Michigan Lights - St. Helena and Round Island

St. Helena Island Lighthouse from the mainland.
9/22/2017     dwm photo

St. Helena is two miles off-shore and seven miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.  That's a long way for my 300 meter lens.

The Lighthouse on St. Helena is a beauty.  Lit for the first time in 1873, the light identified shelter for boats in a storm.

The island itself blocked storms from the south, offering safety in a harbor on its north side.

By 1922, the keepers were unnecessary as a gas light flashed every five seconds.

Maybe, if I get back to Mackinac someday, I will take a boat trip for a closer look.

Round Island's light on a foggy day.
9/21/17       dwm photo

Just a mile or two east of the big bridge on an island across from the one named Mackinac is the Round Island light.

It was installed to guide ships through the north passage of Mackinac's Straits which is less than a mile wide between the islands with dangerous rocks on each side.

Requested in 1837, it was 1896 before it started its job, built under the direction of Frank Rounds, who built the Grand Hotel.

From Schepler's Ferry on the return to the Mainland.
9/21/2017   dwm photo

It was decommissioned in 1955.  A 1972 storm badly damaged the house but spurred action to save it.

Summer residents of Mackinac Island, Historical Societies, Boy Scouts, and other groups picked up trash, cleaned the old light and painted it.

In 1996, it re-found its purpose as a private aid for navigation.  As it helps others, many continue to rally Round through a Preservation Society.

I think it was one of the prettiest lights I've seen.  Find other Lighthouse blogs by clicking here.