Waugoshance Light facts for kids
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| Waugoshance in 2015 | |
 Waugoshance Light
Location in Michigan
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| Location | Lake Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 45°47′10″N 85°5′28″W / 45.78611°N 85.09111°W |
| Year first constructed | 1850 |
| Year first lit | 1851 |
| Deactivated | 1912 |
| Foundation | Timber crib filled with stone/concrete |
| Construction | Brick encased with steel or iron boilerplate |
| Tower shape | Frustum of a cone |
| Markings / pattern | Natural |
| Height | 63 feet (19 m) |
| Focal height | 74 feet (23 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | Removed |
| Characteristic | Original: Fog bell, Steam Whistle |
| ARLHS number | USA-784 |
The Waugoshance Lighthouse is an old, ruined lighthouse. It stands in Lake Michigan to help guide boats away from a shallow, rocky area called a shoal. You can find it in Emmet County, Michigan, in the United States.
Contents
Why the Waugoshance Lighthouse Was Built
Boats traveling north and east from Chicago need to go through a narrow part of northern Lake Michigan. This area has many dangers. The waters around Waugoshance Point are very shallow. Also, there is a large underwater hill that rises from the lake bottom. Big boats that can travel safely in storms cannot get closer than a few hundred yards to the lighthouse.
Other Lights in the Area
Another challenge for boats here is the White Shoal. This shallow area is just north of Waugoshance. Today, it is marked by the White Shoal Light. This powerful and larger lighthouse was built in 1910. The Grays Reef Light also helps guide ships. These newer lighthouses made the Waugoshance Lighthouse less important.
For many years, the Waugoshance Light marked a key turning point for ships. These ships traveled through the Straits of Mackinac and along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The water here was less than 12 feet (3.7 m) deep. This made it one of the most dangerous spots in the Straits. Later, ships started using a "Gray's Reef passage." Modern freighters (large cargo ships) need much deeper water. So, they now bypass Waugoshance by about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the west.
History of Waugoshance Light
In 1832, the first lightvessel (a ship with a light) on the Great Lakes was placed here. This wooden ship was named the Lois McLain. In 1851, the Waugoshance Light replaced it. This lighthouse stands near the Wilderness State Park. It is still one of the most dangerous areas close to the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan. The last light vessel on the Great Lakes was the Lightship Huron.
The Waugoshance Lighthouse was likely the first lighthouse on the Great Lakes completely surrounded by water. Building and maintaining it was very difficult because of the harsh weather. Waugoshance is at the northern end of Lake Michigan. Strong "south-wester" waves build up and become even bigger as they hit the shallow shoal.
Building the Lighthouse
The lighthouse had an impressive base structure called a crib. This was a new idea for the Great Lakes. The pier (the base) was rebuilt in 1870. This was a huge job. It was made harder because the good weather for building was much shorter than the time the light usually operated. The lighthouse used a special ""bird cage" lantern". Only three lighthouses on the Great Lakes had this type of lantern. This lantern originally held the first fourth-order Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes.
The lighthouse is now gray. But it was first painted with four wide red and white stripes. These stripes helped ships see it during the day. Its walls were covered in steel and were 5½ feet thick at the bottom. The Waugoshance Light worked from 1851 until 1912. After it stopped working, it still belonged to the U.S. government. The steel covering was like the one on the Big Sable Point Light. That lighthouse was made of Cream City Brick and also needed a steel covering to stop it from wearing down.
Fires and War Use
Lighthouse keepers did amazing work here. In October 1871, huge fires happened. These included the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, the Peshtigo Fire, and fires in Northern Michigan and Western Michigan. Smoke from these fires covered Lake Michigan for about a week. Keepers rang bells for days to warn ships away from the shoal. Even with their efforts, many ships were lost.
During World War II, the U.S. Navy used the empty lighthouse for bombing practice. The lighthouse keeper's house and all the wood inside the lighthouse burned. The metal outer shell has fallen apart. Today, the lighthouse is considered one of the most endangered lighthouses in the world. It's amazing that anything is left of it.
Current Status of Waugoshance Light
The Waugoshance Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is recognized as an important historical site. It is not on Michigan's state list.
People say it is a "nautical gravestone" because many shipwrecks happened nearby. It is also on the "most endangered list" of lighthouses. It is on the Lighthouse Digest "Doomsday List." Waugoshance is one of six lighthouses in Michigan on this list. The others are Charity Island Light, Fourteen Mile Point Light, Gull Rock Light, Manitou Island Light, and Poverty Island Light.
Preservation Efforts
The Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society was started in 2000. This group works to save and restore the lighthouse. Their main goal is to raise money to make the building stable. They are asking for donations to rebuild the light. They also want a longer lease from the U.S. Coast Guard so they can continue their restoration work. In 2009, the lighthouse was offered for public sale under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Another report says that in 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard decided the lighthouse was "excess." This meant it was offered for free to groups like federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit organizations, and schools. This was also done under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
However, in January 2021, the non-profit group working to save the lighthouse announced something sad. They said that saving the lighthouse would cost too much money in the long run. So, the group decided to close down. They planned to donate the money they had raised to other local groups with similar goals.
Visiting the Waugoshance Lighthouse
The Waugoshance Lighthouse is closed to the public.
If you want to see it up close, a private boat is suggested. But be careful! The waters are open and far from shore, with many shallow areas.
Another way to see the light is to take a lighthouse cruise. Shepler's Ferry Service, based in Mackinaw City, offers these tours in the summer. Their "westbound Lighthouse Tour" lasts about three hours. It passes by several lighthouses, including Waugoshance Light, White Shoal Light, Wilderness State Park, Gray's Reef Light, and St. Helena Island Light. You can find schedules and prices from Shepler's.
You could also charter a seaplane to fly over the Mackinac Straits and the surrounding area.
