Mission Point Light
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| Mission Point Light | |
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 Mission Point Light |
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| Location: | Peninsula Township, Michigan |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
Coordinates: |
| Year first constructed: | 1870 |
| Year first lit: | 1870 |
| Deactivated: | 1938 |
| Construction: | Wood |
| Tower shape: | Square tower on dwelling |
| Markings/Pattern: | White with black trim |
| Height: | Tower - 36 feet (11 m) |
| Elevation: | Focal plane - 47 feet (14 m) |
| Original lens: | Fifth order Fresnel lens |
| Range: | 13 miles (21 km) |
Mission Point Light is a lighthouse located in Michigan at the end of Old Mission Point, Michigan, a peninsula jutting into Grand Traverse Bay 17 miles north of Traverse City, Michigan. When it was built in 1870, it was an exact copy of the Mama Juda Lighthouse[1] (now destroyed), which was built on the Detroit River in 1866.[2]
The foundation is natural and emplaced. The wooden structure is painted white with black trim. The square tower is attached to a dwelling.[3]
A fixed white Fifth Order Fresnel lens was installed. The building was only one and one half stories tall. However, its placement on a sand bank fourteen feet above the lake’s surface created a lens focal plane of 47 feet. It was visible from 13 miles at sea. Maintaining the dune and protecting it and the lighthouse from the deleterious effects of wave action has been a constant struggle.[4]
For 67 years the light served to 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 19 feet of water, about 2 miles northwest of Mission Point. The light ran on batteries. It was on a 36 foot tall tower, and its focal plane of 52 feet help make it visible for 13 miles. It had a 30 second dwell time between flashes, in order to conserve power.[5]
Famously, the lighthouse stands a few hundred yards south of the 45th parallel north, halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1938 and purchased by the State of Michigan.[6] There are a pair of signs that denote its location on the parallel,[7] and it is one of 26 places in the U.S.A. where such signs are known to exist.[8]
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[edit] Current status and activities
The lighthouse is now part of the Peninsula Township Park at the northern end of M-37.[9]
As recently reported in the Traverse City Record Eagle, in a unique program, the lighthouse society is seeking volunteers to work and live in the Mission Point Light during 2008. There is a fee, which will benefit the light.[10]
In 2008, the building opens for the first time to the public (it will have a small museum),[11] after serving for many years as the park manager's residence.[12]
The area around the lighthouse attracts many cross country skiers. There is a boat launch there, which is favored by sea kayakers. The location is becoming increasingly popular, which has subjected it to environmental issues that are being addressed by Peninsula Township.[13]
The Old Mission Peninsula 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.[14]
Because of its form, surroundings and location, it is photogenic, having inspired photographs and illustrations, including drawings[15] and needlepoint.[16]
[edit] Bibliography and further reading
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
- Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
- Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
- Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
- Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
- Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031
- Pepper, Terry. Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes.
- 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).
- United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation Historical Bibliography.
- Wagner, John L.. Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan. Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
- Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Wargin, Ed, Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
- NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations.
- Terry Pepper, Mission Point lighthouse at Seeing the Light.
- Article linking Mama Juda Lighthouse with Old Mission Point.
- Interactive map/list/information of lighthouses in northeastern Lake Michigan by LighthousesRus.
- Lighthouse Directory, Western Lower Peninsula, including Mission Point Light.
- Map of Michigan Lighthouse in PDF Format.
- United States Coast Guard's complete list of Michigan lights including information and photographs of Port Sanilac light.
- Volume 7, US Coast Guard Lightlist (PDF).
- Wobser, David, Boatnerd.com Old Mission Point Light.
- Youtube, Mission Point Lighthouse and 45th Parallel.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Lighthouse depot, Mama Juda Light.
- ^ Biggs, Jerry, Mission to Mama, Lighthouse Digest, 10/2000.
- ^ NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations.
- ^ Terry Pepper, Mission Point lighthouse at Seeing the Light.
- ^ Terry Pepper, Mission Point lighthouse at Seeing the Light.
- ^ Lighthouse Directory, Western Lower Peninsula, including Mission Point Light.
- ^ Photographs, Old Mission 45th Parallel signs.
- ^ List and map of 45th Parallel markers, with links to pictures (accessed 12/17/2007).
- ^ M-37 Endpoint Photos.
- ^ Lighthouse directory, Mission Point volunteer story.
- ^ Wood TV 8, Lighthouse to open to public, caretakers wanted.
- ^ Lighthouse Directory, Western Lower Peninsula, including Mission Point Light.
- ^ Peninsula Township Parks.
- ^ Sea kayaking
- ^ Mulgrew, Marilyn, Drawing of MIssion Point Light.
- ^ Needlepoint of MIssion Point Light.
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