This week's lighthouse is on the shores of Lake Superior, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It's a restored lighthouse that hasn't been a working light for a long time, but it's a landmark. The lighthouse is on Grand Island, and since it's on the east channel, it's called the Grand Island East Channel Light, naturally.
Just to the east of the lighthouse, and the nearest community, which is Munising, Michigan, is the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. And in the winter, which is still usually quite cold up here, there are remarkable picturesque ice caves on Grand Island, too.
But about the lighthouse - here is the Lighthouse Friends page.
You can look at the map to see where it is. The funny thing about its location is that the northern end of Highway 41 swings right by it -- so we'll be back, eventually.
Historically and briefly, there was a lighthouse of some kind here in 1856, but it took until 1867 to get a lighthouse built there. It was hit by lightning in 1891, and after a shipwreck in 1903, they took the lighthouse out of service in 1905. Some range lights were put up, and the lighthouse was last lighted in late October 1908. Somehow the building managed to survive the entire remainder of the 20th century, and finally at the turn of the century the shore was protected and the lighthouse was restored in the next years.
So it looks kind of aged. But it's supposed to look like that. There's a restored lantern room, but I don't think it has an actual light in it. I'd sure like to visit it
So here are the pictures:
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