Poe Reef Light
Encyclopedia
Poe Reef is a lighthouse located at the east end of South Channel between Bois Blanc Island
and the mainland of the Lower Peninsula, about six miles (10 km) east of Cheboygan
Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping. Powered vessels heading west to Lake Michigan
generally use South Channel, which is approximately three nautical miles wide, but Poe Reef sits close to the middle of the channel and to the north of it the water is too shallow for lake freighter
s.
here but it was difficult. Four different lightships served beginning in 1893: Lightships Nos. 62, 59, 96, and No. 99.
The Poe Reef Light was an extension of the effort—beginning in 1870 through 1910—where engineers began to build lights on isolated islands, reefs, and shoals that were significant navigational hazards. To that time, Light ships were the only practical way to mark the hazards, but were dangerous for the sailors who manned them, and difficult to maintain. "Worse, regardless of the type of anchors used lightships could be blown off their expected location in severe storms, making them a potential liability in the worst weather when captains would depend on the charted location of these lights to measure their own ship's distance from dangerous rocks." See, United States lightship Huron (LV-103).
is one of several that mark the passage through the South Channel. The other major light is Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
. The decision was made by the United States Lighthouse Service
in 1926 to construct a permanent light here. The Poe Reef Light was completed in 1928.
The Poe Reef Light is part of what became a complex of 14 reef
lights in Michigan waters, which was intended to help ships navigate through and around the shoals and hazards of the Great Lakes. It is also "part of a series of a significant offshore light construction projects being undertaken in the Straits area in the late 1920s," The same crew that built this light also built St. Martin's Light from almost the same plan.
The Poe Reef lighthouse
marks the north side of the South Channel of the Straits of Mackinac, while the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
marks the south side of the channel. Most sailing vessels had used the channel on the north side of Bois Blanc Island, but the growth of steamboat
traffic increased use of the South Channel.
The Poe Reef Light shares designs with a twin, Martin Reef Light (all white, however, and with different windows in the fourth floor), which was built in 1927 by the same construction crew. The Poe lighthouse was originally painted all white, which sometimes confused mariners because they shared colors and a common structural design. Thus, a decision was made to paint Poe in contrasting bands.
The Poe Reef station was designed so that the onsite crew could also remotely operate the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
. Subsequently, both lights have been fully automated.
The Poe Reef diaphone
fog horn is still in current service.
In 2005, the Poe Reef Light lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and the parallel state inventory of historic sites.
(1870) on Lake Huron; Lake Michigan
’s South Manitou Island Light
(1872); Grosse Point Lighthouse (1873) in Evanston, Illinois
; Au Sable Light
(1874) on Lake Superior
; Wind Point Light
(1880) near Racine, Wisconsin
; Outer Island Light (1874) in the Apostle Islands
; Little Sable Point Light
(1874) on Lake Michigan, and Seul Choix Light
near Manistique, Michigan
which completed in 1895; and his crowning achievement, Spectacle Reef Light
. Others consider his "crowning achievement" to be the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
.
and that locale will provide an opportunity for a picture, albeit from approximately 3 miles (5 km). Another location from which the Poe Reef Light can be seen from land is from Gordon Turner Park, in Cheboygan, Michigan, at the mouth of the Cheboygan River
.
A private boat is one way to see the light up close, although it and its crib are closed and “off limits to the public.”
Another way to view the Poe Light from the water is on the eastbound lighthouse cruises offered by Shepler's Ferry Service. Narration is provided by members of the Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association, and a portion of the proceeds go to their cause.
The Poe Reef Light can be seen from the air by chartered seaplane
; these amphibious machines can be hired to make a tour of the Mackinac Straits and environs.
Because of its relatively remote location, the Poe Reef Light does not have a high iconographic profile. Nevertheless, an embroidered image is available.
Bois Blanc Island (Michigan)
Bois Blanc Island is coterminous with Bois Blanc Township, Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island covers about and is about 12 miles long, 6 miles wide and has 6 lakes. Bois Blanc is located in Lake Huron southeast of Mackinac Island and almost due north of the city of...
and the mainland of the Lower Peninsula, about six miles (10 km) east of Cheboygan
Cheboygan, Michigan
Cheboygan is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,295. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County....
Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping. Powered vessels heading west to Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
generally use South Channel, which is approximately three nautical miles wide, but Poe Reef sits close to the middle of the channel and to the north of it the water is too shallow for lake freighter
Lake freighter
Lake freighters, or Lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that ply the Great Lakes. The best known was the , the most recent and largest major vessel to be wrecked on the Lakes. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. In the mid-20th century, 300 lakers worked the...
s.
History
Many attempts were made to position a lightshipLightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
here but it was difficult. Four different lightships served beginning in 1893: Lightships Nos. 62, 59, 96, and No. 99.
The Poe Reef Light was an extension of the effort—beginning in 1870 through 1910—where engineers began to build lights on isolated islands, reefs, and shoals that were significant navigational hazards. To that time, Light ships were the only practical way to mark the hazards, but were dangerous for the sailors who manned them, and difficult to maintain. "Worse, regardless of the type of anchors used lightships could be blown off their expected location in severe storms, making them a potential liability in the worst weather when captains would depend on the charted location of these lights to measure their own ship's distance from dangerous rocks." See, United States lightship Huron (LV-103).
Construction and operation
The Poe ReefReef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
is one of several that mark the passage through the South Channel. The other major light is Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
The lighthouse at Fourteen Foot Shoal was named to note that the lake is only deep at this point, which is a hazard to navigation, ships and mariners....
. The decision was made by the United States Lighthouse Service
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
in 1926 to construct a permanent light here. The Poe Reef Light was completed in 1928.
The Poe Reef Light is part of what became a complex of 14 reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
lights in Michigan waters, which was intended to help ships navigate through and around the shoals and hazards of the Great Lakes. It is also "part of a series of a significant offshore light construction projects being undertaken in the Straits area in the late 1920s," The same crew that built this light also built St. Martin's Light from almost the same plan.
The Poe Reef 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....
marks the north side of the South Channel of the Straits of Mackinac, while the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
The lighthouse at Fourteen Foot Shoal was named to note that the lake is only deep at this point, which is a hazard to navigation, ships and mariners....
marks the south side of the channel. Most sailing vessels had used the channel on the north side of Bois Blanc Island, but the growth of steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
traffic increased use of the South Channel.
The Poe Reef Light shares designs with a twin, Martin Reef Light (all white, however, and with different windows in the fourth floor), which was built in 1927 by the same construction crew. The Poe lighthouse was originally painted all white, which sometimes confused mariners because they shared colors and a common structural design. Thus, a decision was made to paint Poe in contrasting bands.
The Poe Reef station was designed so that the onsite crew could also remotely operate the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
The lighthouse at Fourteen Foot Shoal was named to note that the lake is only deep at this point, which is a hazard to navigation, ships and mariners....
. Subsequently, both lights have been fully automated.
The Poe Reef 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...
fog horn is still in current service.
In 2005, the Poe Reef Light lighthouse was listed on 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...
and the parallel state inventory of historic sites.
Orlando Poe legacy
The reef and light are named for lighthouse designer Orlando M. Poe. During ten years of service as Engineer for the Eleventh Lighthouse District he designed eight lighthouses, namely: Presque Isle LightPresque Isle Light
The Presque Isle Light is one of the three lighthouses in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1872 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 4, 1983.- History :...
(1870) on Lake Huron; Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
’s South Manitou Island Light
South Manitou Island Light
South Manitou Island Lighthouse is located on South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan, west of Leland, Michigan. It is in Leelanau County in western Northern Michigan.-History:This is the third lighthouse built on the island...
(1872); Grosse Point Lighthouse (1873) in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
; Au Sable Light
Au Sable Light
Au Sable Light is an active lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west of Grand Marais, Michigan off H-58. Until 1910, this aid to navigation was called "Big Sable Light" .-History:The Au Sable Light Station was built in 1874...
(1874) 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...
; Wind Point Light
Wind Point Light
Wind Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located at the north end of Racine Harbor in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is in the village of Wind Point, Wisconsin, on Lighthouse Road, next to the Shoop Park golf course. The lighthouse stands tall...
(1880) near Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
; Outer Island Light (1874) in the Apostle Islands
Apostle Islands
The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Islands are located in Bayfield County...
; Little Sable Point Light
Little Sable Point Light
The Little Sable Point Light is a lighthouse located south of Pentwater in the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the southwest corner of Golden Township, just south of Silver Lake State Park.The lighthouse was designed by Col. Orlando M...
(1874) on Lake Michigan, and Seul Choix Light
Seul Choix Light
The Seul Choix Light is a lighthouse located in the northwest corner of Lake Michigan in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. The station was established in 1892 with a temporary light, and this light started service in 1895, and was fully automated in 1972. It is an active aid to navigation...
near Manistique, Michigan
Manistique, Michigan
Manistique is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,583. It is the county seat of Schoolcraft County and the only incorporated community in the county. The city lies on the north shore of Lake Michigan, at the southwest corner...
which completed in 1895; and his crowning achievement, Spectacle Reef Light
Spectacle Reef Light
Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse eleven miles east of the Straits of Mackinac and is located at the northern end of Lake Huron, Michigan. It was designed and built by Colonel Orlando Metcalfe Poe and Major Godfrey Weitzel, and was the most expensive lighthouse ever built on the Great Lakes...
. Others consider his "crowning achievement" to be the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in and the county seat of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north-eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, on the Canadian border, separated from its twin city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, by the St. Marys River...
.
Getting there
The lighthouse is visible from Lighthouse Point near the ruins of the Cheboygan Main Light Station in Cheboygan State ParkCheboygan State Park
Cheboygan State Park is a state park in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Lighthouse enthusiasts can see the remains of the 1859 Cheboygan Point Light plus a distant view of Lake Huron's Poe Reef Light, some six miles to the northeast....
and that locale will provide an opportunity for a picture, albeit from approximately 3 miles (5 km). Another location from which the Poe Reef Light can be seen from land is from Gordon Turner Park, in Cheboygan, Michigan, at the mouth of 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...
.
A private boat is one way to see the light up close, although it and its crib are closed and “off limits to the public.”
Another way to view the Poe Light from the water is on the eastbound lighthouse cruises offered by Shepler's Ferry Service. Narration is provided by members of the Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association, and a portion of the proceeds go to their cause.
The Poe Reef Light can be seen from the air by chartered seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
; these amphibious machines can be hired to make a tour of the Mackinac Straits and environs.
Because of its relatively remote location, the Poe Reef Light does not have a high iconographic profile. Nevertheless, an embroidered image is available.
Specialized further reading
- "A Tour of the Lights of the Straits." Michigan History 70 (Sep/Oct 1986), pp. 17–29.
- Taylor, Paul (October 2009) Orlando M. Poe: Civil War General and Great Lakes Engineer (Kent State University Press) ISBN 1606350404; ISBN 978-1606350409.