for Beacon B is Lakes Lighthouse Alphabet A Great Written by Helen L Wilbur and Illustrated by Renée Graef
A is for America’s Inland Seas The Lakes provided and built the heart transportation of this great nation Known as America’s Inland Seas the Great Lakes with the rivers canals and channels that connect them form one of the busiest waterways in the world Native tribes were the original inhabitants on the lakes The tribes traded furs with Europeans as they came into the area As European settle ment increased maritime commerce flourished Lighthouses were needed to secure the safety of ships over the massive freshwater seas In 1781 the British established the first light on the Great Lakes at Fort Niagara After the revolution the fort and the light became part of the United States The first U S Congress recognized the importance of lighthouses in developing the new nation In 1789 it passed a law making the federal government responsible for all lighthouses and beacons The Buffalo Main and the Erie Land Lights established on Lake Erie in 1818 were the first two U S lights on the lakes By the 1860s that number had jumped to over 70
Lighthouses play more than a vital role in navigation they serve as symbols of courage and loyalty People are fascinated by light houses Often on remote and beautiful shorelines these magical beacons shine out to warn of danger offer comfort to travelers on the seas and lead them to safe harbor Early people lit shores with bonfires to direct sailing ships to safety The first known lighthouse lighthouse called the Pharos stood in Alexandria in Ancient Egypt Built in the third century BC it guided ships into the harbor for 1,500 years until it was destroyed in an earthquake Before rail roadways and air travel ships were the fastest way to transport people and goods Lighthouses led ships through treacherous treacherous waters to their destinations Though commercial shipping now uses modern navigational technology many recreational boaters on the Great Lakes still depend on lighthouses to mark their location Lighthouses continue to light the dark and lead us home B is for Beacon Though the voyage is dangerous stormy and long the beacon before us stays steady and strong
