MIchigan Lights - Little Sable

Petite Pointe Au Sable Light
9/18/2017     dwm photo

The name is misleading, or at least requires extra information.

The Little Sable Light isn't about the height of the tower, rather it's the land where it sits.

The "Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse" refers to the little sand point on which it stands.

This was the third of three lights for a stretch of shoreline which could be deadly for passing boats.  This point sticks further west than the other two creating a potential issue.

Congress approved building a lighthouse in 1872, and it took two years to complete.

There was a house connected to this beautiful candle on the water.  The Coast Guard tore it down in 1954 because electricity reached the Petite Pointe making keepers obsolete.

Another less obvious thing to share here is that my Little Sable blog is a bit out of order.  It is between the White River and Ludington North Pierhead lights, but I thought Au Sable deserved its own post, so here it is.

The light is part of
Silver Lake State Park
(dwm photo)

There's an interesting story in the Michigan Lighthouse history of Little Sable.  The last keeper of the house hosted elaborate dinners without the aid of electricity.  When guests suggested getting the light wired, he demurred.

Henry Vavrina knew something.  After Little Sable was wired he was transferred to the Big Sable house up the shoreline, retiring ten years later.

Because Little Sand Point sticks so far out it was long drive to Mears, Michigan.  As were all but one Michigan State Park we visited, there wasn't any Ranger at the gate of this one either, an overlook we took care of with the purchase of an Annual Pass when we arrived at Ludington State Park to see Big Sable.

The walk from the parking lot to
Little Sable.    (dwm)

As I walked up the sidewalk through impressive white sand dunes it didn't take long for the light to come into view.

I wasn't prepared to see a free-standing light.  There is an elegant majesty about it rising high in the air.

Back in 1900 the tower was painted white to increase its visibility to ships on the water.  74 years later it was sandblasted back to the natural brick which eliminated the need for regular painting.

That was a good call.  In addition to its status as the last light to be plugged in, it is probably the only one in its natural color.

Its now part of the Sables Lighthouse Keepers Association which coordinates care for the Big, Little, and White River lights.  Get there on the right day at the right time and you can climb the 169 steps.  My clock and calendar said I was there at the right time and date, but I didn't find a keeper.

This is the final lighthouse we stopped to shoot during our first day of driving up Michigan.  Next Saturday you can travel to Point Betsie.