Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse
Shipping by water was common in the mid-18th century. There was no road system, and the railroads were still being built.
Strong markets for grain and lumber before and after the Civil War resulted in a shipbuilding boom from the mid-1850s until the late 1860s. Several hundred Lake Superior three-masted schooners were built during this period. Most of these ships were 150 to 160 feet in length.
Source: http://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/63344/image/10170
Getting to Port Safely
Grand Island is on Lake Superior, just north of the town of Munising, Michigan. The island has two harbors in the South Bay, well sheltered and affording good anchorage for vessels of all sizes. One of them is on the south side of Grand Island, and the other is opposite, on the mainland. Other than the harbor at Marquette, Michigan, the South Bay is the only safe anchorage along 180 miles of rocky, inhospitable coastline.
Reaching those anchorages was tricky, especially at night and in bad weather. A light or set of lights was needed to allow vessels to reliably use Munising Harbor as a major harbor of refuge.
In 1866, Congress appropriated $16,000 to the Lighthouse Board to build one or two beacon lights at the entrance to Grand Island Bay and Harbor. Those funds were spent to build the square tower and attached one-and-a-half-story keeper’s dwelling from 1868-70.
Range lights were installed in 1908 and proved to be a superior navigational aid. Range lights are a pair of light beacons used to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel. The wood framed lighthouse was closed in 1913.
The abandoned lighthouse was in danger of being lost forever. But a few years ago, a group of private citizens, including the owner, decided to preserve the structure. The stone foundation was repaired, and the tower was supported with a series of cables.
The unpainted wood has weathered to a dark gray and the square tower is capped with a dome of green copper roofing.
The Shot
Last fall, I had the opportunity to photograph Grand Island and Pictured Rocks from a private boat. We waded ashore from the boat and photographed the structure from the shoreline. But my favorite photo is from the boat, placing the historic structure in beautiful fall colors.
Thanks for looking,
Chuck Derus