Stannard Rock Light stands on a remote reef in Lake Superior about 24 miles from Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, marking a dangerous shoal first identified in 1835. As shipping grew after the Soo Locks opened, temporary markers gave way to an ambitious permanent lighthouse project begun in 1877; its light first shone in 1882 after years of difficult offshore construction led by Orlando Metcalfe Poe. Long known as the “Loneliest Place in the World,” the station was infamous for isolation, severe weather, and hazardous service. After a fatal explosion during automation in 1961, it was repaired, automated in 1962, and remains an active Coast Guard aid to navigation.