Michigan Lights - Harbor Beach

Harbor Beach Lighthouse.  9/25/2019 dwm photo

Imagine traveling by ship when winds blow up a storm; the waves build and as night falls it is difficult to know the location of the nearest harbor.

What if there isn't a harbor close by?

That was the case on south Lake Huron prior to the 1870s as the lake widened in the south where it empties into the St. Clair River.

Sailing ships depending on harnessing wind for propulsion could sometimes be stopped cold by winds off Saginaw Bay.

Without a natural harbor, a refuge had to be built.  Plans for a man-made harbor were developed and the first wood cribs built and sunk in 1873 off shore from Sand Beach, Michigan.

The wood-framed cribs were 38 by 65 feet, towed into position, then filled with rocks and stones gathered by local residents.  It took 11 years to build the breakwater to create a safe haven, which now extends 1 mile off-shore and three miles long.

A longer view from shore toward the lighthouse, under
repair in fall 2019.  9/25/2019  dwm photo

In 1904, the port was reinforced with concrete.  A breakwater does exactly what you expect, it breaks the water and waves so they can't pound the shore; boats; or the people on board.

Creating a harbor of refuge is a big deal.  Locals recognized it, too, changing their name from Sand Beach to Harbor Beach in 1899.  That changed the name of the light built in 1875 to Harbor Beach Lighthouse.

While the light isn't used for navigation, it remains a symbol of refuge and safety.