Before electricity automated Bodie Island Lighthouse in 1932, its keepers operated the light each night. At sunset they prepared and carried oil up ten flights of stairs, refueled the lantern, and lit the warning beacon, then remained with it through the night in case the flame needed relighting, with a second keeper taking over halfway through the watch. In the morning the light was extinguished, but the work continued as keepers cleaned and polished all 336 lens prisms, restocked supplies, and tended the living quarters and grounds. From October 1, 1872 to May 22, 1940, 31 diligent Bodie Island Lighthouse keepers helped protect mariners from the dangerous waters known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Until 1920, no roads accessed the area and amenities were miles away by boat, so keeper families often lived to the northwest on Roanoke Island for schools and visited when possible, while two to four keepers worked in the lighthouse and lived in the Double Keeper's Quarters.