Welcome to Whitefish Point Lighthouse in the U.P. of Michigan.
Probably one of the best lighthouses to visit in the U.P.
Constructed in 1849, it is the oldest operating lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula. All vessels entering or exiting Lake Superior pass near Whitefish Point. The area is infamously known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" due to the high number of shipwrecks in the area, most famously the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
For an additional fee and seasonaly dependent, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is open to the public. I went in here and saw the bell recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Very cool to see all the history of the shipwrecks.
Construction on the first light began in 1847, and the lighthouse was said to resemble that at Old Presque Isle Light. First lit in 1849, it was one of the first lighthouses on the shores of Lake Superior. It is the oldest active light on the lake, standing at the point of land that marks the course change for vessels coming from the southern coast of Lake Superior, known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes", to the Soo Locks. All vessels entering or leaving Lake Superior must past Whitefish Point. Whitefish Point Light is arguably the most important light on Lake Superior. The Whitefish Point area has more shipwrecks than any other area in Lake Superior.
The original structure was outfitted with Lewis lamps, which were thereafter upgraded to a fourth order Fresnel lens. The current structure, while modern looking, is a Civil War relic. Built in 1861, the iron skeletal steel framework was designed to relieve stress caused by high winds. A similar design is used at Manitou Island Light in Lake Superior. It was equipped with a third order Fresnel lens.
In 1968, the light was replaced with a DCB-224 aero beacon manufactured by the Carlisle & Finch Company. According to Volume 7 of the U.S. Coast Guard light list, it was visible for a distance of 26 nautical miles (48 km; 30 mi) in clear weather conditions, and had two unevenly spaced eclipses, and two flashes within every 20 second period. Putting aside questions of nostalgia, aesthetics, or appreciation for the engineering of a bygone era (as exemplified by the Fresnel lens), this iteration of lighthouse illumination was itself incredibly effective, and an endangered remnant of another bygone era.
The station was automated in 1971.
In 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners reported reduced intensity of the Whitefish Point light from June 7, 2011 until August 16, 2011, when the DCB-224 Series Carlisle & Finch aerobeacon lens was changed to a light-emitting diode (LED) lantern with a reduced range of 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) as permitted by Coast Guard rules and regulations adopted in 2003 for private aids to navigation. The aerobeacon lens is stored in a building at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum complex for possible future public display.
The lighthouse is home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which has many artifacts from numerous shipwrecks in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve, most notably, the bell from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which was recovered from the wreck in 1995. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is open during the tourist season from 10 am to 6 pm, every day through October 31.[20] The organization that operates the museum got 80.079% of its funding from the public in the year 2010.
The light is considered iconic, and has been the subject of memorabilia. An official Michigan Historical Marker was erected in 1974. It is Registered Site L0272. The marker notes:
This light, the oldest on Lake Superior, began operating in 1849, though the present tower was constructed later. An early stopping place for Indians, Voyageurs, Coureur des bois and Jesuit missionaries, the point marks the course change for ore boats and other ships navigating this treacherous coastline to and from St. Mary's Canal. Since 1971 the light, fog signal, and radio beacon have been automated and controlled from Sault Ste. Marie.
The keepers were:
1848–1851: James B. Van Rensselaer
1851–1853: Amos Stiles
1853–1856: William C. Crampton
1856–1859: Belloni McGulpin
1859–1861: Charles Garland
1861–1864: Joseph Kemp
1864–1868: Thomas Stafford
1868–1874: Edward Ashman
1874–1882: Charles J. Linke
1882–1883: Edward Chambers
1883–1903: Charles Kimball
1903–1931: Robert Carlson
Whitefish Point is on the Lake Superior coastline known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes”. The numerous shipwrecks of Whitefish Bay include:
Comet
John B. Cowle
Drake
Samuel Mather
Miztec
Myron
Niagara
John M. Osborn
Sagamore
Superior City
Vienna
Very family friendly and accessable at all times of the year from many different forms of travel to get to GZ.
To claim this smiley. (Note #1 is highly recommended!!!! and I hope you enjoy visiting)
1). Take a picture of you or your GPS/phone by something from the Whitefish Point Lighthouse grounds (bonus kudos if your picture has the lighthouse behind you), Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum or the Edmunc Fitzgerald Memoral. I did the tour and went into and out of many of the musuem buildings. The tour is not needed to receive credit for the cache but you may like it and there are numerous selfie opportunities.
2). Message me the 2 dates needed. Date 1 is the year on the sign in front of the lighthouse "WhiteFish Point Light Station". This is where GZ of this cache will lead you. About 75 feet NNE of the sign and NE of the Eastern most point of the LightHouse base, there is a 5 step concrete stairway leading into the east door. What is the year on the bottom left of that stairway.
Hope you enjoy your visit and the history!
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Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.