Mission Point Light is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

at the end of

Old Mission Point Peninsula Township is a civil township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 6,068, up from 5,433 at the 2010 census. The township is coterminous with the Old Mission Peninsu ...

, a peninsula jutting into

Grand Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Bay is a deep bay of Lake Michigan formed by the Leelanau Peninsula in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is long, wide, and up to deep in spots. It is further divided into two east and west arms by the Ol ...

north of

Traverse City Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...

. When it was built in 1870, it was an exact copy of the Mama Juda Light (now destroyed), which was built on the

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively refe ...

in 1866. The foundation is natural and emplaced. The wooden structure is painted white with black trim. The square tower is attached to a dwelling. A fixed white Fifth Order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

was installed. The building was only one and one half stories tall. However, its placement on a sand bank 14 feet above the lake's surface created a lens focal plane of . It was visible from at sea. Maintaining the dune and protecting it and the lighthouse from the deleterious effects of wave action has been a constant struggle.Terry Pepper, Mission Point lighthouse at Seeing the Light.
/ref> For 67 years the light served to warn mariners about the shoals off the point. However, new techniques in offshore construction and the automation of lighthouse illumination made it possible to build a navigation aid on the shoal itself. In 1938, work began on a pier for the new light in of water, about northwest of Mission Point. The light ran on batteries. It was on a tall tower, and its focal plane of help make it visible for . It had a 30-second dwell time between flashes, in order to conserve power. Famously, the

stands a few hundred yards south of the

45th parallel north The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean. The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the ...

, halfway between the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Mag ...

and the

Equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and purchased by the State of Michigan. There are a pair of signs that denote its location on the parallel, and it is one of 29 places (six are in Michigan) in the U.S.A. where such signs are known to exist.

Current status and activities

The lighthouse is located in Old Mission State Park, which is managed by Peninsula Township as Lighthouse Park, at the northern end of M-37. As reported in the Traverse City Record Eagle, in a unique program, the lighthouse society sought volunteers to work and live in the Mission Point Light during 2008. There is a fee, which will benefit the light. In 2008, the building opened for the first time to the public (it will have a small museum), after serving for many years as the park manager's residence. The area around the lighthouse attracts many

cross country skiers Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

. There is a boat launch there, which is favored by

sea kayak A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the man ...

ers. The location is becoming increasingly popular, which has subjected it to environmental issues that are being addressed by Peninsula Township. The

Old Mission Peninsula Peninsula Township is a civil township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 6,068, up from 5,433 at the 2010 census. The township is coterminous with the Old Mission Peninsul ...

is said to be a premier place to sea kayak. One gets close to shore, lighthouse, picnic grounds and parks. The bay offers a shelter from the prevailing westerly winds and from the Lake Michigan waves. Maps, rentals and guided tours are available. Because of its form, surroundings and location, it is photogenic, having inspired photographs and illustrations, including drawings and needlepoint.Needlepoint of Mission Point Light.
/ref>

References

Bibliography

Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
* Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, ''The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses'' (2002) ; . * Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. ''The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes.'' Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. . * Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, ''American Lighthouses'' (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ; . * Jones, Ray,''The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference'' (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ; . * Noble, Dennis, ''Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy'' (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ; . * Oleszewski, Wes, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses'', (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) . * Penrod, John, ''Lighthouses of Michigan'', (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) . * Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A'' Traveler's Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses'' (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). * * Putnam, George R., ''Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States'', (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933). * United States Coast Guard, ''Aids to Navigation'', (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945). * * * Wagner, John L., ''Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective'', (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) . * Wargin, Ed, ''Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio'' (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). . * Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia'' Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) .

External links

Mission Point Lighthouse
- official site
Aerial photos, Old Mission Point Light, marinas.com.

Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.

Lighthouse Central, Photographs, History, Directions and Way points for Old Mission Point Light, ''The Ultimate Guide to West Michigan Lighthouses'' by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC – 2005).
.

Article linking Mama Juda Lighthouse with Old Mission Point.

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080703070359/http://www.lighthousesrus.org/MichiganNorth.htm Interactive map/list/information of lighthouses in northeastern Lake Michiganby LighthousesRus.
Map of Michigan Lighthouse
in PDF Format.

*

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 propertie ...

br>Maritime Heritage, Inventory of Historic Light Stations.
* Old Mission Point light.
Youtube, Mission Point Lighthouse and 45th Parallel.
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1870 Houses completed in 1870 Museums in Grand Traverse County, Michigan Lighthouse museums in Michigan 1870 establishments in Michigan

Current status and activities

See also

References

Bibliography

External links