The Algoma Light or Algoma Pierhead Light is a
lighthouse located near
Algoma in
Kewaunee County
Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an arch ...
,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
.
The lighthouse was first established in 1893 as a set of
range light
Leading lights (also known as range lights in the United States) are a pair of light beacons used in navigation to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel; they may also be used for position fixing. At nigh ...
s. It was rebuilt in 1908, at which time it was a conical tower built of
steel plate, in diameter at the base and in diameter at the
parapet
A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
. It stood high.
In 1932, it was modified again and the entire structure was raised to a height of by placing the older tower on a new steel base in diameter, that increased the focal height to forty-two feet.
The station was automated in 1973.
It is listed as number 20975 in the USCG light lists.
History
The lighthouse was first established in 1893 as a set of
range light
Leading lights (also known as range lights in the United States) are a pair of light beacons used in navigation to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel; they may also be used for position fixing. At nigh ...
s. In 1895, a fifth-order lens replaced the original lantern; increasing the effective range of the light to 11 miles.
In 1907, with the keeper's accommodations still unbuilt, the wooden tower was in a significant state of distress and the decision was made to replace the tower.
It was rebuilt in 1908.
It stood high.
The Fresnel lens remained the source of illumination until June 5, 2019, when it was replaced with an LED light. The Fresnel lens was placed on display at the
North Point Light
The North Point Lighthouse Museum is a lighthouse built in 1888 in Lake Park on the East Side of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States to mark the entrance to the Milwaukee River. The lighthouse was added to the National Regis ...
house museum in
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
.
Keepers
The Light has had several keepers throughout its long history even prior to the construction of the tower. Ole Hansen was the first to man the light from 1893 – 1895.
Charles E. Young followed in 1895 and remained until 1899.
The third keeper was Nelson Knudsen who manned it from 1899 to 1901.
In 1901, Gustavus Umberham transferred to Algoma from the
Cedar River Lighthouse; bringing his five children with him.
Umberham drowned on February 3, 1913, during a boat trip with three acquaintances, he was swept overboard by a large wave.
Eugene Kimball, a close friend of Umberham was transferred to the station in April 1913.
Kimball was manned the light until 1923 when he was transferred.
After Kimball left, Carl J. Graan manned the lighthouse from 1923 to 1944.
Images
File:AlgomaWisconsinPierheadLighthouse2008.jpg
File:USCGalgoma1.JPG, 1908 Light
File:USCGalgoma2.JPG, Seen shortly after 1932 modifications
File:Algoma Fresnel Lens.jpg, The 5th order Fresnel Lens in the Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse is lowered down the ladder to the base of the tower.
File:Algoma Light.jpg, Current flashing LED light
References
Further reading
* Havighurst, Walter (1943) ''The Long Ships Passing: The Story of the Great Lakes'',
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publ ...
.
* Oleszewski, Wes, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses'', (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) .
*
* Sapulski, Wayne S., (2001) ''Lighthouses of Lake Michigan: Past and Present'' (Paperback) (Fowlerville: Wilderness Adventure Books) ; .
* Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia'' Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) .
External links
Anderson, Kraig, Lighthouse friends article
*
*National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...
br>Maritime Heritage Project, Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Wisconsin
*
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Lighthouses completed in 1908
Lighthouses completed in 1932
Buildings and structures in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Lighthouses in Wisconsin
Tourist attractions in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
1908 establishments in Wisconsin