Eagle Harbor Light facts for kids
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| Location | Eagle Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 47°27′35″N 88°9′33″W / 47.45972°N 88.15917°W |
| Year first constructed | 1851 |
| Year first lit | 1871 (current structure) |
| Automated | 1980 |
| Foundation | Dressed stone and timber |
| Construction | Brick |
| Tower shape | Octagonal |
| Markings / pattern | natural, black lantern |
| Height | Tower - 44 feet (13 m) |
| Focal height | 60 feet (18 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens (original), DCB-224 aero beacons (current) |
| Range | 29 nautical miles (54 km; 33 mi) |
| Characteristic | Alternating white and red 20s |
| Fog signal | Diaphone 1928-1978 none now |
The Eagle Harbor Light is a working lighthouse located in Eagle Harbor, Michigan. It stands in Keweenaw County, which is in the state of Michigan. This lighthouse sits right at the rocky entrance to Eagle Harbor.
It is one of many lighthouses that help ships navigate on Lake Superior. These lights guide sailors along the northern edge of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The first lighthouse here was built in 1851. The red brick building you see today replaced it in 1871. This building is now a special historic site in Michigan. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Eagle Harbor Light
Why Was the Lighthouse Built?
In 1844, a man named Edward Taylor saw that Eagle Harbor could be important for business. He built a small wooden dock in the bay. This dock helped supply the many miners working nearby.
However, a rocky area with only eight feet of water blocked the harbor entrance. This made it hard for larger ships to enter. As more ships came to the dock for the copper mining boom, Taylor asked the government for money. He wanted to improve the harbor entrance so bigger ships could get through.
The First Lighthouse (1851)
The first Eagle Harbor Light was built in 1851. It was a stone house for the lighthouse keeper. A square wooden tower was part of the roof. This tower was painted white.
At the top of the tower was an eight-sided wooden lantern. It had many glass windows. Inside, there were special lamps with reflectors. These lamps were 21 feet above the ground. Because the building was on high land, the light shone 47 feet above the lake.
Replacing the Old Lighthouse (1871)
By 1865, several lighthouse keepers had worked at the station. The first building was starting to wear out. So, in 1871, a new lighthouse was built. The design for this new lighthouse had been used before. Similar lighthouses were built at Chambers Island Lighthouse in Wisconsin and McGulpin Point Light in 1868.
The new lighthouse has an eight-sided brick tower. It is ten feet wide and its walls are 12 inches thick. A 10-sided cast iron lantern sits on top. The lighthouse needed a head keeper and two assistant keepers to run it.
Who Owns the Lighthouse Now?
In 1999, the United States Congress gave the Eagle Harbor Light Station to the Keweenaw County Historical Society. This group now takes care of the lighthouse. However, the Coast Guard still operates the light at the very top of the tower.
Visiting the Lighthouse Museums
The Keweenaw County Historical Society runs the lighthouse as a museum. You can visit and learn about its history. They also have other museums at the same location.
These include:
- The Maritime Museum, which is in the old fog signal building.
- The Commercial Fishing Museum, where you can learn about fishing in the area.
- The Keweenaw History Museum, which tells the story of the Keweenaw area.
- An exhibit about the 1926 shipwreck of the City of Bangor.
Images for kids
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The Eagle Harbor Lighthouse
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An image from the U.S. Coast Guard Archive
See also
- Lighthouses in the United States
