Michigan Lights - Pointe Aux Barques

Pointe Aux Barques is one of the 10 oldest lighthouses in
Michigan.  9/25/2019  dwm photo

Pointe Aux Barques (French for Point of Small Ships) is on the outside of Michigan's thumb; placing it in a crucial place for ships navigating north in search of Saginaw Bay.

The area around the point is shallow, which is the reason for referencing small ships as they were the only ones who could safely navigate the point.

We had a short drive after stopping in Port Austin to see the reef light from shore to the county park that now hosts the light and its accompanying buildings.

The Tower rises 89 feet above Lake
Huron.  9/25/19 (dwm)

The county has kept most of the point clear of trees, so you get a feel what the area looked like while the lighthouse and Life-Saving station was manned on this dangerous stretch of the lake.

The life saving station became active in 1876 according to the lighthouse society's website.  The men who served there are credited with over 200 rescues before it was closed in 1938.

They weren't always successful.  In 1880, the station lost six of its men during a rescue attempt.  The society's history indicates the men left 16 children fatherless.

At the time, there was no compensation to the families for their loss - it literally took an Act of Congress which authorized $1,000 to be divided among them.

The Point Aux Barques light was also home to the first woman light keeper in Michigan.  Catherine Shook took over in 1849 after her husband, Peter, drowned in a boating accident.

She served two years.  During that time, the lighthouse caught fire due to a faulty chimney.  She was badly burned and most of the family's furniture was lost.

The oil house was built in 1892.
9/25/2019 dwm photo

The light was automated in 1934, and is still operated by the Coast Guard.

While we walked the grounds, we watched as two large freighters passed the point on their way north.  I'd estimate they were a mile offshore.

Our next stop was in Sand Beach, home to the Harbor Beach Lighthouse.  You can see it next Sunday; to see other lights of the Great Lakes follow this link.