Michigan Lights - South Manitou Island

The lighthouse, as seen from a lookout
on Sleeping Bear Dunes.     9/23/2019 dwm photo 

I thought all the lighthouses from our two week vacation last fall were accounted for in this space, but as I thought about my favorites of the group it was a surprise to see one of the top four didn't have its own blog!

The rest of the lighthouses shot and profiled in this blog were part of a plan.  I didn't expect to see the South Manitou Island lighthouse.

On our day off as volunteer lighthouse keepers, we planned a day trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; Empire and its famous cherries; a stop in the small town of  Cedar; and meandering along the quiet country roads west and north of Traverse City.

I saw pictures of a modern covered bridge at the Dunes, so that was on our list.  The bridge was part of a loop available to paying visitors.  You can read more about it by following the above link.  When we got out at an overlook of the dunes, I noticed a lighthouse in the distance.

Using my longest lens, I took some pictures, hoping they would be good enough to 'count,' as an official visit.

After the loop, we checked out more of the National Lakeshore and found a living history fishing village which had a closer view of the South Manitou Lighthouse without getting wet.

I set up the camera on a tripod for a series of photos and was thrilled to capture blowing grass and miles of choppy Lake Michigan waves between me and the light.

The lighthouse dates back to 1838 when the first one was built to guide ships using the straits between a pair of Manitou Islands and the state of Michigan.  It was replaced in 1858, then updated in 1871 and 1883.

The lighthouse guided ships through the strait safely
for decades.  9/23/2019 dwm photo

The light was positioned to guide ships between the light and the shore, while offering a harbor of refuge behind the island as it deflected strong winds and waves on the great lake.

In checking the light's history on Lighthouse Friends, I came across a sad story. Aaron Sheridan was appointed keeper in 1866 after serving in the Civil War.  He and his wife moved to the house where they raised six boys.  However in 1878, Aaron, his wife, and their youngest son Robert were making their way home from the mainland with another passenger when their boat capsized.

The passenger clung to the boat and eventually made it to shore.  Sheridan got back to the boat, but in trying to save his son and wife, he drowned with them.

The light was deactivated in 1958 and was on its way to ruin when it was added to the National Lakeshore in 1970.  The tower's spiral staircase and lantern room were restored and a ferry ride is available for summer visitors.

If you take the ferry for a day trip, it is a day-long adventure.  It leaves Leland for a 90 minute trip to South Manitou, then docks while visitors get four and a half hours to explore.  We didn't have that kind of time, so long distance was the next best thing to being there.