Michigan Lights - Lightship Huron

Lightship Huron docked south of the Blue Water Bridge.
Port Huron, Michigan.  9/25/2019 dwm photo

It's the last of its kind - the last lightship in operation on the Great Lakes - and it's worth including in my lighthouse collection.

According to the Port Huron Museum website, ships were anchored in places where building a permanent structure was either too expensive or impractical.

The ship is nearly 100 years old, commissioned in 1921, according to an historical marker near the boat, to provide relief for other lightships on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior.

In 1935, it was assigned to the Corsica Shoals six miles north of Port Huron.  The shoals were dangerous to ships, causing them to run aground frequently before the first lightship was anchored there in 1893.

Next to the bank of
the St Clair River is
the ship's home.
9/25/19 (dwm)

By 1940, the Lightship Huron was the only one left on the job.  A role it served until its decommissioning in 1970.

The ship is open daily from June through August and weekends in September and October.  Thankfully, its dock is next to Pine Grove Park which offers a number of places to enjoy looking at the ship, the river, and the passing ships.

The beacon at the top of the mast projects its light up to
14 miles on clear nights.  9/25/2019 (dwm) 

The park marks the start of the St. Clair River which travels 39 miles to Lake St Clair.

The Algonquin people called it the Blue River.

A name given to the majestic bridge connecting Port Huron, Michigan with Point Edmund, Ontario, Canada.

The lightship and Fort Gratiot lighthouse are practically neighbors - just minutes apart.  It's worth it to spend some quality time getting to know each of them.