Cheboygan Crib Lighthouse History
In 1871, a project was adopted to improve the harbor at Cheboygan by dredging the river to a width of 200 feet and a depth of not less than fourteen feet. Prior to these improvements, the water over the bar at the mouth of the river had a depth of just seven feet.
Shipping of commodities, especially lumber was big business at the time and the port saw heavy vessel traffic.
To help mariners locate the entrance to the river, a light was established atop a forty-foot-square, offshore crib in line with the western bank of the river. The following description of this work comes from the 1885 Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board:
An iron pierhead beacon was erected, by contract, on October 15, 1884, on an oak ring foundation, on the isolated crib at the end of the channel dredged into the mouth of this river. The beacon was then lined with beaded ceiling 2 ½ inches wide put on in panels, a hole was drilled through the lantern-deck and a galvanized-iron smoke-pipe fitted to it for a chimney for the keeper’s stove, an oil room was fitted up under it in the superstructure of the crib, a lightning rod was attached to its base and carried down into the water, two iron boat-cranes were erected on the crib, and iron steps were put up, and the beacon was thoroughly painted. On November 1, 1884, the station was lighted.
The octagonal tower, which was originally painted brown stood thirty-three feet tall. A circular iron stairway provided access to the watchroom, where four circular windows with a diameter of fifteen inches helped light the interior. The twenty-five-ton tower was built by Russell Car Wheel Foundry of Detroit and was fastened to the underlying heavy oak timbers with two-inch bolts.
A dedicated keeper was never assigned to the crib light. Rather, an assistant keeper position was added to the Cheboygan River Range Lights, and that station’s two keepers were responsible for looking after the range lights and the crib light. In 1897, a two-room dwelling for the assistant keeper was built on the crib, so he could stay at the light. The iron tower was accessed from the dwelling by an iron door.
A fourth-order, Fresnel lens, manufactured in Paris by Barbier, Benard & Turenne, was originally used in the tower to produce a fixed red light that could be seen for up to thirteen miles. The red light was produced by a red glass chimney used on the oil lamp set inside the Fresnel lens. On June 12, 1925, the characteristic of the light was changed to a red flash every two seconds.
In 1910, a 1,200-pound fog bell was hung from a skeleton tower on the northwest corner of the crib. The upper part of the tower was enclosed by steel plates and housed a No. 3 Gamewell striker, whose weight had to be wound up every two-and-a-half hours in order to toll the bell at ten seconds intervals. The Lighthouse Service Bulletin for February 1932 lauded the performance of an automated striker installed in the tower.
Cheboygan Crib Light was automated in the late 1920s and equipped with an acetylene light that required only an occasional visit.
By the 1980s, the crib had developed a significant lean, and the Coast Guard determined that it would be less expensive to demolish rather than repair the structure. Ryba Marine Construction of Cheboygan was hired to remove the crib, and under an agreement with the Coast Guard, the iron tower was barged to the mouth of the river where it was placed atop a new cement foundation at the foot of the pier in Gordon Turner Park.
In August 2001, the windows were replaced, the tower’s joints were recaulked, and the lighthouse received a new coat of paint.
The Cheboygan Crib Lighthouse has become a symbol for the area, appearing in logos for the City of Cheboygan, the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, the Cheboygan Area Tourist Bureau, and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune.
Other points of interest that can be seen from Gordon Turner Park:
- The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is located just across the river from the Crib (If she is in her home port).
- Fourteen Foot Shoal Lighthouse. Visible on a clear day (look to the NE).
- Poe Reef Lighthouse. Visible on a clear day. (look to the NE, beyond the Fourteen Foot Shoal Lighthouse).
- Bois Blanc Island, the large land mass to the North.
- Mackinac Island. Visible on a clear day. (look to the NW. It is at west end of Bois Blanc Island. You may see the Grand Hotel, the Governor’s retreat and other white structures that may stand out).
- Mackinaw Bridge. Visible on a clear day. (look to the WNW way in the distance)
- An occasional passing freighter transiting between Bois Blanc Island and Cheboygan (this route is the south channel).
NOTE: To claim this as a find, email or send us a message with your answer to the following question through our profile. This process can be accessed by clicking on our name (Team Kalsin) near the top of this cache page.
Question: On the door of the Crib Lighthouse, you will find a small plaque (see picture below). What are the first three words at the top of the plaque?
Any ‘Found’ logs without the answer sent to us are subject to deletion.
Though not required, pictures with logs are always welcome and appreciated.
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