Chequamegon Point Light

The Chequamegon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Long Island, one of the Apostle Islands, in Lake Superior in Ashland County, Wisconsin, near the city of Bayfield.[3]

Chequamegon Point Light
Map
LocationLong Island, Wisconsin
Coordinates46°43′42.55″N 90°48′33.38″W / 46.7284861°N 90.8092722°W / 46.7284861; -90.8092722[1]
Tower
Constructed1896 Edit this on Wikidata
FoundationOriginally on a concrete pier
ConstructionIron
Automated1964
Height35 feet (11 m)
ShapeWhite skeletal
Light
First lit1896
Focal height42 feet (13 m)[2]
LensFourth order Fresnel lens
Range7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi)[1]
Characteristic Fl G 4s Edit this on Wikidata

The Chequamegon Point light was maintained by the keeper of the La Pointe Light (about a mile away) and its original lens came from there. A boardwalk connected them, so light keepers could ride bicycles between the lights.[4] It is currently owned by the National Park Service and part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

The lighthouse was moved back on to the shoreline after it was replaced by a modern D9 cylindrical tower (a "sewer pipe" with light and fog signal) constructed in 1986.[4]

In 1868 the original was established on Long Island's western end, marking the entrance to Chequamegon Bay and with it the towns of Washburn and Ashland.[4]

In 1896, it was replaced by a square, white steel room sitting on steel legs. The room is topped by an octagonal lantern with a red roof. The concept echoes that of Lake Huron's Alpena Light.[4] There are also skeletal towers of various other designs in the western Great Lakes.[5]

In 1986, the Coast Guard moved the light back from the shore, where it was threatened by erosion. Access is by walking from the dock at the La Pointe station along the beach.

References

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  1. ^ a b Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
  2. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes". Archived from the original on 2008-01-30.
  3. ^ "Chequamegon Lighthouse". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  4. ^ a b c d Wobser, David, Chequamegon Point Light, from an article that originally appeared in Great Laker Magazine Archived 2009-10-31 at the Wayback Machine at boatnerd.com.
  5. ^ See, List of Tower Types, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light. Archived 2009-11-15 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

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USCG archive photo
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