A native of York, Pennsylvania, William Buel Franklin graduated West Point at the top of the Class of 1843. His classmates included William F. Raynolds and Ulysses S. Grant. Franklin spend his entire antebellum service in the Corps of Topographic Engineers. He worked on various surveys in the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Coast, taught… Continue reading Bright Ideas #4: William Franklin
William Franklin Raynolds was born in Canton, Ohio in 1820. He graduated from West Point 5th of 39 in the Class of 1843. One of his classmates was Ulysses S. Grant. Head of the class was William B. Franklin, of whom more will be said in a subsequent column. Between 1843 and 1856, Raynolds served… Continue reading Bright Ideas #3: William Raynolds
Of all the lighthouse engineers in American history, George Meade is perhaps the most famous. Yet he also gets more credit than he deserved. George Gordon Meade graduated from West Point in 1835, 19th in a class of 56. He ranked immediately behind Montgomery Blair, who was later Postmaster General during the Civil War, and… Continue reading Bright Ideas #2: George Meade
My name is Josh Liller. Since 2014, I have been the Historian and Collections Manager for the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, operated by the non-profit Loxahatchee River Historical Society. A decade ago I had never visited a lighthouse in my entire life, but I’ve rapidly learned to love lighthouses and their history. You may… Continue reading Bright Ideas #1: The Men Who Ran The Lighthouse Service
