1892: The Debut of a Lighthouse at a Pivotal Spot Between Two of the Great Lakes

October 25, 1892

A lighthouse built at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and along the Straits of Mackinac was first lit. This structure, which is known as Old Mackinac Point Light, is specifically located at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron — one of the busiest areas for vessels in the entire Great Lakes region.

Old Mackinac Point Light essentially replaced a lighthouse that had been in service at McGulpin Point, situated about three miles (4.8 kilometers) to the west, since 1869. A major problem with McGulpin Point Light was that its light was not visible from all directions. The light at Old Mackinac Point Light, on the other hand, provided better all-around lighting that was visible as far as away as 16 miles (26 kilometers). 

The first head keeper at Old Mackinac Point Light was George W. Marshall, who had previously served at Waugoshance Light at the northern end of Lake Michigan. Marshall served as head keeper at Old Mackinac Point Light until retiring in 1919. He was replaced by his son James, who remained in the position until a stroke forced him to retire in 1940.

This lighthouse was deactivated in 1957, when the Mackinac Bridge was opened just west of there and proved to be a suitable substitute as a navigational aid for that vicinity of the Great Lakes. Old Mackinac Light, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, is now a maritime museum.

Photo Credit: James Marvin Phelps (https://www.flickr.com/photos/66727626@N00) – licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

For more information on Old Mackinac Point Light, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Mackinac_Point_Light