Grosse Point Light

Aug. 27, 2019
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GROSSE POINT LIGHT

Location: LAKE MICHIGAN 
Station Established: 1872 
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1874 
Operational? NO 
Automated? YES 1935 
Deactivated: 1935 
Foundation Materials: STONE/CONCRETE 
Construction Materials: BRICK ENCASED IN CONCRETE 
Tower Shape: CONICAL ATTACHED TO STORAGE BLDG. 
Markings/Pattern: YELLOW W/RED TRIM 
Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED 
Original Lens: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL 1874

Historical Information:

  • 1860 – Schooner Augusta rammed side-wheel passenger steamer Lady Elgin, prompting calls for a lighthouse at Grosse Point.
  • 1871 – Congress appropriated $35,000 for the lighthouse.
  • 1872 – Construction began.
  • 1874 – Construction of tower completed.
  • 1881 – Fog signal installed.
  • 1892 – Steam sirens replaced by steam whistle.
  • 1900 – Oil house built.
  • 1914 – Walls of tower covered with 4” of concrete.
  • 1923 – Lighthouse electrified.
  • 1933 – Fog signal discontinued; photoelectric cell installed in tower to turn light on automatically.
  • 1934 – Bureau of Lighthouses discontinued position of Keeper at Grosse Point.
  • 1935 – Lighthouse property transferred to city of Evanston, Illinois who, in turn, leased it to North East Park District.
  • 1941 – Federal government abandoned lighthouse; light extinguished due to WWII.
  • 1942 – Light tower transferred to city.
  • 1946 – Control of tower given from North East Park District to Evanston Historical Society. Beacon re-lit.
  • 1976 – Lighthouse placed on National Registry of Historic Places.

Keepers:

  • Charles Woodford (1st Assistant Keeper 12/12/1873 - 3/9/1874, Acting Keeper 3/9/1874 – 3/31/1874)
  • Charles Boynton (Keeper 1/6/1874 – 3/9/1874, Acting Keeper 4/8/1874 – 11/18/1876, Keeper 11/18/1876 – 6/29/1880)
  • Robert Seaman (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 4/8/1874 – 1/13/1876)
  • Peter Danielson (Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 1/13/1876 – 11/18/1876, 1st Assistant Keeper 11/18/1876 – 10/26/1881)
  • George Hale (Acting Keeper 8/12/1880 – 11/10/1880, Keeper 11/10/1880 – 2/11/1882)
  • William Bishop (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/6/1880 – 10/29/1880)
  • Edwin Anderson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/3/1880 – 6/11/1881, 3/7/1883 – 7/3/1883, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/3/1883 – 8/24/1883, 1st Assistant Keeper 8/24/1883 – 12/8/1886)
  • Archibald McFadyen (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/11/1881 – 7/22/1881, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/22/1881 – 10/22/1881)
  • John Sandell (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/28/1881 – 11/19/1881, Acting 1st Assistant Keeper 11/19/1881 – 1/3/1882, 1st Assistant Keeper 1/3/1882 – 8/24/1883)
  • Henry Goggin (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/23/1881 – 6/3/1882, 2nd Assistant Keeper 6/3/1882 – 11/3/1882)
  • Joseph Harris, Jr. (Acting Keeper 2/11/1882 – 6/3/1882, Keeper 6/3/1882 – 8/4/1885)
  • Charles Old (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/3/1882 – 1/9/1883)
  • Edwin J. Moore (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/15/1883 – 8/21/1884, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/21/1884 – 10/20/1885, Keeper 8/27/1888 – 3/2/1924)
  • James W. Rich (Keeper 8/4/1885 – 12/10/1887)
  • Robert A. Bridges (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1885 – 5/22/1886)
  • Peter Corrigan (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/22/1886 – 7/21/1886)
  • William H. Mabley (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/6/1886 – 10/29/1886)
  • Henry J. Burns (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/29/1886 – 12/8/1886, 2nd Assistant Keeper 12/8/1886 – 12/11/1886, 1st Assistant Keeper 12/11/1886 – 9/10/1887)
  • William T. Shade (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 1/7/1887 – 4/6/1887)
  • Oliver Hanson (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1887 – 7/11/1887, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/11/1887 – 3/26/1888)
  • Robert F. Graham (1st Assistant Keeper 9/10/1887 – 8/27/1887)
  • Anthony Hagan (Keeper 12/10/1887 – 8/4/1887)
  • Byron B. Palmer (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 3/26/1888 – 7/21/1888, 2nd Assistant Keeper 7/21/1888 – 8/15/1888)
  • Orrin Warren Jr. (1st Assistant Keeper 8/27/1888 – 7/27/1889)
  • Stephen Creutz (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/19/1888 – 5/1/1889, 2nd Assistant Keeper 5/1/1889 – 8/19/1889)
  • Thomas J. Dunlap (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 9/5/1889 – 10/3/1889, 2nd Assistant Keeper 10/3/1889 – 4/5/1890)
  • Peter J. Peterson (1st Assistant Keeper 1/20/1890 - 3/16/1891)
  • Thomas W. Pollock (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/5/1890 – 8/2/1890)
  • John C. King (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/23/1890 – 2/5/1891, 2nd Assistant Keeper 2/5/1891 – 10/5/1892)
  • George W. Rose (1st Assistant Keeper 4/1/1891 – 3/27/1895)
  • August Beckstrom (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1892 – 8/25/1893, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/25/1893 – 4/1/1895)
  • Gabriel Ariansen (1st Assistant Keeper 3/27/1895 – 8/19/1895)
  • Alfred Sheridan (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/1/1895 – 8/15/1895, 2nd Assistant Keeper 8/15/1895 – 1/1/1896)
  • Frederick Samuelson (1st Assistant Keeper 8/19/1895 – 11/15/1898)
  • Charles Protis (2nd Assistant Keeper 3/5/1896 – 11/15/1898, 1st Assistant Keeper 11/15/1898 – 6/27/1899)
  • John B. Young (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 11/15/1898 – 2/1/1900)
  • Isaac W. Blanchard (1st Assistant Keeper 7/12/1899 – 1912)
  • Edward O. Pooler (Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 2/1/1900 – 3/26/1900)
  • William W. Foster (2nd Assistant Keeper 3/26/1900 – 3/25/1902)
  • Harry J. Moore (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/10/1902 – 5/27/1902, Acting 2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1903 – 4/6/1903)
  • Walter F. Gankel (2nd Assistant Keeper 5/27/1902 – 3/31/1903)
  • Rhinehart Pfiel (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/6/1903 – 3/31/1905)
  • Walter A. Donovan (2nd Assistant Keeper 4/1/1905 – 11/5/1916)
  • William C. Berg (1st Assistant Keeper 1917 – 1/9/1920)
  • John T. Trucker (2nd Assistant Keeper 11/5/1916 – 1917, 1st Assistant Keeper 1917 – 7/15/1930, Keeper 7/15/1930 – 5/4/1934)
  • Oscar H. Knudsen (Keeper 4/3/1924 – 6/30/1930)
  • Ralph R. Moore (1st Assistant Keeper 7/15/1930 – 6/1934)
  • Frederick Sellers (1st Assistant Keeper 1935)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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