Forty Mile Point Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Forty Mile Point Light is a lighthouse
in Northern
Michigan
, in Presque Isle County
on Hammond Bay on the western shore of Lake Huron
in Rogers Township, Michigan
USA.
Unlike many Great Lakes lighthouses, Forty Mile Point Light does not mark a significant harbor or river mouth. Rather, it was constructed with the intent that as one sailed from Mackinaw Point to the Saint Clair River, one would never be out of viewing range of a lighthouse. With no river or harbor to use for a name, the light is named on the basis that it is 40 miles (64.4 km) sailing distance from Mackinaw Point.
It is part of U.S. Coast Guard District No. 9.
Peninsula
had been lighted since 1840, and the entrance to the Cheboygan River
fifty miles to the north had been lighted since 1851, the New Presque Isle Light's range of visibility of 19 miles (30.6 km) and the Cheboygan Crib Light's visible range of 13 miles (20.9 km) left an unlighted 18 miles (29 km) intervening stretch of coastline along which mariners had to navigate blind. In its annual report for fiscal 1890, the Board recommended that $25,000 be appropriated for the construction of a new light and fog signal at Forty Mile Point near Hammond's Bay, at the approximate mid point between the two lights.
Congress apparently was unimpressed with the request and it was five years before it was approved and funded. The plan for this light is nearly identical to the one for the Big Bay Point Lighthouse
on Lake Superior
that was constructed at the same time. The penury of Congress concerning light stations on the Great Lakes
was not limited to Forty Mile Point. See, e.g., Port Sanilac lighthouse.
The footings are 20" limestone and the structure is 35' x 57'. The integrated tower is 12' square and 52' high. The house contains two identical apartments (presumably for the keeper and the assistant keeper, but ordinarily the assistant got a smaller, not identical apartment). A unique feature is a skylight in the stairs so the keeper or his assistant could observe the light working without going outside or climbing the tower.
The light was completed in November 1896, but traffic on the Great Lakes is not a year round event, so it wasn't until the spring of 1897 that it was first lit. The station was automated in 1969 and is still operational. Foundation materials are wood pilings, and it is constructed of brick in a square shape. Markings are white with a black lantern. Another structure is attached to the tower. The original lens was a fourth order Fresnel lens
designed and manufactured by Henry-Lepaute in Paris. It had six bulls-eye flash panels, and the clockwork would rotate it so that it would emit a white flash every ten seconds. The lens now in place is the third or fourth such lens to occupy that position.
Indeed, skeletons of ships are only a short distance from the light station. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. National Register Reference #84001830 Name of Listing: FORTY MILE POINT LIGHT STATION (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES TR).
The site is now a county park (well-marked) 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Rogers City on
US 23, a/k/a the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway. A map with the lights in the area is available at lighthousesRus. The park is accessible from the highway—do not turn on to 40 Mile Point road.
The lighthouse will anchor a 2.5 miles (4 km) extension of an existing bike path that is in the right of way along US 23, and already runs from Hoeft State Park
to Rogers City. The extension is scheduled to be completed in late May, 2009.
It is owned and operated by the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society, and the grounds are open to the public year round from 10.00 AM to 10.00 PM. The lighthouse is open on weekends (Memorial Day through mid October). More information on hours may be obtained from the Rogers City Chamber of Commerce at (800) 622-4148.
Importantly, the many structures that were part of the installation remain: lighthouse
; Lighthouse keeper
quarters; bunkhouse (newly renovated in 2006-2007), foghorn
signal building (the diaphone
has been removed), oil house, and brick outhouse
. The surrounding park also houses the wheelhouse of the first Calcite freighter.
The fourth order Fresnel lens
is in place and in use, and access to the tower provides a view of it and the Lakeshore. The Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of Only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
of which eight are in Michigan.
There are many recurrent events at the lighthouse. A calendar is available.
Half of the lighthouse is now a museum, the other half is caretaker's quarters.
Membership in the 40-Mile Point Lighthouse Society is $20.00 per year, and the Society may be reached at:
40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society, PO Box 205, Rogers City, MI 49779.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
in Northern
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, in Presque Isle County
Presque Isle County, Michigan
Presque Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,411. The county seat is Rogers City....
on Hammond Bay on the western shore of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
in Rogers Township, Michigan
Rogers Township, Michigan
Rogers Township is a civil township of Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 949 at the 2000 census. Rogers City is within the township, but is administratively autonomous.-Geography:...
USA.
Unlike many Great Lakes lighthouses, Forty Mile Point Light does not mark a significant harbor or river mouth. Rather, it was constructed with the intent that as one sailed from Mackinaw Point to the Saint Clair River, one would never be out of viewing range of a lighthouse. With no river or harbor to use for a name, the light is named on the basis that it is 40 miles (64.4 km) sailing distance from Mackinaw Point.
It is part of U.S. Coast Guard District No. 9.
History
While the Presque IslePresque Isle Township, Michigan
Presque Isle Township is a civil township of Presque Isle County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,376 at the 2010 census.-Communities:...
Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
had been lighted since 1840, and the entrance to the Cheboygan River
Cheboygan River
The Cheboygan River is a short but significant river in the Lake Huron drainage basin of the U.S. state of Michigan. in length, the Cheboygan River flows from the north end of Mullett Lake at to the Straits of Mackinac at . The river forms the boundary between Benton Township and Inverness...
fifty miles to the north had been lighted since 1851, the New Presque Isle Light's range of visibility of 19 miles (30.6 km) and the Cheboygan Crib Light's visible range of 13 miles (20.9 km) left an unlighted 18 miles (29 km) intervening stretch of coastline along which mariners had to navigate blind. In its annual report for fiscal 1890, the Board recommended that $25,000 be appropriated for the construction of a new light and fog signal at Forty Mile Point near Hammond's Bay, at the approximate mid point between the two lights.
Congress apparently was unimpressed with the request and it was five years before it was approved and funded. The plan for this light is nearly identical to the one for the Big Bay Point Lighthouse
Big Bay Point Lighthouse
The Big Bay Point Light is a lighthouse which stands on a tall bluff over a rocky point near Big Bay, Michigan, approximately miles northwest of Marquette on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Today it is the only operational lighthouse with a bed and breakfast...
on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
that was constructed at the same time. The penury of Congress concerning light stations on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
was not limited to Forty Mile Point. See, e.g., Port Sanilac lighthouse.
The footings are 20" limestone and the structure is 35' x 57'. The integrated tower is 12' square and 52' high. The house contains two identical apartments (presumably for the keeper and the assistant keeper, but ordinarily the assistant got a smaller, not identical apartment). A unique feature is a skylight in the stairs so the keeper or his assistant could observe the light working without going outside or climbing the tower.
The light was completed in November 1896, but traffic on the Great Lakes is not a year round event, so it wasn't until the spring of 1897 that it was first lit. The station was automated in 1969 and is still operational. Foundation materials are wood pilings, and it is constructed of brick in a square shape. Markings are white with a black lantern. Another structure is attached to the tower. The original lens was a fourth order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
designed and manufactured by Henry-Lepaute in Paris. It had six bulls-eye flash panels, and the clockwork would rotate it so that it would emit a white flash every ten seconds. The lens now in place is the third or fourth such lens to occupy that position.
Current operations, maintenance, viewing and events
During the Big Blow of 1905, twenty-seven wooden vessels were lost. The steamer Joseph S. Fay ran aground, and a part of its hull rests on the beach approximately 200 feet (61 m) north of the Lighthouse. there is a Michigan historical marker honoring Forty Mile Light, there is a marker concerning the "Graveyard of Ships." The marker states:- Registered Historical Marker Site L2186 was erected 2007 Forty Mile Point Lighthouse / Graveyard of Ships. The Graveyard of Ships marker states:
- Named by seventeenth century French explorers La Mer Douce the sweet or freshwater sea, Lake HuronLake HuronLake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
is the second largest of the five Great LakesGreat LakesThe Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. It has over 3800 miles (6,115.5 km) of shoreline and contains 30,000 islands, among them Manitoulin, the world's largest freshwater island. Violent storms on the "sweet sea" have made it dangerous for ships. As of 2006, 1,200 wrecks had been recorded. During the Big Blow of 1905Great Storms of the North American Great LakesEver since people have traveled the Great Lakes storms have taken lives and vessels. The first sailing vessel the Le Griffin was lost on its return from Green Bay in 1679. Since that time, memorable storms have swept the lakes, often in November taking men and ships to their death...
, twenty-seven wooden vessels were lost. One of these, the steamer Joseph S. Fay, ran aground. A portion of its hull rests on the beach approximately 200 feet (61 m) north of the Forty Mile Lighthouse. The Great Storm of 1913 was responsible for sinking many modern ships.
- Named by seventeenth century French explorers La Mer Douce the sweet or freshwater sea, Lake Huron
Indeed, skeletons of ships are only a short distance from the light station. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. National Register Reference #84001830 Name of Listing: FORTY MILE POINT LIGHT STATION (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES TR).
The site is now a county park (well-marked) 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Rogers City on
US 23, a/k/a the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway. A map with the lights in the area is available at lighthousesRus. The park is accessible from the highway—do not turn on to 40 Mile Point road.The lighthouse will anchor a 2.5 miles (4 km) extension of an existing bike path that is in the right of way along US 23, and already runs from Hoeft State Park
Hoeft State Park
P. H. Hoeft State Park is located north of Rogers City, Michigan, on US 23 in Presque Isle County. Donated on January 2, 1922 by lumber baron Paul H. Hoeft, the heavily wooded park sits on of Lake Huron shoreline and offers 143 campsites along with of hiking trails, hunting, play grounds, a...
to Rogers City. The extension is scheduled to be completed in late May, 2009.
It is owned and operated by the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society, and the grounds are open to the public year round from 10.00 AM to 10.00 PM. The lighthouse is open on weekends (Memorial Day through mid October). More information on hours may be obtained from the Rogers City Chamber of Commerce at (800) 622-4148.
Importantly, the many structures that were part of the installation remain: lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
; Lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
quarters; bunkhouse (newly renovated in 2006-2007), foghorn
Foghorn
A foghorn or fog signal or fog bell is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of hazards or boats of the presence of other vehicles in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport...
signal building (the diaphone
Diaphone
For Diaphone, the Noctuid moth species see Diaphone The diaphone was a noisemaking device best known for its use as a foghorn: it could produce deep, powerful tones able to carry a long distance...
has been removed), oil house, and brick outhouse
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
. The surrounding park also houses the wheelhouse of the first Calcite freighter.
The fourth order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
is in place and in use, and access to the tower provides a view of it and the Lakeshore. The Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of Only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
of which eight are in Michigan.
There are many recurrent events at the lighthouse. A calendar is available.
Half of the lighthouse is now a museum, the other half is caretaker's quarters.
Membership in the 40-Mile Point Lighthouse Society is $20.00 per year, and the Society may be reached at:
40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society, PO Box 205, Rogers City, MI 49779.
Further reading
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
- Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
- Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
- Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
- Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
- Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
- United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945). - Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Wargin, Ed, Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993
External links
- Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
- Forty Mile Point Lighthouse Society.
- Interactive map, list, information for lighthouses in North and West Lake Huron.
- Interactive map of West Lake Huron, powered by Google.
- Lighthouse Central, Forty Mile Point light The Ultimate Guide to East Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - July 2006). ISBN 0974797715; ISBN 9780974797717.
- Lighthouses in the Mackinac Straits.
- Michigan Lighthouse fund, Forty Mile Point.
- Michigan.gov website has Map of Michigan Lighthouses
- Michigan Historical Markers.
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Maritime Heritage Project, 40 Mile Point Light. - Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light - Forty Mile Point Light.
- U.S. Lighthouses, Forty Mile Point Light.
- Wobser, David, Boatnerd.com Forty Mile Point Light.