Kate Walker here, keeping the light on Robbins Reef on the edge of New York harbor. Before John Walker brought me to Robbins Reef, he was assistant keeper at Sandy Hook Light Station. There we had a well to supply our drinking water. Robbins Reef sits on a huge rock ledge, surrounded by deep water.… Continue reading KATE’S CORNER #3
“Project Gurnet, a nonprofit, restores and maintains Duxbury Pier Light (Bug Light) and The Plymouth Light Station (Gurnet Light, Fort Andrew and the Keeper’s Cottage). Their event on Saturday took visitors on a path through time with 10 stations manned by Project employees, volunteers and historical reenactors.” — May 27, 2017 Patriot Ledger article by Mary Whitfill:… Continue reading Historic Plymouth lighthouse opens for day of tours
St. Augustine’s new Maritime Archaeology & Education Center (MEAC), St. Augustine, Florida, will “house offices, education space, a maritime archaeology center, and a new exhibit space.” Opening this summer, “Legends of the Light will share the stories of the Lighthouse. Visitors will learn about the people that lived and worked here. Climbers and non-climbers alike… Continue reading Opening Soon! Legends of the Light Exhibit
The U.S. Lighthouse Society is pleased to receive a generous donation of these digital images of Little River Light Station, Maine, from Tim Harrison, editor of Lighthouse Digest. Lighthouse Digest has an amazing collection of historic images in its archives that have been gathered over the past 25 years. According to Harrison, “The Lighthouse Digest archives… Continue reading Little River Light Station Images Donated to Society Archives
On April 18th I had the pleasure of visiting the Point Reyes Light Station in Point Reyes National Seashore located on the Pacific Coast 35 miles north of San Francisco. This special tour was part of the annual Council of American Maritime Museums conference hosted by the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. One of the… Continue reading Restoration of Point Reyes Lighthouse Lens
Mrs. Henry Schmuck became keeper of the North Point Light Station in Maryland in 1864, not because her keeper husband died, but because he was drafted. On September 24, 1864, 5th District Inspector Hugh Y. Purviance in Baltimore wrote that “Henry Schmuck, keeper of North Point Lighthouses, has been drafted in the service of the United… Continue reading Lighthouse Service Employees Drafted for Service in the Civil War
Next week we will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the United States entering into World War I. On April 6, 1917, the U.S. Coast Guard came under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Navy. The Lighthouse Service was not yet part of the Coast Guard, so President Woodrow Wilson ordered “transfer for temporary use, of certain… Continue reading Growing Vegetables at Point Wilson Light Station
Today is Ida Lewis’s 175th birthday. Google has marked the occasion with a google doodle. Ida was famous in her day for her numerous lifesaving rescues at Lime Rock Light Station in Newport, Rhode Island. She received a gold lifesaving medal in 1881 and Lime Rock was renamed in her honor in 1924. Idawalley Zorada Lewis,… Continue reading Celebrating Ida Lewis
This article from the Coast Guard Mid Atlantic blog seems very appropriate as we celebrate Black History month. A Guiding Light describes John White’s experiences as Officer in Charge of Thomas Point Shoal Light Station, Maryland. For a related video, goto https://www.dvidshub.net/video/434565/thomas-point-lighthouse-visit. Original article by David R. Marin, USCG Petty Officer 2nd Class * * * * * U.S. Lighthouse Society News is… Continue reading A Guiding Light
As a followup to an earlier post, “Grave Markers for Lighthouse Service Veterans,” Jack Graham provided the following message to lighthouse stewards: “Hello Lighthouse friends, First of all, thank you for the wonderful work you are doing to care for one of our American maritime treasures. I wish you the best in these endeavors. My… Continue reading Lighthouse Keeper Grave Marker Program
