Lorain Lighthouse Saved – January 1966

The Lorain Lighthouse is the very symbol of Lorain – a beloved icon that neatly encapsulates the city's maritime history. And it's one of the city's biggest tourist attractions.

That's why it's so hard to believe that at one point in the 1960s, it was scheduled to be torn down. A new fully-automatic red light was to be installed on the tip of a detached outer breakwall.

From the July 12, 1965 Journal

And sixty years ago this month, some of the first steps were taken to 'save' it by a civic group. Here's the front page of the January 5, 1966 Journal with the story.

Later that year a follow-up story appeared with the good news that the Coast Guard agreed to 'continue to operate and maintain the lighthouse.'

May 10, 1966

And a Journal editorial celebrated the decision and gave credit to several citizens who played a major role in the effort to save the structure.

May 11, 1966

Of course, Gene Patrick had a special cartoon in honor of the occasion in his weekly The Passing Scene strip.

May 14, 1966

The story didn't end there, however. 

The Lighthouse would need to be 'saved' again in the 1970s when the Coast Guard put it up for sale. You can read all about it in Valerie Smith's well-researched history found on the Lorain Lighthouse website. 

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The Lorain Lighthouse has been a favorite topic on this blog.

Lorain Lighthouse Vandalized – August 1971

Although it’s nothing to be nostalgic about, the vandalism of the beloved Lorain Lighthouse was making news back on August 1, 1971. Above is the article that appeared that day in the Lorain Journal.

Apparently some modern day pirates had been busy. According to the article, “The U. S. Coast Guard reported that on July 9 someone broke into the lighthouse, smashed several windows, broke the lenses on the floodlights that light the building, and took expensive lighthouse equipment.

“The thieves took two brass diaphones (the sounding parts of foghorns) and without them the foghorns won’t work. They also took a $200 chain hoist which is used to lift equipment to the lighthouse and a trolley chain.

“This incident is only one of several cases of vandalism to the old lighthouse that has lighted Lorain’s harbor for the last half a century.”

It’s all pretty shocking. The article notes that the lighthouse was on federal property, and that entering it or damaging it was a federal crime. Even the FBI was called in to investigate.

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If you’ve never seen it before, click here to read Valerie Smith’s comprehensive history of the Lorain Lighthouse. It’s extremely well-researched and includes some great photographs (as well as some Passing Scene cartoons).

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Hey, is that a drawing of John Travolta in the Penneys ads for the kiddies to color?

Lorain Lighthouse Article – September 16, 1968

Lorain’s Lighthouse is the best thing the city has going for it, and it’s always somewhat chilling to think how close the town came to losing it.

Today, the iconic structure has its own website, and there are Lighthouse Tours and Sunset Dinners that make it possible to see it up close. But back in 1968, the future of the decommissioned building – for sale at that time – was still unknown.

That’s the focus of the editorial/photo feature above, which ran on the Page of Opinion of the Journal back on September 16, 1968. The eloquently-written article speculates on the Lighthouse’s future, and features great photos by Michael Pugh.

Lorain Lighthouse Historical Marker

A nice view of the Lighthouse from the Spitzer Marina
(Courtesy Matt Weisman)

I didn’t make it down to the ceremonial unveiling of the Ohio Historical Marker honoring the Lorain Lighthouse last Friday, but local historian and author Matt Weisman did – and generously shared his photos of the event with me. Thanks, Matt!

Here’s a nice one of Frank & Carolyn Sipkovsky of the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation Board of Trustees. (Frank is the Chairman of the Board.)

And here are a few more of Matt’s great photos.

Lorain Mayor Chase Ritenauer

Dave Kramer, Local lighthouse historian and
Lorain Lighthouse Foundation Board of Trustees member

I finally got a chance to check out the marker on Monday morning. I was somewhat surprised by the marker’s location; I originally thought it would be further down on the pier – maybe even at the end of it, where you could photograph it with the lighthouse nice and big in the background.

I guess the intention was to make the marker easily accessible – which works for me, as I was too pooped to walk to the end of the pier anyway.

The Lighthouse’s 100th

The view from Hot Waters this past Sunday afternoon

Well, the big 100th Anniversary celebration of the Lorain Lighthouse is this week, with the dedication of a Historical Marker this Friday, June 30, 2017 at 11:00 am at the mile-long pier on the east side. There's also a special presentation down at the Lorain Historical Society that evening (more on that at the end of this post).

It's a big day for the city of Lorain, and the media coverage should do wonders to attract some tourists this summer.

But for me, though, it means I’ve run out of time.

Back in March, I began searching old newspaper microfilm to hopefully locate an ad or article about the original dedication of the lighthouse. It bugs me that I've never seen any newspaper coverage from the early days of the Lighthouse. Unfortunately, despite my hours of squinting at microfilm from 1917 – 1919, I failed to shine a light on any lighthouse dedication.

While reading old newspaper microfilm at the library, I thought it was interesting reviewing some of the coverage from July 1965, when it was first announced that the Lighthouse was to be demolished.  “Historic Lighthouse To Be Torn Down” was the headline splashed across the top of page 17 (!) of the Journal on July 12, 1965. The article matter-of-factly noted that “One of Lorain’s most venerable landmarks, the old Lorain Coast Guard-operated lighthouse situated on the tip of the west break wall, is scheduled to be torn down late this year in connection with the $22 million federally-sponsored harbor improvement program begun in 1962.”

From Gene Patrick’s
Passing Scene

An editorial the next day observed, “If this must be, then farewell, old friend.” It included a few suggestions as to how the lighthouse could be put to use if it was saved – as a museum, restaurant or as headquarters for the Lorain Yacht Club. The editorial noted that “there is still time to save the lighthouse, and the time for those interested to start action is now.”

Thank goodness it was saved. (You can read the whole story of how it was saved here on the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation website.)

Anyway, Valerie Smith of the Lorain Public Library will present "Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Lorain Lighthouse” on Friday evening, June 30th at 7:00 p.m. down at the Lorain Historical Society's Carnegie Center.

It's a wonderful thing that Lorain still has its lighthouse a hundred years later, and that the beloved landmark is finally the star of a big celebration.

Just When Was the Lorain Lighthouse Built? – Part 2

There really is no controversy regarding the dates associated with the construction of the Lorain Lighthouse. It just depends on whether you want to celebrate the anniversary of a lighthouse under construction but functioning, or one that is totally complete.

It is easy to go online and find the various government documents with the lighthouse construction progress reports. Site construction was expected to start in early July 1916, and was planned to be done in 1917, according to this report in the 1916 Reports of the Department of Commerce (below).

The 1917 Annual Report of the Commissioner of Lighthouses to the Secretary of Commerce included this update (below). The permanent light and fog signal were expected to be installed early in the 1918 season.

But by the time of the June 30, 1918 Reports of the Department of Commerce, the Lighthouse still wasn't quite done (see below).

Finally, the 1919 report provides a nice description (spread out over two pages) of the now completed lighthouse.

Note that the lighthouse came in about 25 bucks under the $35,000 budget. I hope the keepers had a good party with the leftover loot.

Just When Was the Lorain Lighthouse Built? – Part 1

The Lorain Lighthouse – known as the “Jewel of the Port” – is celebrating its 100th year anniversary on June 30, 217. That alone should bring a tear to the eye of anyone who lovingly calls Lorain their hometown. It’s been the symbol of the city for a long time now, in good times and bad.

Many of us have only seen it from certain popular vantage points, such as Hot Waters. Thankfully, the Sunset Dinner Cruises make it possible to see up close what most of us have only seen from afar.

The official Lorain Lighthouse website has an interesting explanation as to how the 2017 date was selected to celebrate the centennial. It notes, “Many dates are given for when the Lighthouse we see today was built. An article from the Lorain Journal, September 23, 1953 indicates 1898, with the title, “Lorain’s Lighthouse in 55th Year of Duty”, but that date isn’t close.

“Most sources give 1909 as the date, but the blueprint for the current structure is dated 1916. Information from the Lighthouse Board in the National Archives states: “On June 30, 1917, the concrete structure had been erected, roof completed except shingling, metal work of lantern erected, and concrete forms removed. Temporary light in commission shone from new lantern. It is expected to install permanent light this season and place fog signal commission early next season.” Also, an act of October 22, 1913 appropriated $35,000 for a light and fog station at Lorain Harbor.

“Thus the date 1917 is the most accurate available for the construction of the current Lorain Lighthouse structure.”

In preparation for the big anniversary, I decided to see if I could come up with some newspaper coverage of the lighthouse under construction, as well as its dedication. 

Some of the regional newspapers mentioned its construction. The Norwalk Reflector of August 16, 1916 noted, “The pierhead of the Lorain breakwater, erected ten years ago, has sunk eighteen inches it was discovered today. The pier is a concrete structure 22 by 22 feet in dimensions. The sinking was discovered when work of building the new lighthouse and foghorn station on the pier started. The new building will be 50 feet above the water and will be a three-story concrete and steel structure.

The Sandusky Register in its March 12, 1919 edition also made reference to the Lorain lighthouse in an article explaining the structure’s light and fog signal to mariners. The article referred to the lighthouse as “the new structure, gray square building with square tower rising from southeast corner, recently completed.”

Here is what the Register article was quoting from: a 1919 Notice to Mariners.

From the 1919 Index to Notices to Mariners

Unfortunately, I was unable to find any mention at all of the lighthouse on the available Lorain newspaper microfilm.  I checked both the June 30, 1917 date as well as the March 1919 date mentioned in the Sandusky paper.

I still have a few more months to try and find a dedication article. We’ll see. 

Perhaps the beloved lighthouse – remotely located as it is and not accessible to anyone without a boat – silently went to work with no fanfare at all.

The Lorain Lighthouse as it looked in 1919
(Courtesy lighthousefriends.com)

UPDATE

I understand now why I was unable to find something in the vintage newspapers for the June 30, 1917 date. That date is a government fiscal year-ending date found in the Annual Report of the Commissioner of Lighthouses to the Secretary of Commerce. The construction update information associated with that date is merely a summation of progress made up to that point. The June 30th date does not have special significance.

Lighthouse Shuts Down For Season - December 1955

The Lorain Lighthouse is the very symbol of Lorain. It's hard to believe that the Coast Guard was planning to demolish it at one point in the 1960s after it was no longer in use. (For a nice history of the lighthouse, click here.)

Since the Lorain Lighthouse has been "retired" for decades, I thought the below article which appeared in the December 23, 1955 Lorain Journal was kind of interesting. It takes us back to the days when the lighthouse was manned, and was closed up for the winter once the shipping season was over.

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Lighthouse Shuts Down For Season

The Lorain Lighthouse ceased operations after the last ship was to enter Lorain harbor for the winter today to officially end the 1955 shipping season.

Chief Boatswain's Mate Wilbur W. Dowe, head of the U.S. Coast Guard station in the East Side, said both keepers of the lighthouse were brought ashore before noon after spending two days on winter preparation.

THE LIGHTHOUSE keepers are James R. Foster, engineman, third class, of Rocky River, who was in charge, and his assistant Seaman Gordon K. McCartney, of 2465 Homewood Dr.

Meanwhile, the oil tanker Rockett, operated by Cleveland Tankers, Inc., was scheduled to arrive in Lorain harbor this afternoon for routine repairs and winter lay-up.

CHIEF DOWE said the Rockett was to be the last ship to enter the local harbor this season.

Foster and McCartney shut off the 13,000 candlepower electric revolving light in the lighthouse for the last time this season early this morning.

The Rockett will be the 13th lake ship to lay up for the winter along Black River in Lorain.

More Harbor Shots

Here are a few more shots from Sunday. (Click on each for a super-sized shot.) I drove out to the end of the dock to get as close to the lighthouse as possible, and here are the results. There seemed to be a race going on.

It was interesting to see the lighthouse up close. A few years ago there was a minor controversy as to whether or not the lighthouse was leaning after a ship rammed into it. (Click here to read about it.) What do you think?

I couldn't resist taking a shot of this guy, who obligingly posed.

He lost interest and flew off when he noticed I was more interested in shooting the Water Treatment Plant than him. Remember when you could drive all the way around it so you could park and fish? It's closed off to the public now. Maybe Homeland Security had something to do with it!

I remember going to the treatment plant on a 'field trip' as a kid. It's been there since 1955 – hope the city moves it as planned some day!