Point Aux Barques Lighthouse

I didn't know about this lighthouse until a friend of mine told me about it. She said that one of her ancestors was a keeper here. So of course I had to check it out and I'll have to say it was worth it as it is a nice looking lighthouse.

In 1847, the first light was built at Point Aux Barques. It served two purposes, it was used to tell ships to steer clear of the reefs by there and it was also used to mark the points at which ships would turn to the west to head towards the Saginaw River. The tower was poorly constructed and was replaced by the current structure.

The tower stands at 89 feet tall and uses a third order Fresnel lens. This gives the tower a visibility of 28 miles.

In 1932, the light was electrified and this increased the range to it's current range.

The flags in front of the tower mark a memorial to the members of the lifesaving service.



The lighthouse is still an active station although it is automated. The maintenance of the station is by volunteers.

This is probably my favorite shot of the tower as the flags are fully unfurled and you are looking up at the tower.

I like this shot even though the tower is obscured by the tree.