In 1850 a lighthouse was constructed on Ottawa Point, now called Tawas Point, to warn ships of the coast and guide them, during hazardous weather, from Lake Huron to the safety of Tawas Bay. After the original lighthouse was constructed, gathering sand extended the Point until the lighthouse was nearly three-quarters of a mile from shore twenty years later.
A new lighthouse, including a tower and keeper's residence, was constructed in 1876 at what was then the end of Tawas Point. Light from the Fourth Order lens was visible fourteen miles from the lighthouse and provided a landmark for Great Lakes vessels.
A lighthouse keeper maintained the light until it was automated in 1946. By then Tawas Point had again shifted away from the lighthouse, but radar and advancing technology made a new lighthouse unnecessary. The lighthouse closed and is now being restored as a historical landmark in Tawas Point State Park.
Tawas Point Lighthouse
How interesting!
ReplyDeleteI miss those great lakes...thanks for the history lesson :)
ReplyDelete