Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Sometimes differences between keepers led to fist fights. On February 6, 1874, the Inspector of the 1st Lighthouse District informed the Board that during a difficulty brought on by his own conduct, Mr Nathaniel Bowden, 1st Assistant Keeper at Saddleback Ledge, Maine, attacked the keeper of… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #50
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. We sit to one side of the busiest harbor in the world so we have no trouble enlisting help. Inspector Snow, however, told me about problems with lighthouses in remote locations. Florida Indians found isolated lighthouses easy targets for attack. Cape Florida Light Station was totally… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #49
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Family members often succeeded keepers who died, as my son succeeded me. Three women kept the Point Lookout Light Station in Maryland: Ann Donahoo 1830-1847, Martha A. Edwards 1852-1855, and Martha’s daughter Pamelia Edwards 1855-1869. In 1863 Esther O’Neill replaced her deceased husband John as keeper… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #48
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Much excitement here. The United States Lighthouse Society has announced the arrival of the J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog. We all knew that Candace and Tom Wheeler were creating the software for it when she died. As soon as I heard the good news, I… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #46
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Some light keepers were simply not suited to the 24/7/365 schedule and the work involved. Letter from S. C. Rowan, 4th District Inspector, to Chairman, Light-House Board, Aug 15, 1884: Herewith I enclose a report from Mr. A. G. Wolf, Keeper of Absecon Light House, in… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #44
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Bathrooms with flush toilets were innovations of the 20th century. Before 1900 most lighthouse families had to use outhouses or privies. We had an outhouse attached to the side of the stone base of our lighthouse, with the water below serving as the sewer. People thought… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #43
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Building lighthouses on shifting sandy shores presented special problems. In 1852 the new Light-House Board decided to discontinue the Gulf’s first coastal lighthouse at Frank’s Island, because the Northeast Pass of the Mississippi Delta was shoaling badly, in favor of a tower at the mouth of… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #40
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. Lighthouse Inspector Snow told me about the resignation of W.H. Rugg, keeper of the Farallon Island Light Station in 1887. The Board replied that the resignation should not be accepted, but that Mr. Rugg should be removed, to take effect from 11 August 1887. As one… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #39
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. “Spirits,” as they were called in the 19th century, caused problems at lighthouses. The second keeper at East Rigolets Lighthouse in Louisiana, built in 1833, was fired for drunkenness. The 1857 Instructions to Keepers VIII states that inspectors and superintendents are authorized and required to discharge… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #38
Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef. When the lighthouse tender stopped at Robbins Reef with coal and oil, Inspector Snow often had interesting stories to relate. In 1907 he mentioned that Congress had appropriated $100,000 for the construction of a light-house and fog-signal station of the second order to be located at… Continue reading Kate’s Corner #36
