|
}} The Whitefish Point Light, a lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, is the oldest operating light on Lake Superior. It is arguably the most important light on Lake Superior. All vessels entering and leaving Lake Superior must pass the light. It stands on the treacherous southern shoreline of Lake Superior known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" in an area with more shipwrecks than any other area of the lake. ==History== Construction on the first light began in 1847, and the lighthouse was said to resemble that at Old Presque Isle Light.〔(Lighthouse Central, Photos of the Whitefish Point Light Station, ''The Ultimate Guide to Upper Michigan Lighthouses'' by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC – 2007). ) ISBN 978-0-9747977-2-4.〕 First lit in 1849, it was one of the first lighthouses on the shores of Lake Superior. It is the oldest active light on the lake. It stands at the point of land that marks the course change for vessels from the southern coast of Lakes Superior known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" to the Soo Locks. All vessels entering or leaving Lake Superior must past Whitefish Point. Whitefish Point Light is arguably the most important light on Lake Superior. The Whitefish Point area has the most shipwrecks of all areas in Lake Superior. The original structure was outfitted with Lewis lamps, which were thereafter upgraded to a fourth order Fresnel lens. The current structure, while modern looking, is a Civil War relic. Built in 1861, the iron skeletal steel framework was designed to relieve stress caused by high winds. A similar design is used at Manitou Island Light in Lake Superior. It was equipped with a third order Fresnel lens.〔(Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light – Whitefish Point Lighthouse. )〕 In 1968, the light was replaced with a DCB-224 aero beacon〔(Aero beacon, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light. )〕 manufactured by the Carlisle & Finch Company.〔(Carlisle & Finch Company. )〕 According to Volume 7 of the U.S. Coast Guard light list, it was visible for a distance of in clear weather conditions, and had two unevenly spaced eclipses, and two flashes within every 20 second period.〔 Putting aside questions of nostalgia, aesthetics, or appreciation for the engineering of a bygone era (as exemplified by the Fresnel lens), this iteration of lighthouse illumination was itself incredibly effective, and an endangered remnant of another bygone era.〔(Trapani, Bob, ''DCB-36 Beacon... Fading Away and All but Forgotten by History'', Stormherocs.com. )〕 The station was automated in 1971. In 2011, the U.S. Coast Guard Local Notice to Mariners reported reduced intensity of the Whitefish Point light from June 7, 2011 until August 16, 2011 when the DCB-224 Series Carlisle & Finch aerobeacon lens was changed to a light-emitting diode (LED) lantern with a reduced range of 〔 as permitted by Coast Guard rules and regulations adopted in 2003 for private aids to navigation. The aerobeacon lens is stored in a building on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum complex for possible future public display. The lighthouse is home to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, which has many shipwreck artifacts, including artifacts from shipwrecks in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve and the SS ''Edmund Fitzgerald's'' bell which was recovered from the wreck in 1995. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is open during the tourist season from 10 am to 6 pm, every day through October 31.〔(Virtual tour of Whitefish Point Light. )〕 The organization that operates the museum got 80.079% of its funding from the public in the year 2010. The light is considered iconic, and has been the subject of memorabilia.〔Rubber Stamp, (Whitefish Point Light. )〕 An official Michigan Historical Marker was erected in 1974. It is Registered Site L0272. The marker notes: *This light, the oldest on Lake Superior, began operating in 1849, though the present tower was constructed later. An early stopping place for Indians, Voyageurs, Coureur des bois and Jesuit missionaries, the point marks the course change for ore boats and other ships navigating this treacherous coastline to and from St. Mary's Canal. Since 1971 the light, fog signal, and radio beacon have been automated and controlled from Sault Ste. Marie.〔(Michigan Historical Markers. )〕 The keepers were: *1848–1851: James B. Van Rensselaer *1851–1853: Amos Stiles *1853–1856: William C. Crampton *1856–1859: Belloni McGulpin *1859–1861: Charles Garland *1861–1864: Joseph Kemp *1864–1868: Thomas Stafford *1868–1874: Edward Ashman *1874–1882: Charles J. Linke *1882–1883: Edward Chambers *1883–1903: Charles Kimball *1903–1931: Robert Carlson Whitefish Point is on the Lake Superior coastline known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes”. The numerous shipwrecks of Whitefish Bay—including: *''Comet'' *''John B. Cowle'' *''Drake'' *''Samuel Mather'' *''Miztec'' *''Myron'' *''Niagara'' *''John M. Osborn'' *''Sagamore'' *' *''Vienna'' —are protected for future generations of sports divers by the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.〔(Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve )〕 The site is a venue for remembrance of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, and extending back to the loss in 1816 of "the very first ship known to sail on Superior, the sixty-foot trading vessel Invincible," which upended in gale force winds and towering waves near there. "()very loss was tragic."〔(Exploring The North: Whitefish Point Lighthouse and Museum )〕 There are critics that claim that the stewardship of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society over this lighthouse caused it to be "overdeveloped." Michigan Audubon Society filed a lawsuit that accused the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society of overdeveloping Whitefish Point and United States Fish & Wildlife Service of not protecting the site. The lawsuit was settled in 2002 when the parties agreed to govern the site with a management plan. The former Coast Guard 44-acre site at Whitefish Point consists of 2.7 acres transferred to Michigan Audubon Society and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory, 8.3 acres transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, and 33 acres transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service administered by Seney National Wildlife Refuge.〔(Whitefish Point Bird Observatory ), Michigan Department of Natural Resources〕〔Lively, p. 10〕 The 20-acre Helstrom Addition was added to the Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in 2012 so that US Fish and Wildlife Service now holds a total of 55 acres at Whitefish Point.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Seney National Wildlife Refuge )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Whitefish Point Light」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|