A Light at Old Mission

By the mid-1850s, shipping on Grand Traverse Bay had grown substantially, making a lighthouse on the northern tip of Old Mission Peninsula necessary to warn of the rocky point. Congress appropriated funds in 1859, but the light was not completed until 1870. The first light-keeper, Jerome M. Pratt, kept a detailed journal of passing ships and on his first day noted five vessels: two schooners, two steamers, and one bark. One entry in 1875 listed 101 steamers and 75 sailing ships. In 1876, Pratt was followed as keeper by J.W. Lane, Joseph Green, and Emil C. Johnson. In 1933, the old lamp, which had burned kerosene, was replaced by automatic lights on the tower, and later the lights were mounted on an offshore buoy. The lighthouse has been owned by Old Mission Township since 1948.

Michigan · United States