Port Austin Reef
A
short mile-and-a-half north of Michigan’s Thumb in Lake Huron
lies a treacherous reef. Shallow water hides most of the reef, threatening
any traveler
unfamiliar with the area. This dangerous shoal forms a major obstacle to
shipping in and out of the Saginaw Bay. Convinced of the need, Congress
appropriated
funds in 1873 to construct a lighthouse on the shore, but within three years
had recognized that the extreme danger of the reef required an offshore light
as well. That reef light and the keeper living on the shore saved untold
lives over the next 75 years, until the light was automated in 1953.
Then came years
of neglect by the Coast Guard.
Without a keeper to care for the buildings during the following three decades,
they began to deteriorate, with weather and birds ravaging much of the interior;
vandals destroyed windows and doors and stole anything that could be removed.
The reef light was scheduled to be demolished in 1984 when a local businessman
convinced a few of his acquaintances to form an association which could restore
and maintain the light. This noble sentinel still serves as a landmark, and
a testament to the contribution made by devoted lightkeepers. Still today,
that commitment stands guard between destruction and salvation, as today’s
devoted lightkeepers strive for the preservation of the light.
Our Stories Featured Lights
Holland Harbor
Big Sable
South Fox Island
Point Betsie
Port Austin Reef
Gull Rock
