Big Sable Point Light

Infobox_Lighthouse

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caption = Big Sable Point Lighthouse
location = Ludington, Michigan
coordinates = coord|44|03|27.8|N|86|30|52|W|region:US_type:landmark
yearlit = 1867
automated = 1968
yeardeactivated =
foundation = Wood pilings
construction = Cream City brick encased in iron plate
shape = Conical
marking = White and black tower/Black parapet & Lantern
height = Tower - convert|107|ft|m [ [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/lists/towers.htm Terry Pepper, database on heights and focal planes.] ] [ [http://www.michiganlights.com/bigsablepointlh.htm "But see", Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Big Sable Point Light which claims the tower is convert|112|ft|m.] ]
elevation = Focal plane - convert|106|ft|m
lens = Third order Fresnel lens
currentlens = 300 mm Tidelands signal acrylic optic [ [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/closeups/illumination/acrylic/300mm/300mm.htm Tidelands Signal acrylic optic, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light.] ]
range = convert|15|mi|km
characteristic = White, Flashing

Infobox nrhp
name = BIG SABLE POINT LIGHT STATION (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES)
nrhp_type =
architect= Col. Orlando M. Poe
designated = 1983
refnum = 83004296
mpsub=U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouses and Light Stations on the Great Lakes TR
governing_body = U.S. Coast Guard and State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources [ [http://www.michiganlights.com/bigsablepointlh.htm Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Big Sable Point Light.] ] The Big Sable Point Light is a lighthouse on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan near Ludington in Mason County, Michigan, at the Ludington State Park. [ [http://www.ludingtoninfo.com/statepark/index.php Ludington State Park.] ]

History

On July 28, 1866, Congress appropriated $35,000 for a new lighthouse at Big Sable Point. Approximately convert|933|acre|km2 was deeded from the State of Michigan to the US at no cost and early 1867 construction began. [Thomas A. Tag (1997) "Big Sable Point Light Station", p.6. ISBN 0-9649980-3-3]

Built in 1867, the convert|112|ft|m|sing=on tower was originally a yellow cream brick conical cast iron tower painted white with the middle third black. It has a focal plane of convert|106|ft|m. The building was made of so-called Cream City Brick. [ [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/closeups/cream_city_brick/cream_city_brick.htm Cream City Brick, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light.] ]

Because the brick deteriorated from exposure to the elements, a steel plate encasement was installed in 1900 for the cost of $3,225. [Thomas A. Tag (1997) "Big Sable Point Light Station", p.23. ISBN 0-9649980-3-3] The yellow brick now encased in steel plate was difficult to see and a Daymark was needed. Several changes to the daymark over the years were made, currently the tower is painted white with a black watch tower and a black band around the middle of the tower. [Hyde, Charles K., "The Northern Lights" (Wayne State University Press, 1987) pp. 118, 121.]

The original lens was a third order Fresnel lens, ["See" [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/closeups/illumination/fresnel/3order.htm Third Order Fresnel lens, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light.] ] inscribed "Sautter & Co., Constructeurs." It was removed in 1985, and is now on display at the Rose Hawley Museum at White Pine Village. [ [http://lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/Michigan/bigsablepoint.htm Wobser, David and Edin Colt, boatnerd.com, Big Sable Point Light.] ] The lighthouse follows a design first used at New Presque Isle Light, and which was also used on several other lights on the Great Lakes.

In 1986, the lighthouse station was leased to the Foundation for Behavioral Research. The foundation has worked with the Big Sable Lighthouse Association to preserve the buildings.

Lighthouse keepers were: Alonzo Hyde, Sr. (1867-1871), Newton Bird (1871-1873), Burr Caswell (1874-1882), Hans Hansen (1882-1887), James Rich (1887-1888), Tomas Bailey (1889-1893), George Blake (1899—1903), Samuel Gagnon (1905-1923), Joseph Kimmers (1922-1923), Leweilyn Vanatter (1923-1936), George Rogan (1936-1949), David Sauers (1949-1954), Henry Vavrina (1955-1965), Homer Meverden (1965-1968). [ [http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/WEBLIGHTHOUSES/LHMI.html U.S. Coast Guard's complete list of Michigan lights.] ]

In the middle of the 20th Century, 1949, Big Sable was electrified. It was the last Great Lakes light to give up wicks. This paved the way for automation and the elimination of the Lighthouse keeper's job. [ [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/bigsable/bigsable.htm Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Big Sable Light.] ]

The fog horn, which was steam and is now diesel, is in place and used in demonstrations. [ [http://splka.org/ Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association.] ]

Buildings at the lightstation included the tower and dwelling, fog signal building, boat house, barn, three oil houses, two privy's and a Diaphone fog signal. [Thomas A. Tag, Big Sable Point Light Station, Softcover (Dayton, OH: Data Image, 1997) p. 36]

Listed as Big Sable Point Light Station in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as reference #83004296. It is also on the state inventory list.

A historical marker in front of the lighthouse reads:

:"Called Grande Pointe au Sable by French explorers and traders, Big Sable Point was an important landmark for mariners traveling a treacherous stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline between Big Sable Point and present-day Ludington. In 1855 twelve ships wrecked in that area. Commerce linked to the burgeoning lumber industry required Big Sable Point be suitably lighted. State Senator Charles Mears pressed the legislature to ask the federal government for a light station at Big Sable. In 1866 the U.S. Congress appropriated $35,000 for a lighthouse, which was built the following year. As the lumbering era waned, steamers carrying coal foodstuffs and tourists continued to rely on the lighthouse for navigation."

:"The Big Sable Point Lighthouse is one of the few Michigan lights with a tower reaching convert|100|ft|m. Completed in 1867 Big Sable's tower measured convert|112|ft|m high. In 1902 the deteriorating brick tower was encased in steel. The keeper's dwelling, which once housed a single family, has been enlarged over the years, resulting in the present three-family residence. Indoor plumbing and heating and a diesel electric generator were added in 1949. In 1953 power lines were extended to the Point. In 1966 the tradition of light-keeping begun in 1867 by Alonzo A. Hyde and his wife Laura ended when the station was fully automated. Big Sable Point Light Station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places." [ [http://www.michmarkers.com/startup.asp?startpage=L1518.htm Michigan Historical Marker.] ]

Current status

The lighthouse is located in the Ludington State Park, so a vehicle permit is required and a fee collected. It is under the care of the Sable Point Lightkeepers Association, which was formed in 1986. The organization has been instrumental in restoring the light and associated buildings. [ [http://splka.org/ Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association.] ] A volunteer keeper program makes is possible for volunteers to live and work in the lighthouse for two week periods. There is a waiting list to do this. Tours are available, and events do occur (a calendar is available). Among them are scheduled bus tours on specified weekends. Otherwise, access requires a convert|1.5|mi|km|sing=on walk up the beach. [ [http://www.bigsablelighthouse.org/ Big Sable Point Light official site.] ]

ee also

*Lighthouses in the United States

Notes

Further reading

* [http://www.michiganlighthouse.org/bibliography.html Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.]
* Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, "The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses" (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
* Harrison, Timothy. "Big Sable, The Queen of the Lake." Lighthouse Digest (Jul 1997), pp. 1-3.
* Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. "The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes." Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
* Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, "American Lighthouses" (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
* Jones, Ray,"The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference" (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
* Noble, Dennis, "Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy" (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
* Oleszewski, Wes, "Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses", (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
* Penrod, John, "Lighthouses of Michigan", (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
* Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A" Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses" (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031
*
* Putnam, George R., "Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States", (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
* Rice, Mary J., "Chicago: Port to the World" (Follet Publishers, 1969).
* Tag, Thomas A., "Big Sable Point Light Station", Softcover (Dayton, OH: Data Image, 1997) ISBN 0-9649980-3-3.
* United States Coast Guard, "Aids to Navigation", (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
* [http://www.uscg.mil/History/weblighthouses/h_lhbib.asp United States Coast Guard, "Aids to Navigation Historical Bibliography".]
*
* Wagner, John L., "Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective", (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
* Wargin, Ed, "Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio" (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
* Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, "Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia" Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.

External links

* [http://marinas.com/view/lighthouse/974 Aerial photos, Big Sable Point Light, marinas.com.]
* [http://www.bigsablelighthouse.org/ Big Sable Point Light official site.]
* [http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/SPECIAL01/80519001 Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.]
* [http://www.lighthousesrus.org/Maps/mapIt.htm?file=GL/MichiganNorth.xml Interactive map of Lights in Northern Lake Michigan, mapped by Google.]
* [http://www.lighthousecentral.com/lighthouse_gallery.php4?lighthouse=Big%20Sable%20Point%20Lighthouses Lighthouse Central, Photographs, History, Directions and Way points for Big Sable Point Light, "The Ultimate Guide to West Michigan Lighthouses" by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2005).] ISBN 0-9747977-0-7.
* [http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/miwl.htm Lighthouse Digest, Western Michigan lights, Big Sable Point (University of North Carolina.]
* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=196 Lighthouse friends article, Big Sable Point.]
* [http://www.lighthousecentral.com/lighthouse_gallery.php4?lighthouse=Big%20Sable%20Point%20 Lighthouses Photos, History, Waypoints and Directions to the Light.]
* [http://www.michiganlights.com/bigsablepointlh.htm Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Big Sable Point Light.]
* National Park Service [http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/light/bigsable.htm Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Michigan] .
* [http://www.terrypepper.com/lights/michigan/bigsable/bigsable.htm Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Big Sable Light.]
* [http://splka.org/ Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association.]
* [http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/invizzible/images/bigsauble/bigsaublesat2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/invizzible/beach/bigsauble.html&h=116&w=96&sz=11&tbnid=aNHtKHaE3VwJ:&tbnh=116&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBig%2BSable%2BPoint%2Blight%2Bsatelite%2Bphotograph&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=1&ct=image&cd=2 Satellite image of 'Big Sable Point.']
* U.S. Coast Guard [http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMI.asp 's complete list of Michigan lights, including Big Sable Point.]
* [http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/LightLists/V7COMPLETE.PDF Volume 7, United States Coast Guard Lightlist (PDF).]
* [http://www.us-lighthouses.com/displaypage.php?LightID=207 U.S. Lighthouses, Big Sable Point Light.]
* [http://lighthouse.boatnerd.com/gallery/Michigan/bigsablepoint.htm Wobser, David and Edin Colt, boatnerd.com, Big Sable Point Light.]