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A silent and majestic sentinel, the Waugoshance
Lighthouse marks the western entrance to the Straits
of Mackinac. This treacherous area of Lake Michigan
was the location of the first Lightship,
stationed on Waugoshance Shoal in 1832.
It was used to help guide the many ships through
the area, now known as Wilderness State Park.
After nineteen years of service, in 1851, the
Lighthouse Board decided to replace the Lightship
with the present Lighthouse.
Waugoshance Lighthouse served until 1912, when
it's services were replaced by White Shoals Lighthouse.
In it’s glory the Lighthouse sported red
and white horizontal strips on a steel encased
tower and stone walls that are five and one half
feet thick. Also, it is one of only three remaining
"birdcage" lanterns left on the lakes,
and is considered one of the most endangered lighthouses
in the world.
It has lent itself to a rich and varied history,
in part, during WWII it was used as a practice
bombing target – yet it still stands. Also,
many accounts have been handed down, generation
to generation by the locals about the ‘Ghost
of Waugoshance Light’ – John Herman.
He was a jolly sort who was said to tend the light
well and who enjoyed a good practical joke. One
night, in 1900, the assistant light keeper had
gone up to the lantern room to tend the light
and Herman, up to his usual practical jokes, followed
him up and locked him in. By the time the assistant
had freed himself there was no sign of the Keeper.
From that day forward, many a light keeper reported
cases of ‘unusual happenings’. It
got so bad that eventually many refused to do
duty in the haunted Waugoshance Light. Is John
Herman still there today?
Due to the great advancement of navigational technology
lighthouses have become obsolete. What this could
mean for Waugoshance Light is the loss of an integral
piece of American history to the turbulent waters
of Lake Michigan. With the cooperation of the
Great Lakes Lighthouse Museum, countless hours
of work by volunteer members of the Waugoshance
Lighthouse Preservation Society and the monetary
and physical donations from people like you, this
seemingly impossible endeavor to restore Waugoshance
Lighthouse is becoming a reality.
Already, the US Coast Guard has authorized the
Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society to
raise the funds to secure the presently standing
structure while a long term lease is drawn up,
giving the Society temporary ownership, for the
restoration process. We, of the Waugoshance Lighthouse
Preservation Society, feel that this is a vital
piece of Great Lakes history in need of restoration
for future generations to learn from and enjoy. |
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