Huron Island Light is a lighthouse on Lighthouse Island, also known as West Huron Island, on Lake Superior near Big Bay, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Huron Islands Lighthouse in 1975. The lighthouse, its island and neighboring islands are part of Huron National Wildlife Refuge and Huron Islands Wilderness, administered by the Seney National Wildlife Refuge unit of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).
History Reefs, shoals and islands presented an increasing danger to freighters as commerce developed in the area.Lighthouse Central, Huron Island Light The Ultimate Guide to Upper Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach. (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2007). . This location lies astride a critical turning point—for vessels entering Huron Bay, Keweenaw Bay, or Portage EntryHuron Island Lighthouse at Hunt's Guide to the Upper Peninsula.—and is often shrouded in fog.Terry Pepper, Huron Islands Light, retrieved 12/20/2009 Beginning mid-nineteenth century, with the copper boom in the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Huron Islands were a navigational hazard to vessels following the coast to/from Portage River, Michigan.Wobser, David. Huron Islands Lighthouse at boatnerd.com
In 1860 the side wheeler S.S. Arctic ran into the easternmost of the Huron Islands. The ship was lost, but passengers, crew and cattle were evacuated onto the island—still known as "Cattle Island" to this day from the marooned beasts.Huron Islands Wilderness at Wilderness.net. "Even though no lives were lost, the wreck became the final straw in the battle to get a lighthouse in this location."
In 1867, Congress appropriated $17,000 for a lighthouse located in the Huron Islands. The survey crew chose the highest point on Lighthouse Island, the westernmost of the groupNOAA Chart 14964, Lake Superior:Big Bay Point to Redridge, Michigan; 1/120,000; 2004 as the location for the light. With the exception of Grand Island North Light, this is the highest focal plane in the western Great Lakes. The lighthouse was constructed in 1868, along with a privy, oil house, boat dock, and tramway, and was first lit on October 20 of that year.
In 1881, two fog signal buildings were constructed about a half-mile away. Originally steam-powered, the steam whistles were converted to diaphones. Improvements were made in 1887, and again in 1891 to repair damage caused by a lightning strike. The light was upgraded to incandescent oil vapor in 1912, and in the 1930 the entire station was electrified. In 1961, a new barracks building was constructed and a solar-powered light installed. The lighthouse was automated in 1972, and the structure boarded.Major Effort Tops Huron Island Light (November, 2006) from the Lighthouse Digest; retrieved 12/20/2009 The light is still an active aid to navigation.
In 2006, the roof of the structure was replaced.
A private group, the Huron Island Lighthouse Preservation Association, P.O. Box 381, L'Anse, Michigan 49946, has been formed with an intent to save the light. It is recognized that this is an uphill battle, as members of the general public neither see the light nor have access to it.Efforts to Save Huron Island Lighthouse (October, 1999) , Lighthouse Digest The organization is part of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance.About the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance, Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
Description The light station is a duplicate of the one built at the same time on nearby Granite Island. Other sister designs include Gull Rock and Marquette Harbor lighthouses. The station is 1 stories tall and built from granite, with a square light tower, in height, integrated into the structure. The original light was a decagonal cast iron lantern with a 3½-order Fresnel lens.
It is owned by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Getting there The light is accessible only by private or tour boat. This is the only island in the Huron Islands that is open to the public;Seney National Wildlife Refuge , United States Fish and Wildlife Service however the lake is rough, cold, dangerous and punctuated by reefs and shoals, so the three mile trip should be undertaken with caution.
Further reading Efforts to Save Huron Island Lighthouse (October, 1999) , from the Lighthouse Digest. Major Effort Tops Huron Island Light (November, 2006) from the Lighthouse Digest. National Park Service Maritime Heritage Project, Inventory of Historic Lighthouses -- Michigan, Huron Islands Lighthouse. Roach, Jerry. Lighthouse Central, "Huron Island Lighthouse", The Ultimate Guide to Upper Michigan Lighthouses (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2007). . Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective -- Huron Island Lighthouse (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) . Great Lakes Lighthouse Encyclopedia - Firefly Books - Larry and Pat Wright
References
External links
Aerial view at marinas.com.