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
C is for Characteristic A beacon flashes and sailors know from afar just where they are Mariners passing through northern Lake Michigan know immediately when they see the White Shoal Light Its distinctive spiral candy-cane painted tower can be seen from miles away and is the only one like it in the U S Each lighthouse is painted with a unique color pattern called a daymark to distinguish it from neighboring lights Mariners consult light lists and charts to know which lighthouse is in view At night the individual flashing pattern and color of a beacon is known as its characteristic characteristic The light at Little Sable Point on Lake Michigan is known by its white flash every six seconds Foghorns and whistles are used as warn ings when visibility is poor They also have distinct sound patterns The fog signal at the Cleveland Harbor Main Entrance Light on Lake Erie locally known as the cow had a characteristic of one three-second blast per minute and could be heard from 12 miles away
D is for Door County Three hundred miles of rocky shore and swirling currents called Death’s Door Door County rests on a peninsula on Lake Michigan forming the southern entrance to Green Bay Because of the treacherous waters surrounding it the first French explorers in the area called it Port de Morts or Death’s Door Its 300 miles of rugged coastline are home to 11 lighthouses David E Corbin was the first keeper at the Pottawatomie Lighthouse built in 1836 He complained of loneliness having only his horse and dog for company Despite a special two-week leave to acquire a wife Corbin died at the light in 1852 still a bachelor For 35 years the lighthouse at Eagle Bluff had far merrier occupants in the Duclon family The Duclons formed a family band and traveled with their instruments including a piano to entertain at local events In winter they loaded everything onto a sleigh Visit the Door County Maritime Museum at beautiful Cana Island Lighthouse then treat yourself to the traditional regional dinner of fish boil and cherry pie
