“To be a lighthouse, you must be strong enough to resist every kind of storm, to every kind of loneliness and you must have a powerful light inside you!”
— Mehmet Murat Ildan —
Old Mission Peninsula
Traverse City, MI
August 5, 2019
Her guiding light first graced the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula on September 10, 1870. Using a Fresnel Lens — made of many small pieces of glass, with different thicknesses to reflect and magnify light — her comforting lamp illuminated the dangerous waters of the north end of west Grand Traverse Bay.
Cared for by only seven lightkeepers through the decades, she was finally decommissioned in 1933 and replaced by an automated-offshore buoy light.
Her story is now a testament to the beautiful history of the many lighthouses on the Great Lakes.
As a side note, I highly recommend traveling along the scenic Peninsula Dr and stopping at the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery. I can personally attest that their dark ale is a perfect addition to any pizza & beer day (aka Friday). 😋😎
Everything Tells A Story... 