Wisconsin Lights - Kewaunee Pierhead

The Kewaunee Pierhead surrounded by muddy water.
9/14/2019 dwm photo

We visited Kewaunee a day after heavy rain swept across Wisconsin.

Our first view of the light showed the rain's power.  Around the harbor water was muddy, further out, the expected blue.  (If you look to the horizon in the photo at left, you can see it.)

The pierhead evolved from its start as a fog signal as the harbor's range lights changed.

The tower and lantern were placed on the  building - 43 feet above the water.

A Fifth Order Fresnel lens was removed in 2019 replaced
with an LED light to show boats into Kewaunee.
9/14/2019 dwm photo

My visit coincided with a photo shoot for the men of a wedding party as the groomsmen posed for pictures on the pier and on shore with the lighthouse in the background.

The lighthouse is quite a presence on the water.  A fortress which kept the light and refuge to captains and crew in dark and stormy weather.

The original lights were built in Kewaunee because it was considered the best location to create an artificial harbor close to Green Bay (75 miles).

The Kewaunee Pierhead on the south pier.
9/14/2019 dwm photo

Like other lights on the Great Lakes, its importance was recognized in the first half of the 19th century, but economics and the Civil War delayed installation.

Construction started in 1889.  Two years later, the first railroad car ferry began crossing Lake Michigan, linking Kewaunee, Wisconsin to Frankfort, Michigan.

The lake continues impacting Kewaunee - as a tourist attraction.  On hot summer days, the "cooler by the lake" phenomenon is real so it is a perfect place to beat the heat.

You can visit more lights in Wisconsin and Michigan by clicking here.