“A Look Back in history” – PART one
By: Scott W. Bundschuh
As an author and
historian of the Great Lakes, there are subjects or events that inspire me to
write about or have them published for those who enjoy reading my newspaper
column or my blog. My latest inspiration is on those Harbor of Refuge Light-Stations
and some of those individuals that once served at each of them. These
navigational aids once stood along the harbor refuge just beyond the outreach
of Lake Huron. My decision to write about these light-stations were ignited after
I reading through a few archive documents and did some additional research on
their long-standing history.
Part One of this newspaper
article will concentrate mainly on the four “Sand
Beach Harbor of Refuge Light-Stations.” My thought is to talk about the
history of each light-station and those keepers and assistance that faithfully
spent time serving as members of the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
Part Two of the newspaper
article will appear in July or August edition of the newspaper. It will mainly
concentrate on the lifesaving station and many of rescues that took place at
each of the: “Sand Beach (A.K.A.: Harbor
Beach) Lifesaving Station,” and some additional background on those who
served there until the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned the station. With all of
that said let’s begin Part One of our journey.
The
Early Years (1870’s to 1872)
Around the middle
of the 1870’s the number of wrecks that occurred along Lake Huron shorelines
near the area that was called: “Sand
Beach.” With the death toll mounting and the number of vessels lost the: “Federal Government” realized they
needed to construct a safe harbor of refuge for ships to run to during bad
weather. On the 20th day of October 1871, the U.S. Board of
Engineers was assembled in Detroit, Michigan. The team of engineers were
instructed by the Federal Government to identify the best possible location(s)
for a new harbor that would protect vessels running up and down Lake Huron. The
team’s initial land and water survey was a deemed a: “Massive Failure.” Based on what I read the original survey team was
convinced there wasn’t a single location(s) that fit their new harbor profile. The
Federal Government was under pressure to deliver a safe place for ships to run
too. After many weeks, had passed, Brevet Brigadier General Orlando Metcalfe
Poe summoned Captain Jarad A. Smith to Detroit, Michigan. Metcalf instructed Captain
Smith to conduct a second survey along Lake Huron. Captain Smith was told to
mainly focus in on areas around Sand Beach and Port Hope.
Author Notes:
“On
the 7th day of March 1832, Orlando Metcalfe Poe was born in Navarre,
Ohio. In 1852, he entered the United
States Military Academy, four years later he graduated sixth in his class.
Orlando Metcalfe Poe earned the rank of First Lieutenant while appointed to the
position of assistant topographical engineer. From 1856 through 1861, he was
responsible for surveying the northern Great Lakes.”
Captain
Jarad Smith completed the survey of both locations per the instructions he had was
given by Orlando Metcalfe Poe. On the 9th day of October 1872, a
second U.S. Board of Engineers were once again summoned to Detroit, Michigan. During
their second meeting, Captain Smith identified about 7,000 feet of breakwater that
could be used at Sand Beach. He also identified 10,000 feet of breakwater that
could be considered at Port Hope. After careful consideration by the Board of
Engineers, Sand Beach was selected as the perfect site for the new refuge harbor.
Author’s Note:
“What made Sand Beach
the preferable spot out of the two locations was the survey of Sand Beach was
recognized as the midpoint between Port Huron and Tawas Point.”
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers & District Inspectors (Who’s
In charge and Where They Resided)
Prior to the early part
of May 1886, the Inspector for the Tenth U.S. Lighthouse District was: “U.S. Navy, Commander Francis A. Cook.” Until
the 19th day of May 1886, Captain Charles E. L. B. Davis was one of the
Engineers serving with the: “U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.” Based on the information provided to me, Captain Davis
retired and his predecessor was Major Samuel M. Mansfield, “United States Army Corps of Engineers” Detroit, Michigan. Major
Mansfield served as a key officer in the Tenth Lighthouse District until the 11th
day of April 1888.
The
Inspector for the Tenth Lighthouse Districted was head up by Jerome G. Kiah.
His office was in Harbor Beach, Michigan. Kiah Assistant Inspector for both the
Ninth District (Lake Superior Stations)
and Tenth (Lake Huron Stations) Lighthouse
Districts was Captain James H. Rodgers, U.S. Revenue Cutter Service. Rodger’s
office was on the 2nd floor, Room 204 in the main Post Office
Building located in heart of downtown Detroit, Michigan
New Harbor of
Refuge
(Construction Begins)
In 1873, a contract
was awarded to a private contractor to begin the task of constructing the new
piers. Construction work on those new piers began just a few days later. Within
a few weeks, the contractor had built ten wooden timber crib foundations that were
used a part of the center piers. The rubble stones loaded into the cribbing was
provided by local residences and farmers who were subcontracted by one of the
private contractor working on the site. Their daily tasks were to provide loads
of stone they gathered along the shoreline. They made their way along the
shoreline in private boats or they hauled the stone to the lakeshore from
inland fields. From there the stones were loaded onto barges and then transport
out to the pier line. The record states these rectangular hemlock cribs were built
on shore, towed out to the line that was specified by Brevet Brigadier General
Orlando Metcalfe Poe. After they were set and properly aligned, the hemlock
cribs were sunk in place with loads of rubble stone that was placed by hand in
the center of each crib. By 1875, there were two contractors working on refuge of
harbor. Government records show the first contractor continued working on the
1,580-foot long main pier and the second contractor was assigned to build the
north pier.
Author’s Note:
“It’s important to
note that each of the four-new harbor of refuge light-stations would become
vital navigational aids for the shipping industry.”
Sand
Beach Harbor of Refuge Light-Stations
Below are some history
briefs on each of those four Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge (A.KA. Harbor Beach) Light-Stations. All of light-stations once
stood atop two the stone walkways that were made up of several piers and harbor
entrances along the shoreline. Each of them were just outside the waters of Lake
Huron.
(East Side North (Main) Entrance)
In 1875, the
original light-station was built on the East side of the North entrance to the
harbor. During that same year, there was an illuminous glow from its Fourth
Order Fresnel lens that was installed within a four-sided iron framed, wooden
planked floor lantern room. The six-prism lens was fixed with varied “White” flashes off the 360-degree circular
beacon, which lit up the entire horizon of Lake Huron. In the center of the
lens was a Hain's single wick mineral oil lamp that was surrounded by a ruby
screen’s that was on the inside of the six heavy prism glass panels.
The
powerful beacon was illuminated for the very first time at the start of the
1876 navigational season. Research shows the color of the iron lantern room was:
“Black” and the color that was
painted on the exterior of the wooden tower was listed as: “Brown.” The focal plane above the means of Lake Huron was noted as
forty-two feet and the height from the base of the lantern room to the large
ventilator ball that adorned the top of the iron roof was listed as thirty-five
feet. Flashing characteristics were listed as: “Fixed
White”
varied by “Red Flash” every ninety
seconds. The structure was: “Iron.” The
walls of the first three stories were lined with brick and plastered with
cement finish coat. The fourth story housed the watch room and lantern panels sealed
with beaded ceiling some seven eight inches in thickness.
In
1885 the original light-station that stood at the North angle of the
breakwater, was moved and rebuilt on the East side of the North Entrance of the
harbor. The Fourth Order Fresnel Lens was removed and by mid-September of that
same year the apparatus was replaced with a Fifth Order Fresnel lens. Flashing
characteristics on the 2nd day of February 1886 was listed as: “Fixed White.”
Author’s Note:
“Assistant Inspector, Lieutenant
William E. Reynolds, U.S. Revenue-Cutter Marines who served under Jerome G.
Kiah. His office was on the Fifth floor of the Rand-McNally Building, located
in Chicago, Illinois. “
While
conducting one his annual inspections of Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge East Side
North (Main) Entrance Reynolds wrote
the following notations in his report:
“This light-station has a newly constructed watch
room. Inside the room is a cleaning table, a couple of oil butt stands, a box
and two spare lamps. Water is: “Ample” and the overall health of the station
is: Very Healthy.”
Sand
Beach Harbor of Refuge
(North Side East Entrance)
In 1885, the North
Side East Entrance Light-Station once stood at South end of the Main harbor breakwater.
The concrete wharf once stands ten feet from inner wall of the harbor and was
built on North side of main entrance. The wharf railing systems was made up of
two inch wrought iron pipe with fittings and there were detachable chain
railing at the boat cranes. The wharf was forty feet wide by sixty feet long.
It ran parallel to breakwater and was connected by wooden bridge that was six
feet wide. The light-station stood some three thousand feet to Jenk's Wharf and
four thousand three hundred and fifty from the United States Light-Station to “Sand Beach (A.K.A.: Harbor Beach) Lifesaving
Station,” that was built near the “Village
of Sand Beach, Michigan.” Traveling by rowboat from: “Village of Sand Beach” to the North Side Entrance of Sand Beach
Harbor of Refuge was about a mile.
The
cast iron circular tower height from base to ventilator ball was: forty-four
feet four inches. The height of focal plane above mean high water was listed as:
fifty-four feet four inches. The lights flashing characteristics were listed
as: “Fixed White” that illuminated off
the 360-degree circular beacon. The rubble stone tower foundation measured forty
feet by sixty feet. The structure of the lantern room was listed as: “Iron” with brick center pier that
supported the cast iron floor plates and center columns. The walls of the first
three stories of the tower were lined with brick and plastered with cement to a
smooth finish coat. The fourth story of the tower housed the watch room and
lantern panels sealed with beaded ceiling was estimated as: “7/8 inches thick.” There was a cellar
under circular brick tower that measured sixteen feet in diameter, seven feet in
dept. The walls were twelve inches thick and there was an air space of six
inches between the brick and smooth concrete inner walls.
Fog Signal Building
The fog signal building
was just North of tower and within three feet of the North Side East Entrance Light-Station.
The fog signal was put in place to guide vessels into main harbor entrance
during snow storms, dense fog and poor weather conditions. House inside the
structure is a ten-inch whistle and there were a duplicate set of vertical
steam boilers and machinery the U.S. Lighthouse Board had originally designed back
in January 1883. Mounted above both boilers were two iron tanks. Water to keep the
machinery and boilers operational was drawn from the lake. The whistle height
was listed as eighteen inches above the finish grade. The wood frame fog signal
building measured twenty-two by twenty-nine-foot studding that was comprised of
six-inch by six-inch wood sheathed with two-inch wood planking that was installed
diagonally on exterior of the building. Inside the structure was sealed with one
inch wood tongue/grove flooring on inside. The roof and sides were covered with
Number 18 corrugated iron inside the building and lined with Number 26 smooth
iron walls filled with lime and sawdust for insulation. There were two tanks
for fog signal Each of them were three feet in diameter by four feet in height.
The capacity of each tank was listed as four hundred and twenty-three (23) gallons.
The signal characteristics were list as: One five-second blast followed by an
interval of twenty-five (25) seconds.
Sand
Beach Harbor of Refuge
(South Side East Entrance)
On the 1st
day of October 1885, Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge South Side East Entrance once
stood on North end of South arm of breakwater on the South Side of the East
entrance to the harbor. The structure was a skeleton tripod that was made up of
two inch wrought iron pipe, with a small platform of cast iron to receive a
tubular lantern. Base plates are screwed to sills which are bolted to deck and
stringers of breakwater. Lower panels of the iron structure were stiffened by
means of diagonal tie-rods and turnbuckles. A ships ladder was bolted to the
base of the tower. The ladder was also made up of wrought iron pipe that
continue from the bottom of the structure to top of the lantern room. The “Fixed Red” lantern was screwed into
position by two-gun metal clamps. Tubular signal lantern with its ruby globe
was a fixed 360 degrees that cast a bright beacon of light some nine miles
across the horizon of the lake. Mineral oil container was attached to and once
formed part of lantern that had a single Haines flat wick. The height from
base to ventilator ball was stated as twenty-one feet to focal plane of the
light. The focal plane height of the light above the mean high water was listed
as thirty feet.
Sand
Beach Harbor of Refuge
(West Side North Entrance)
On the 1st
day of October 1885, Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge West Side North Entrance once
stood on the East end of Northern arm of breakwater at West side of North
entrance to harbor. The structure was a skeleton tripod that was made up of two
inch wrought iron pipe, with a small platform of cast iron to receive a tubular
lantern. Base plates are screwed to sills which are bolted to deck and stringers
of breakwater. Lower panels of the iron structure were stiffened by means of
diagonal tie-rods and turnbuckles. A ships ladder that was bolted to the base
of the tower, was also made up of wrought iron pipe that continue to top of the
lantern room. The “Fixed Red” lantern
was screwed into position by two-gun metal clamps. Tubular signal lantern with its
ruby globe was a fixed 360 degrees that send a beacon of light some nine miles
across the horizon. Mineral oil container was attached to and once formed part
of lantern that had a single flat wick. The height from base to ventilator ball
was stated as twenty-one feet to focal plane of the light. The height of focal
plane of the light above the mean high water was listed as thirty feet.
Light-Station
Personnel
The next thought I
had was to share a list of all the Keeper’s, 1st and 2nd
Assistants that served at each of these harbor of refuge light-stations from
1876 through 1943. As my faithful readers needs to keep in mind, is each of the
light-station personnel service dates varies from one archival document to
another and in some cases, they are incomplete or missing key information:
Keeper’s:
o
Thomas M. Wallace:
1876 to 1878
o
Loren J. Trescott:
1878 to 1919
o
George E. Mahan:
1919 to ?
o
Archebald Davidson:
? to 1929
o
Otto H. Both:
1930? to 1940?
o
Ellsworth L.
Kniffin: 1942 to 1943
o
Thomas E.
Radcliff: 1940 to 1943
1st
Assistant’s:
o
Willis P. Graves:
1876 to 1878
o
Peter Dues: 1878
to 1882
o
Alva J. Trescott:
1885 to 1910
o
George E. Mahan:
1910 to 1912
o
Thomas E.
Radcliff: 1929 to 1933
o
Lawrence E. Lane:
1935 to 1936
o
Harold C. Fraser:1927?
to 1940
o
Ellsworth L.
Kniffin: 1940 to 1942
2nd
Assistant’s:
o
Ira M. Goodrick:
1885 to 1888
o
Samuel B. Leddick:
1888
o
George E. Mahan:
1888 to 1910
o
Andrew W.
Henderson: 1910 to 1912
o
Clarence J.
Brazier 1936
o
Ambrose A. Belland
1937
o
Ellsworth L.
Kniffin: 1937 to 1940
Thomas M.
Wallace
In
January 1876, Thomas M. Wallace as appointed by the United States Lighthouse Service
to the position of: “Keeper.” At the
time of his appointment, Thomas tended Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge East Side
North (Main) Entrance. Thomas wrote
in the station logbook that he was tending this light-station without an onsite
keeper’s quarters. Without a permanent dwelling, onsite or comfortable accommodations,
Keeper Wallace was forced to find his own place in town to live. Early every
morning, Keeper Wallace would leave his place along the mainland and make his
way towards the wharf in the “Village of Sand
Beach.” From there, Wallace would get into his small boat and row about a
mile out to the wood open framed tower. Wallace continued this same routine
until 1885, when the new light-station was constructed. Thomas M. Wallace spent
his day tending the light and watching the shipping traffic run up/down along Lake
Huron.
Author’s Note:
“In 1876, Thomas
Wallace home was listed as: 867 Davis Street and 297 Clinton Street, Detroit,
Michigan. The biggest problem with the research material is it did not
delineate the exact dates he resided at each location. Somewhere between 1876
and 1878, Thomas moved to 867 Dubois Street, Detroit, Michigan. All his personnel
records state Wallace’s occupation was: “Lighthouse Keeper.”
Loren J.
Trescott
What do we know
about Loren J. Trescott and his family? Ancestry.com shows, Loren K. Prescott
was born in Ohio in 1844 and passed away in 1923. The Trescott’s made their way
from the State of Ohio to: “Sand Beach,
Michigan” at the age of twelve. At the age of fifteen, young Thomas began
his Great Lakes career as a: “Cabin Boy”
aboard the “Schooner Forest Queen.”
His career continued aboard the: “Forest
Queen” for what was noted as: “Ten Years.”
Based on my research so far, Loren father’s name was listed as: “Hunting Trescott.” In 1854, his wife Jennie
(McDugan) Trescott was born. In 1912,
she passed away and then was laid to rest in: “Rock Falls Cemetery.” Mabel-Adeline Trescott (Moses) came into the Loren & Jennie’s life on the 5th
day of May 1887. At the time of her birth the couple was living in Harbor
Beach, Michigan. At the age of four years young Mabel caught the measles. Her
records stated the measles reduced the young child to skins and bones. This
condition was also blamed for her hacking cough Mabel contracted and suffered
from the measles. On the 27th day of November 1930, Mabel-Adeline (Trescott) Moses passed away. She was also
laid to rest in: “Rock Falls Cemetery.”
Her husband William Nelson Moses passed away twenty-six years later.
Author’s Note:
“Loren’s younger
brother Alva J. Trescott also known as: “Captain Alva J. Trescott” served as: “1st
Assistant” at: “Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge Light-Station” from 1878 to 1919 or
1885 to 1910, depending on which of his service records are: “Correct.”
What
do we know about the length of time Loren J. Trescott was part of the: “United States Lighthouse Service &
United States Lifesaving Service?” This where it gets interest, one record
states: In 1869, Trescott joined up with the U.S. Lifesaving Service and served
at a station along Lake Superior and then returned to Sand Beech as: “Keeper-in-Charge” of the light-station.
The other record states on the 12th day of October 1878, Loren
Trescott received his appointment as: “Acting
Keeper” at: “Sand Beach Harbor of
Refuge Light-Station.” He remained in that capacity until the 22nd
day of June 1880, when the United Sates Lighthouse Service finalized Loren
Trescott appointment as: “Keeper-in-Charge”
of the light-station. In 1921, Loren service records listed he: “Resigned” his position, however the
reason for his resignation was left blank. So, which record is: “Accurate.”
Thomas E.
Radcliff
As an author, historian
and journalist, I make it point to delve into the family history of those I am
writing about. Thomas E. Radcliff is no exception. Let us take a few minutes and
talk a little about Thomas E. Radcliff, his family and his: “United States Lighthouse Service” service
record. Per Radcliff service records, Thomas’s birthplace was listed as the: “State of Michigan” and his birth year
was noted as: “1886.”
In
1913, Thomas received his appointment from the U.S. Lighthouse Service as 2nd
Assistant. What I found interesting, his station assignment was: “Left Blank.” What I deemed as his first
official assignment was listed as: “Tawas
Point Lighthouse.” In 1917, Radcliff was promoted by the U.S. Lighthouse
Service to 1st Assistant. He remained at “Tawas” until 1920, when Thomas was transferred to: “Point Aux Barques Lighthouse.” Based on
his U.S. Lighthouse Service records Thomas’s rate did not change. He continued
to serve as 1st Assistant at “Point
Aux Barques Lighthouse” until 1929. He was again transferred to Sand Beach (A.K.A. Harbor Beach) in 1929 and his
rate did not change. Thomas remained at Sand Beach until the end of the 1933 navigation
season. The start of the next season we now find Thomas E. Radcliff as 1st
Assistant at: “Martin Reef Lighthouse.”
In 1935, his service time ended at the “Reef.”
Late in 1935, Thomas Radcliff was transferred again. His next assignment was
listed as: “Grand Marais Lighthouse.”
Here is where Thomas’s U.S. Lighthouse Service records get a little: “Sketchy.”
Author’s Note:
“One of Thomas’s
service records showed he was transferred to: “Harbor Beach Lighthouse” in 1940.
The other service record, I came across shows his transfer date was listed as: 1941.”
The
1940 United States Census, listed Thomas’s (Age:
54), wife Fern Radcliff (Age: 42)
and their three (3) children: Son: Laster T. Radcliff (Age: 16), Daughters: Wilma F. Radcliff (Age: 14), and Jean C. Radcliff (Age:
6) were all living in: “Alger,
Michigan.” Based on my research and investigation in his death, in 1972, Thomas
E. Radcliff passed away and was laid to rest in: “Evergreen Cemetery.”
Author’s Final Thoughts
Today
the only remnants of “Sand Beach Harbor
of Refuge Light-Stations,” that were once situated near the shores of Lake Huron are
sketchy at best. The stories and memories from long ago are still vivid in the
minds of those family members whose relatives once served there and in the
files of the National Archives, but beyond that: “There is only one of these Four
Harbor of Refuge Light-Stations left otherwise the other ones have been: “Lost
Forever!”
If you would like to learn more about “Sand Beach Harbor of Refuge Light-Stations,” or others lighthouses along
the “Great Lakes” come checkout my
Google Blog called: “Great Lakes Lighthouse Historian” or my Google Website called:
“Great Lakes Historian.”
If you would like to have your story told
or want to know more about a family member who served along the Great Lakes,
please email your request to: surfmen1258@gmail.com or send a
letter to me as follows: Scott W. Bundschuh, Author/Historian, P.O.
Box 267, La Grange, Illinois 60525-0267.
All requests will be considered, however if your request is
approved, there will be a release form that you will be required to sign off,
dated, and returned to me for processing. Please understand any/all
documentation fees for obtaining records from the National Archives or
Personnel Records located in St. Louis, Missouri must be paid to me prior to any/all
submission. Once the article has been
completed, signed off and submitted for publication and/all paid for
documentation becomes property of the requestor.
