Joseph Hindley had a long career as a lighthouse keeper that spanned from the late 1920s to 1972, when he retired as the last civilian keeper in the New England region. He served at offshore stations early in his career: Whale Rock (RI), Butler Flats (MA), and Sakonnet Point (RI). He and his family spent six years at Gay Head Light Station on Martha’s Vineyard, and then 16 years at Nobska Point Light Station on Cape Cod.
This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in Light Hearted episode 99 in January 2021, featuring reminiscences of life at the lights with Betty Hindley Hatzikon, Joseph Hindley’s daughter.
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U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org