Michigan Lights - Forty Mile Point

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse built
in 1896.  9/16/2019 dwm photo

The day before we started a week of volunteer "light keeping" at Mission Point, we drove from Mackinaw City along Lake Huron to see several lighthouses before heading west.

Forty Mile Point was the first, near Rogers City and the first light south of Cheboygan, Michigan.

This light was built in 1896 to fill in an 18 mile gap between lighthouses on Presque Isle to the south and Cheboygan.

The Presque Isle and Cheboygan lights didn't overlap, leaving 18 miles of darkness for ships at night.

It's a large station. 

There is big structure to house the crew and anchor the tower.  In addition, there was a fog signal building, boathouse, barn, two privies, and a well with water drawn by a windmill.

Those buildings are still on site.  From Memorial Day until mid-October, they are open every day except Monday.

Fog Signal Building.  9/16/19 (dwm)

It was a rainy Monday the day we stopped.

The grounds are impressive.  An easy slope from the light house puts you on the beach looking out at Lake Huron.  Half a football field away is the fog signal building and boat on display.

There is a short path to see the remnants of a shipwreck.  In 1905, the steamer Joseph S. Fey ran aground.

Between 1905 and 2006, 1,200 wrecks were recorded on Lake Huron - so while technology and safety have improved, a big boat on an even bigger body of water is always at risk.

View from back of
house. 9/16/19 (dwm)

Another website I read for lighthouse information, Seeing the Light, includes information that in 1913 determined the light was built in the wrong place!

While Forty Mile had been guiding boats since going online in 1897, original charts pointed to a spot 20 miles north east of Forty Mile Point.  The man who discovered the error tried to get funding for a light in the correct location, but failed and soon moved on to other battles.

The lantern is now empty. 9/16/19
dwm photo

Since everything was closed, after walking the grounds, reading the historical markers, and taking photos - we continued driving south to our next stop - Presque Isle.

You can check out more lights in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana by clicking this link.