Point Betsie Light guards the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage on Lake Michigan’s northeast shore, where dangerous conditions and heavy shipping made it an important aid to navigation. Begun in 1854, completed in 1858, and placed in service for the 1859 season, the station grew to include a lifesaving station, fog signal building, and oil house. Its dune-top setting extended the reach of its 39-foot tower, and for many years a Fourth Order Fresnel lens and evolving fog signals served passing vessels. Before automation in 1983, keepers operated the light for 106 years. Point Betsie was the last staffed lighthouse on Lake Michigan and in Michigan.