assistance for the fishermen and sailors of the sea, there was a strong feeling among the townspeople that the lighthouse was helping the British fleet more than it was helping the Patriot
Patriot (American Revolution)
Patriots is a name often used to describe the colonists of the British Thirteen United Colonies who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. It was their leading figures who, in July 1776, declared the United States of America an independent nation...
cause. This feeling increased after hostilities erupted with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
and the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
. Early in July 1775, Dr. Samuel Rogers of Gloucester led his company of minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
to the island. There they destroyed the lights, and brought the keeper, one Captain Kirkwood, his family, and his assistants back to the mainland.
The Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge
Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge
Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located on Thacher Island near Rockport, Massachusetts. It is managed under the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service currently does not offer any interpretive facilities or programs at...
occupies the northern part of the island.