History

Lighthouses began operation on the Great Lakes in the early nineteenth century.  The first was constructed on Lake Erie as a part of Fort Niagara in 1818.  Five more were established by 1822, one on Lake Erie and the remaining four on Lake Ontario.[1]  The first lighthouses established on Lake Michigan were the Chicago Harbor Light and the light at the entrance to the St. Joseph River in 1832.   That same year, the first lightship on the Great Lakes was stationed at Waugoshance Shoal, just five miles south of White Shoal, and served from 1832 until 1851 when it was replaced by Waugoshance Lighthouse.[2]  This tower underwent multiple alterations until it was abandoned in 1912 after the establishment of White Shoal Light.[3] Below is a timeline that illustrates several significant events the light tower at White Shoal underwent prior to its transition into private ownership.

Terminology Note: The words “lighthouse,” “light station,” “light tower,” “light,” and “tower” are all used interchangeably to describe the structure of White Shoal and others like it. “Light ship” or “light vessel” referrers to a boat stationed out on a shoal or reef manned by a crew tasked with keeping a light burning to guide others around the underwater obstruction.

[1] Charles K. Hyde, The Northern Lights: Lighthouses in the Upper Great Lakes (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1998), 15. [2] Hyde, 16. [3] Hyde, 103.

  • 1880s

    Increased marine traffic through the Straits of Mackinac causes Lighthouse Board to evaluate the area and deem White Shoal a navigational hazard

  • 1891

    Lightship LV56 is stationed at White Shoal

  • 1906

    The Lighthouse Board petitions congress for the funding to build a light station on White Shoal

  • 1907

    On March 4th the funding is approved

  • 1908

    Work begins on White Shoal light station

“White Shoal Lighthouse,” Seeing the Light, last modified February 22, 2004, http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/whiteshoal/whiteshoal.htm.

  • 1910

    On September 1st the second-order by-valve lens is lit for the first time; the light tower’s day mark* is white

    *daymark refers to the paint pattern the structure boasts. Each is unique and allows them to be identified in the daylight

  • 1911

    Submarine bell installed

  • 1913

    Installation of deck crane for loading and unloading of supplies and to lift boats

  • 1914

    Six inch whistles on the light replaced with ten inch whistles to improve the station efficacy

  • 1914

    Submarine bell disconnected by the end of the season as it proved less successful then intended

  • 1927

    The tower’s day mark is painted black

“White Shoal Lighthouse,” Seeing the Light

  • 1930

    Twin diesel engine-powered generators are installed in the mechanical room increasing the light’s output to 3,000,000 candle power

  • 1937

    The tower’s day mark is repainted white

  • 1939

    Coast Guard assumes control of the light station and assigns four-man crews to the station. They work fourteen days on the station, with a seven day leave; three men are always on the structure

  • 1954

    White Shoal is given the day mark it still holds today: its red and white candy-cane stripe

  • 1976

    the light station is automated, meaning a crew is no longer needed to maintain the structure

  • 1983

    The second order lens is dismantled and relocated to the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point Station where it is still on display

  • 1990

    Tower repainted with its iconic red and white stripe by the Coast Guard

“White Shoal Lighthouse,” Seeing the Light