Cana Island Light facts for kids

The Cana Island Lighthouse is a tall, historic lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin, near Baileys Harbor. It helps ships navigate safely on Lake Michigan.

This lighthouse was built in 1869 and first lit in 1870. It replaced an older lighthouse in the area. Today, it is still an active light, guiding boats and ships. The United States Coast Guard oversees its operation.

In 1976, the Cana Island Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Since the 1970s, visitors can explore the lighthouse and the keeper's home. The Door County Maritime Museum helps manage these tours.

History of the Lighthouse

Building the Tower and Keeper's Home

The first buildings on Cana Island were the lighthouse tower, the keeper's house, and a small outhouse. They were all made from a special type of brick called Cream City brick. However, the harsh storms and icy winters quickly damaged the tower's brick.

To protect the tower, a strong steel cover was added in 1902. This new layer helped the lighthouse stand strong against the weather. The total cost for building the keeper's house, tower, and adding the steel cover was about $12,793.

How the Light Works

The light inside the tower is a special type called a third-order Fresnel lens. This lens was made in France and helps make the light very bright and focused.

Description: This is the original lens at Cana Island. It is a fixed lens -- meaning that it does not rotate. It is a third order lens and was manufactured in France.
Title: Door County Trip - July 2013 - Cana Island Light (9218530603)
Credit: Door County Trip - July 2013 - Cana Island Light
Author: Pete Markham from Loretto, USA
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes

Over the years, the lighthouse light used different fuels. It started with lard, then switched to kerosene, and later to acetylene. In 1945, the light became electric. At first, a generator and batteries powered a 100-watt bulb. Later, in the 1960s, a power line was installed, and the light used a brighter 200-watt bulb.

The lighthouse has a clever system with four bulbs. If one bulb burns out, the next one automatically lights up. This ensures the light always stays on for ships. The round ball at the very top of the tower is a vent. It used to let out smoke and soot from the oil lamps.

Other Buildings and the Island

Besides the main tower and keeper's house, there is also a hexagon-shaped oil house and a storage building. An oil tank was once hidden in the woods, and a pipe carried oil to the oil house.

The lighthouse sits on an 8.7-acre piece of land called Cana Island. A rocky path connects the island to the mainland. Sometimes, this path is covered by 1 to 3 feet of cold Lake Michigan water.

When the lighthouse was first built, the area around the buildings was mostly rocks and dirt. But starting in 1900, a crew of men brought in top soil using horses and wagons. After six weeks of hard work, they were able to plant grass around the lighthouse. There is also a stone wall on the east side of the island to protect it from the lake.

Lighthouse Keepers and Automation

Before 1889, the lighthouse keeper's family members often helped with the duties. Patrick Chambers was the first assistant who was not part of the keeper's family. When the lighthouse became electric in 1945, an assistant was no longer needed. The light could run on its own.

Tower Details

The Cana Island Lighthouse tower is 89 feet tall. The light itself is about 85 feet above the water. Its bright beam can be seen up to 17 nautical miles away.

The tower's foundation goes 4 feet underground and rests on solid rock. At its base, the tower walls are very thick, about 4 feet 8 inches. They have an outer layer, an air space, and an inner layer of brick. As the tower goes up, it gets a bit thinner. Inside, there are 102 cast iron steps that spiral up to the watch room.

Notable Events

The Cana Island Lighthouse has seen many storms and events. On October 15, 1880, a huge storm known as the "Big Blow of 1880" destroyed seven ships near the lighthouse. Years later, on October 12, 1928, a large cargo ship called the M.J. Bartelme got stuck in the fog near the island. Efforts to free the ship were unsuccessful.

Keepers

• William Jackson 1869-1872 (first keeper)
• Julius Warren 1872-1875
• William Sanderson 1875-1891
• Jesse T. Brown 1891-1913
• Conrad A. Stram 1913-1918
• Oscar R. Knudsen 1918-1924
• Michael Drezdon 1941-1945
• Rosie and Louie Janda 1977-1995

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