Known to French explorers and traders as Grande Pointe au Sable, Big Sable Point was an important landmark for mariners traveling a treacherous stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline between Big Sable Point and present-day Ludington. In 1855 twelve ships wrecked in that area. Commerce tied to the growing lumber industry led State Senator Charles Mears to press the legislature to seek a federal light station at Big Sable, and in 1866 the United States Congress appropriated $35,000 for a lighthouse that was built the following year. As the lumbering era waned, steamers carrying coal, foodstuffs, and tourists continued to depend on the lighthouse for navigation. Completed in 1867, the tower is one of the few Michigan lights reaching 100 feet and measures 112 feet high. In 1902 the deteriorating brick tower was encased in steel. The keeper's dwelling, once a single-family home, was enlarged over the years into the present three-family residence, and indoor plumbing, heating, and a diesel electric generator were added in 1949. In 1953 power lines were extended to the point, and in 1968 the light-keeping tradition begun in 1867 by Alonzo A. Hyde and his wife, Laura, ended when the station was fully automated. Big Sable Point Light Station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.