Death Lighthouses On The Great Lakes

The author of Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses shares tales of disaster and misfortune on the Great Lakes. Losing one's life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse sadly wasn't such an unusual occurrence. Death by murder, suicide or other tragic causes--while rare--were not unheard of. Two keepers on Lake Superior's Grand Island disappeared one early summer day in 1908, their decomposed remains found weeks later. A newly hired and some say depressed keeper on Pilot Island in Wisconsin's Door County slit his own throat after a consultation with a local butcher about the location of the jugular vein. A smallpox outbreak in the late 1890s led to the tragic death of a lighthouse hired hand on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. Join author Dianna Stampfler as she uncovers the facts (and debunks some fiction) behind some of the Great Lakes' darkest lighthouse tales.

The author of Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses shares tales of disaster and misfortune on the Great Lakes. Losing one's life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse sadly wasn't such an unusual occurrence. Death by murder, suicide or other tragic causes--while rare--were not unheard of. Two keepers on Lake Superior's Grand Island disappeared one early summer day in 1908, their decomposed remains found weeks later. A newly hired and some say depressed keeper on Pilot Island in Wisconsin's Door County slit his own throat after a consultation with a local butcher about the location of the jugular vein. A smallpox outbreak in the late 1890s led to the tragic death of a lighthouse hired hand on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. Join author Dianna Stampfler as she uncovers the facts (and debunks some fiction) behind some of the Great Lakes' darkest lighthouse tales.

The lighthouses of the Great Lakes, for so long guiding ships to safety across the rough waters, still stand as beacons to adventurous travelers. Rich with vintage and contemporary photographs, picturing the lighthouses inside and out, by day and by night, the book takes you into the fascinating history of the structures at Split Rock, Sandusky, Big Sable Point, Old Mackinac Point Light, and Marblehead Light, to name a few. Berger’s stories about keepers and their families, horrific storms, and even encounters with ghosts bring to vivid life the lost world of these historic lighthouses. A thoroughly engaging tour page by page, the book also makes travel to these destinations easy as well as edifying, with maps, directions, and a comprehensive appendix listing all the current lighthouses.

Travel Michigan’s coast—and into the state’s history—with otherworldly tales of the spirits of those who sought to keep its waters safe. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. Former keepers like the cigar-smoking Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and prankster John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City maintain their watch long after death ended their duties. At White River Light Station in Whitehall, Sarah Robinson still keeps a clean and tidy house, and a mysterious young girl at the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse seeks out other children and female companions. Countless spirits remain between Whitefish Point and Point Iroquois in an area well known for its many tragic shipwrecks. Join author and Promote Michigan founder Dianna Stampfler as she recounts the tales from Michigan’s ghostly beacons. “Haunting tales of Michigan’s lighthouses . . . Her stories come from lighthouse museums, friends and family.”—Great Lakes Echo

Features over 300 lighthouses, with photos and descriptions, historical data, locations, and a comprehensive index. The only all Great Lakes guide!

"Stories of wreck and rescue, death and sacrifice, all thread their way through the pages of this remarkable tribute to the 'wickies' of a bygone era. The book speaks of the courage of the old time keepers and their families, not just in rescuing shipwreck victims but also in the tenacity of their daily lives ... Narratives include : The thrilling story of the steamer "George W. Perkins" and it's close encounter with the Lansing Shoal Light during the height of the infamous 1940 Armistice Day storm ; Superior Shoal and the lighthouse that wasn't ; The death of six brave Coast Guardsmen at Oswego, New York in 1942 ; Poverty Island Light and the mysterious treasure ..."--Back cover.

The Great Lakes, with the rivers, canals, and channels that connect them, form one of the busiest waterways in the world. Lighthouses were needed to secure the safety of ships over these freshwater seas. But over the hundreds of years since the first lighthouse was established on the Great Lakes in 1781, these structures have come to represent something beyond their initial navigational function. Often situated on remote and beautiful shorelines, lighthouses hold a special fascination for people, serving as symbols of courage, perseverance, safety, and comfort. B is for Beacon: A Great Lakes Lighthouse Alphabet uses poetry and expository text in this alphabetical exploration of the history of lighthouses on the Great Lakes, detailing famous structures, local lore, as well as notable moments in Great Lakes history.

Stories from fifty historic female lighthouse keepers