Kalamazoo River Lighthouse (Saugatuck Light), Lake Michigan, Saugatuck, Michigan
KALAMAZOO LIGHT
MOUTH OF KALAMAZOO RIVER/LAKE MICHIGAN
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) N/A
Operational? NO
Automated? N/A
Deactivated: 1914
Foundation Materials:
Construction Materials:
Tower Shape:
Markings/Pattern:
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens:
Historical Information:
- Also known as Saugatuck lighthouse.
- 1837 – Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse to mark the mouth of the Kalamazoo River.
- 1839 – First lighthouse built. It was one of the first lights built on Lake Michigan.
- 1858 – The first lighthouse fell over after the foundation was undermined by eroding sand.
- 1859 – New lighthouse built on higher ground.
- 1876 – Light was moved from the lighthouse onto a pole on the south pier.
- 1892 – After a steamer ran into the pier, the light was placed back in the lighthouse.
- 1914 – The lighthouse was deactivated by the Coast Guard and abandoned.
- 1956 – Tornados running through the area destroyed the lighthouse.
Keepers:
- Stephen Nichols (1839 – 1840, 1860 – 1861)
- William Scoville (1844 – 1845)
- William Carley (1845 – 1849)
- Cephas Field (1849 – 1853)
- Timothy Coates (1853 – 1860)
- Samuel Underwood (1861 – 1878)
- George Baker (1878 – 1909)
- George Sheridan (1909 – 1914)
Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.