Poe Reef is a lighthouse located at the east end of South Channel between Bois Blanc Island and the mainland of the

Lower Peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...

, about east of

Cheboygan, Michigan Cheboygan ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,876. It is the county seat of Cheboygan County. The name of the city shares the name of the county and probably has its origin from the ...

. Poe Reef has historically caused problems for shipping. Powered vessels heading west to

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

generally use South Channel, which is approximately three nautical miles wide, but Poe Reef sits close to the middle of the channel, and to the north of it the water is too shallow for

lake freighter Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships. Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of m ...

History

Many attempts were made to position a lightship here but it was difficult. Four different lightships served beginning in 1893: Lightships Nos. 62, 59, 96, and No. 99. The Poe Reef Light was an extension of the effort—beginning in 1870 through 1910—where engineers began to build lights on isolated

islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

, and

shoals In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It o ...

that were significant navigational hazards. Until that time,

Light ships A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship that acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. Although some records exist of fire beacons being placed on ships in Roman times, ...

were the only practical way to mark the hazards, but were dangerous for the sailors who manned them, and difficult to maintain. "Worse, regardless of the type of anchors used lightships could be blown off their expected location in severe storms, making them a potential liability in the worst weather when captains would depend on the charted location of these lights to measure their own ship's distance from dangerous rocks."''Beacons in the Night'', Clarke Historical Library.

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

.Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit:

Wayne State University Press Wayne State University Press (or WSU Press) is a university press that is part of Wayne State University. It publishes under its own name and also the imprints Painted Turtle and Great Lakes Books Series. History The Press has strong subjec ...

, 1995. . ''See'',

United States lightship Huron (LV-103) United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

Construction and operation

The Poe

Reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

is one of several that mark the passage through the South Channel. The other major light is Fourteen Foot Shoal Light. The decision was made by the

United States Lighthouse Service The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the United States Government and the general lighthouse authority for the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 as the successor of the ...

in 1926 to construct a permanent light here. The Poe Reef Light was completed in 1928. The Poe Reef Light is part of what became a complex of 14

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...

lights in Michigan waters, which was intended to help ships navigate through and around the

and hazards of the Great Lakes. It is also "part of a series of a significant offshore light construction projects being undertaken in the Straits area in the late 1920s." The same crew that built this light also built St. Martin's Light from almost the same plan. The Poe Reef

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 ...

marks the north side of the ''South Channel'' of the

Straits of Mackinac The Straits of Mackinac ( ; french: Détroit de Mackinac) are the short waterways between the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas, traversed by the Mackinac Bridge. The main strait is wide with a maximum depth of , and connects ...

, while the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light marks the south side of the channel. Most sailing vessels had used the channel on the north side of Bois Blanc Island, but the growth of

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

traffic increased use of the South Channel. The Poe Reef Light shares designs with a twin,

Martin Reef Light The Martin Reef Light Station is a lighthouse located in northern Lake Huron, south of Cadogan Point in Clark Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. History At the end of the 19th century, the av ...

(all white, however, and with different windows in the fourth floor), which was built in 1927 by the same construction crew. The Poe lighthouse was originally painted all white, which sometimes confused mariners because they shared colors and a common structural design. Thus, a decision was made to paint Poe in contrasting bands. The Poe Reef station was designed so that the onsite crew could also remotely operate the Fourteen Foot Shoal Light. Subsequently, both lights have been fully automated. The Poe Reef

diaphone The diaphone is a noisemaking device best known for its use as a foghorn: It can produce deep, powerful tones, able to carry a long distance. Although they have fallen out of favor, diaphones were also used at some fire stations and in other situ ...

fog horn A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. W ...

is still in current service. In 2005, the Poe Reef Light lighthouse was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and the parallel state inventory of historic sites.

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 ...

Maritime Heritage Program, Inventory of Historic Lights, Poe Reef Light.
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Orlando Poe legacy

The reef and light are named for lighthouse designer

Orlando M. Poe Orlando Metcalfe Poe (March 7, 1832 – October 2, 1895) was a United States Army officer and engineer in the American Civil War. After helping General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea, he was responsible for much of the early lig ...

. During ten years of service as Engineer for the Eleventh Lighthouse District he designed eight lighthouses,Pepper, Terry
''Seeing the Light, Orlando Metcalfe Poe: The Great Engineer of the Western Great Lakes''
biography. namely:

New Presque Isle Light The New Presque Isle Light was built in 1870, at Presque Isle, Michigan, east of Grand Lake, and sits on the namesake peninsula. It is one of 149 lighthouses in Michigan, more than any other state. Because of changing shoreline particularly, or ...

(1870) on Lake Huron;

South Manitou Island Light South Manitou Island Lighthouse is located on South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan, west of Leland, Michigan. It is in Leelanau County in western Northern Michigan. History This is the third lighthouse built on the island. Construction of th ...

(1872); Grosse Point Lighthouse (1873) in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, Wil ...

; Au Sable Light (1874) on

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

; Wind Point Light (1880) near

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

; Outer Island Light (1874) in the

Apostle Islands The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Islands are located in Ba ...

; Little Sable Point Light (1874) on Lake Michigan, and

Seul Choix Light The Seul Choix Light is a lighthouse located in the northwest corner of Lake Michigan in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. The station was established in 1892 with a temporary light, and this light started service in 1895, and was fully automated in ...

near

Manistique, Michigan Manistique, formerly Monistique, is the only city and county seat of Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,828. The city borders the adjacent Manistique Township, but the two are a ...

which was completed in 1895; and his crowning achievement,

Spectacle Reef Light Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse east of the Straits of Mackinac and is located at the northern end of Lake Huron, Michigan. It was designed and built by Colonel Orlando Metcalfe Poe and Major Godfrey Weitzel, and was the most expensive lig ...

. Others consider his "crowning achievement" to be the Poe Lock in

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most populated ...

Getting there

The closest mainland location to the lighthouse is

Cordwood Point Cordwood Point is a promontory of Cheboygan County that extends out into Lake Huron. Located east of Cheboygan, it marks the east end of the South Channel, the southernmost navigational channel of the Straits of Mackinac. The point has been sub ...

, a privately developed summer settlement east of Cheboygan. The lighthouse is visible from Lighthouse Point near the ruins of the Cheboygan Main Light Station in

Cheboygan State Park Cheboygan State Park is a public recreation area covering on the shores of Lake Huron in Cheboygan County, Michigan, United States. The state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those ...

and that locale will provide an opportunity for a picture, albeit from approximately . Another location from which the Poe Reef Light can be seen from land is from Gordon Turner Park, in Cheboygan, Michigan, at the mouth of the

Cheboygan River The Cheboygan River ( ) is a short but significant river in the Lake Huron drainage basin of the U.S. state of Michigan. in length,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Novemb ...

. A private boat is one way to see the light up close, although it and its crib are closed and "off limits to the public." Another way to view the Poe Light from the water is on the eastbound lighthouse cruises offered by Shepler's Ferry Service. Narration is provided by members of the Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association, and a portion of the proceeds go to their cause. The Poe Reef Light can be seen from the air by chartered

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tec ...

; these amphibious machines can be hired to make a tour of the Mackinac Straits and environs. Because of its relatively remote location, the Poe Reef Light does not have a high iconographic profile. Nevertheless, an

embroidered Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

image is available.

Gallery

References

External links

Lighthouses in the Mackinac Straits.

Photograph at Lighthouses.com.

Poe Reef Light at U.S. Lighthouses.com.

{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1929 Houses completed in 1929 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Buildings and structures in Cheboygan County, Michigan Transportation in Cheboygan County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Cheboygan County, Michigan