The Waugoshance Light operated from 1851 until its deactivation in 1912, when it remained the property of the U.S.
Its walls were encased in steel, and are 5½ feet thick at the bottom. Īlthough the light is now gray in color, it was originally painted in four broad horizontal Red and white stripes as a Daymark. The lantern originally held the first fourth order Fresnel lens on the Great Lakes. The pier was reconstructed in 1870-a massive undertaking that was hampered by the ironic fact that the viable 'building season' is far shorter than even the normal operating season for the light-and used a "bird cage" lantern, which makes it one of only three built on the Great Lakes. The imposing crib structure was a first on the Great Lakes. Waugoshance is at the northern end of the long fetch of "south-wester" waves on Lake Michigan the wave action is amplified as they build upon the shoal. Both its construction and its continued maintenance were rendered extremely hazardous by the severe weather conditions of the area.
The lighthouse at Waugoshance was arguably the first light built in the Great Lakes that was totally surrounded by water. The last light vessel on the Great Lakes was the Lightship Huron. In 1851 she was replaced by the Waugoshance Light, which stands in the area of the Wilderness State Park, and which remains one of the most hazardous areas near the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan. That wooden lightship was the Lois McLain. In 1832 the first lightvessel on the Great Lakes was placed here. Thereafter, a "Gray's Reef passage" became more typical because modern freighters require considerably more depth, so Waugoshance is bypassed about 2 miles (3.2 km) to the west. With a depth of less than 12 feet (3.7 m) deep, it was one of the most dangerous parts of the Straits. ĭuring the last half of the nineteenth century, this light marked the turning point for ships traveling through the Straits of Mackinac and along Lake Michigan's eastern shore between the mainland and the Beavers.
This area is currently protected by White Shoal Light-built in 1910, nearby, powerful and larger-and Grays Reef Light which rendered this lighthouse obsolete. Īdding to the complication of navigation in this area is the White Shoal, located just north of Waugoshance. Boats large enough to safely travel in times of storm cannot approach the light closer than a few hundred yards. The area around Waugoshance Point is not only shallow, it is a large (in area) projection from the bottom of the lake.
Reason for lighthouse īoats from Chicago heading North (and ultimately) East need to navigate the narrow tip of northern Lake Michigan, and there are many dangers. Due to erosion and deterioration, the lighthouse is deteriorating and critically endangered, and likely to fall into the lake in the near future. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) west of Mackinaw City. The lighthouse is located in Emmet County, Michigan, United States, and in U.S. The ruined lighthouse at Waugoshance protects boats from a shoal area at the northern end of Lake Michigan. Coast Guard Lighthouses and Light Stations on the Great Lakes TR
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