Pointe Aux Barques Light , Michigan

While this light is special in many ways, one of the most important features is how accessible it is.  Just a few miles from Harbor Beach, this is one of the few lights that is on the shore and not far out in Lake Huron.

Pointe Aux Barques is the oldest continuous working lighthouse in Michigan and on the Great Lakes. The first lighthouse was built in 1847 with a $5000 appropriation from President Polk to guard ships from some of the most treacherous shoals in the Great Lakes. The first lighthouse keeper, Peter Shook drowned in 1849. His wife Catherine, left with 8 children, became the lighthouse keeper. Catherine was the first woman lighthouse keeper in Michigan. She served until 1851. The present lighthouse and keeper's house was built in 1857. It is one of only a few lighthouses that is in operation today. The lighthouse itself is 89 feet tall with 103 cast iron steps to the top. The lighthouse has a flashing white light that shines 18 miles out over Lake Huron. It is a warning that the area contains shallow waters that can be a hazard, and it also marks the the entrance into Saginaw Bay. The keeper's residence is now a museum..