Lighthouse

Since moving out of Indiana where it was great fun traveling the state searching for Covered Bridges to photograph I've been looking for something else to "pose" for me.

The Cana Island Lighthouse went a long way to answering that question.

While our stay in Door County was too short - we heard from our innkeeper about this lighthouse just north of town that would be worth a visit.

It's a functional lighthouse - working to keep ships in the Lake away from the rocky coast - now in a county park that welcomes visitors to see this bit of maritime history on Wisconsin's east coast.

It started functioning in 1869, nine years after a storm called the Alpena Gale destroyed seven ships near the point the beacon calls home.  Keep in mind, this was built less than ten years after the Civil War!

Thanks to the gradual drop of the shore into the water, I was able to move around the three visible sides, taking pictures from every angle I could see.  From the west, trees mostly obscure the lighthouse from view.

The light was originally powered by lard, then kerosene, acetylene, and then was electrified in 1945.

The lonely location was home to lightkeepers and their families - with the spouses teaching kids at home until the State of Wisconsin required the children to attend a real school.  It was a long 5 mile walk away - one even farther in the winter (imagine what they told their kids who walked to school).


The last light keepers handed over the keys in 1995 and since then the silent guard stands watch alone over the dangerous and unpredictable seas.

Most of us don't think about how vital a light is anymore - given how much light there is around us - seemingly all the time.

But, if you have ever experienced real dark and a storm... even the faintest light become a welcome port in a storm.

If you are looking for such a light in your life - there is another way to find it - I suggest starting with the coordinates of John 3 16.