The U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast “Light Hearted” was launched in June 2019. The podcast’s name refers to people who have lighthouses in their hearts. It’s the only podcast that’s devoted to the subject of lighthouses. Since it was launched, 100 episodes have featured interviews with lighthouse keepers, authors, historians, and preservationists — and much more. This… Continue reading Light Hearted special edition – The first 100 episodes: a look back

Elizabeth Spires was born in Lancaster, Ohio, and she now lives in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always admired the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and by the time she was twelve she had decided to be a writer. When she was in college at Vassar, she began writing poetry seriously. That led to the publication of… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 100 – Elizabeth Spires, author of “Kate’s Light.”

Like his father before him, young Joseph Hindley went to work in the textile mills of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Looking for a more adventurous life, he joined the Revenue Cutter Service in 1921. After some time in the Merchant Marines, Joseph joined the Lighthouse Service. He spent more than a decade as an assistant keeper,… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 99 – Betty Hindley Hatzikon, lighthouse keeper’s daughter

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is one of the most frequently visited attractions on the Maine coast, receiving about 100,000 visitors each year. The point, at the entrance to Muscongus Bay to the east and Johns Bay to the west, was the scene of many shipwrecks through the centuries. In May 1826, Congress appropriated $4,000 for the… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 98 – Author Trudy Irene Scee, Pemaquid Point, Maine

This is part 2 of a two part interview with Dianne Wolfer, author of the award-winning children’s book Lighthouse Girl. The book tells the true story of Fay Catherine Howe, daughter of the lighthouse keeper at Breaksea Island in Western Australia, during World War I. Around 30,000 soldiers left Australian shores to fight in World… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 97 – Dianne Wolfer and “Lighthouse Girl,” part 2

Dianne Wolfer is an award-winning children’s author who lives on the south coast of Western Australia. A teacher who has worked in Tokyo, Japan, as well as in Nepal in addition to schools in her native Australia, she pens novels for children and young adults that focus on life in modern Australia and Pacific countries.… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 96 – Dianne Wolfer and “Lighthouse Girl,” part 1

Filmmaker Rob Apse was born and raised in Reading, Massachusetts, but he spent summers on the coast of Maine and at Great East Lake in New Hampshire, boating, fishing, and exploring. After graduating from Ithaca College with a degree in Cinema Production, he’s worked almost 10 years in creative marketing. After realizing he had a… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 95 – Filmmaker Rob Apse and “The Last Lightkeepers”; Dwight Berry on the lighthouses of NC’s Outer Banks

In March 1871, Congress appropriated funds for a lighthouse on the east side of California’s San Pablo Strait. It was decided that East Brother Island, about 1000 feet offshore on the east side of the strait, would be a good location. The style chosen was the handsome Stick Style design developed by architect Paul Pelz… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 94 – Desiree Heveroh, East Brother Island Light Station, CA; FL lighthouse history with Ralph Krugler

The Flying Santa tradition traces its origins to a pioneering pilot named Bill Wincapaw. Wincapaw flew amphibious airplanes around the Penobscot Bay region in Maine. He often relied on the area’s lighthouses to get him safely home. To show his appreciation to the lighthouse keepers and their families, on Christmas Day 1929 he loaded his… Continue reading Light Hearted special edition – Dolly Snow Bicknell and the Flying Santa

The Chance Brothers and Company glassworks began producing glass in 1824 at their facility in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. Before too long, the company became known as the best glass manufacturer in Britain. In addition to producing sheet glass, Chance Brothers perfected methods of manufacturing optical glass for telescopes. In 1848, Chance Brothers began working… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 93 – Mark Davies and the Chance Heritage Trust