Forty Mile Point
Near Rogers City, Michigan
Lake Huron
Forty Mile Point, now out of service, is located in Presque Isle County Lighthouse Park on US-23 just north of Rogers City. The season is open seasonally for tours. You can also enjoy the adjacent park and picnic area. Attractions include the pilothouse from the Calcite, an early 20th century bulk carrier.
Forty Mile Point was built in 1897 and reconstructed in 1935. This light is a twin of Big Bay Point Light on Lake Superior. The tower is 66 feet tall. Buildings at this location include the aforementioned fog signal building, an oil house, two privies, a barn, and a boat's pilot house.
40 Mile Point History
For more than a century, the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse has maintained a vigil over the waters of northern Lake Huron. It was built in 1896 after the Federal Lighthouse Board approved construction of a light 40 miles southeast of Old Mackinaw Point and 40 miles northwest of Thunder Bay. It cost $25,000 to build the lighthouse, outbuildings and the fog signal building. The light began functioning in April of 1897 under keeper Xavier Raines, the first of many who were to carry on the important task of helping to guide ships along the open water, hidden shoals and false bays along the shoreline north of Rogers City.
The red brick 35' x 57' "mirror image" two story lighthouse is centered by the attached 12' square light tower, 52' high, surmounted by an octagonal cast iron lantern. Each apartment consists of three bedrooms and bath on the second floor, kitchen, dining room, living room hallway and entry to the tower on the main floor, and a basement with interior and exterior access. Built on a 20' foundation, the outer walls of the lighthouse are about 16" thick, composed of two parallel brick panels separated by dead-air space which provides the only insulation.
Ownership of the lighthouse was conveyed by the Federal General Services Administration to Presque Isle County on November 23, 1998
Voices from the Light
Beginning with the first entry date, following are excerpts from the logs kept by the various 40 Mile Point Lighthouse keepers.
April 30, 1897 – We got everything ready and lit up at sunset. Raining all day and night, blowing almost a gale from the North.
June 12, 1897 – Lane's dog got foul of a porcupine last night. When he got home it was frightful to look at him. You could not see his head for quills sticking out. Lane was picking them out all night.
February 27, 1899 – Mother died at 3 A.M. from the effects of LaGrippe after a short illness of 10 days.
July 18, 1900 – I picked blueberries all day. They are very scarce. Everybody and his sister was out picking.
December 4, 1905 – The assistant found a dead man on the beach, about 1 mile up. We think it is the mate of the Fay.
October 15, 1908 – Smoke cleared off at 10 A.M. ... the fire which had been raging a few mi/es to the S.E. of the station reached the reservation and spread clear across, fanned by a F.S.W. wind. Stopped sounding and connected the hose and kept it working at full capacity to keep the fire from the fog building. Sounded signal of distress, but no one responded. With the brave and capable efforts of Mrs. Raines and Mrs. Smith, we were able to save all the buildings.
June 4, 1913 – Picking up wood on the beach and cutting stove wood. At 9 A.M. Mr. Kuhlman, son of Sheriff Kuhlman, called at the station to find out if a certain man passed up this way who broke jail yesterday. A man of the description given walked up the beach yesterday A.M.
December 21, 1913 – Mr. C.H. Osgood and Mr. Mackenzie came out in the auto of Mr. Osgood's. They managed to get the machine to the top of the sand hill. They stayed for dinner and left at 1:30 P.M.
May 19, 1920 – Heavy rain ... keeping a banked fire as fog may set in at any hour. Mr. E. Smith, piano tuner, and wife came up with Mr. Clark and tuned the piano.
June 24, 1921 – Yesterday at l0 A.M. a hydroplane passed up and a larger one in the afternoon at 3 P.M. flying about 30 feet above the water.
September 22, 1921 – Finished digging potatoes on Mrs. Raines' forty. Twenty-eight and a half bushels in all. Light rain squalls in the afternoon.
October 11, 1921 – Finished the hen house and whitewashed same, also parts of the walls of the stable.
December 17, 1923 – Closed station for the winter. No snow on land nor ice on the beach and one of the finest falls on record... We have not seen the Presque Isle Light for 3 days, so conclude that they have closed.
November 14, 1924 – Just after writing up 9 P.M. the vapor lamp grew dim. The vaporizer choking up with carbon. Changed to oil lamp at 1:30 A.M.
September 8, 1925 – Assistant took his son George to Rogers City to attend High School. He will board in town and work as church janitor to pay his way through.
November 29, 1926 – Assistant and wife drove over to Onaway to the dentist, who extracted a tooth for assistant who sat up all night with a severe toothache. Got in some fog signal kindling.
July 5, 1929 – Visitors today were as follows: Mrs. and Mrs. A.P Bertram and children, Mrs. Petz and children, Mrs. Dr. Arscott and children, Dr. M. Nestor, and Miss Linny Cooy. Also the Rev. Mr. J. Kennedy and wife, Mrs. & Mrs. Davey and the Kennedy children.
December 16, 1931 – Was authorized to continue station commission to December 22 for the fishermen. All (other) stations on Lake Huron closed Dec. 15.
March 1, 1937 – March come in like a lamb. Very fine day.
December 7, 1941 – Keeper to church.
December 30, 1943 – Keeper working on inventory. Went to town to get car from garage. (Last entry).
Shipwreck!
On October 19, 1905, the Lakes were assaulted by fierce storms and massive squalls. While the steel ships of the era survived the elements, 27 wooden ships were lost that day.
The steamer, Joseph S. Fay, was headed downbound off Presque Isle County with a wooden schoonerbarge, the DR Rhodes, in tow. Both were fully loaded with iron ore. Violent wave actions caused both vessels to roll in opposite directions; the Rhodes broke free, dragging a portion of the Fay's stern with her. Eventually the entire forward cabin was ripped away and blown to shore, delivering the captain and ten crewmen safely to the shore. Two other crewmen and the first mate tried to paddle to shore on a spar. The crewmen made it, but the first mate was lost.
The Rhodes survived, but the Fay eventually broke up on a sandbar. About 150' of her wooden side can be seen on the beach west of the lighthouse, metal rods and spikes holding her steady still today, nearly a century later.
The Calcite Pilot House
The steamer Calcite, built in 1912, was one of the first self-unloading vessels to sail the Great Lakes. She was the largest self- unloader on the lakes at the time-436' long with a 54' beam, 29' depth and a 7,000 ton capacity. The vessel hauled limestone for 49 years under the ownership(s) of Calcite Transportation, Bradley Transportation and USS Corporation.
The Calcite's pilot house is now located at the Lighthouse Park, where, it is hoped, it will be restored to serve as a nautical show-piece and a link to our nautical past.
Thanks to the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society for the information in the History, Voices from the Light, Shipwreck! and The Calcite Pilot House sections above. This information was originally published in their brochure '40 Mile Point Lighthouse.'
To contact the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse Society, write to P.O. Box 205, Rogers City, MI 49779 or send email to bston@george.lhi.net.
