Lighthouse Spirit: The Era of Unsung Heroes

Lighthouses are buildings located on coasts, harbors, or rivers used to guide ships. Most lighthouses are tower-shaped, with a lens system at the top that beams light across the sea. Before electricity was widespread, fire was often used as the light source. The original maritime navigation aids were "beacon towers" built on hilltops or cliffs, where flames were lit for illumination. Due to the advancement of modern navigation equipment, the number of manually operated lighthouses has greatly decreased, with only about 1,500 still in use worldwide. Lighthouses are often used to mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous sandbars or reefs, and the channels leading to ports.

Split Rock Lighthouse

From 1910, for over half a century, Split Rock Lighthouse guided countless cargo ships safely through the cliff-lined northern shore of Lake Superior, which American novelist James Oliver Curwood called "one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world." Perched like a castle on the cliff edge, it emitted a deep glow at night to guide vessels on the water. By day, Split Rock Lighthouse became a scenic highlight along the lakeshore. As early as the 1930s, over 5,000 people visited it; by 1938, nearly 100,000 had come. Later, the surrounding Split Rock Lighthouse State Park became a favorite outdoor destination for Minnesota residents.

📍: 3755 Split Rock Lighthouse Road, MN 55616

Frankfort Light

Built in 1912, Frankfort Light is located on the northern breakwater of Michigan, hence also known as Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse. For a century, it has withstood countless waves from the lake and still stands firm. In 2005, it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Today, the lighthouse has become a popular spot for watching sunsets over Lake Michigan. Visitors can walk up to the lighthouse, fish off the pier, or quietly enjoy the lake views; the lakeshore also offers public beaches and playgrounds.

📍: Frankfort, MI 49635

Port Washington Breakwater Lighthouse

Wisconsin's Port Washington County's first lighthouse was built in 1849 to the north. In 1934, after the new federal pier was completed, attention turned to constructing the lighthouse. The Art Deco style, popular in the 1930s, was applied to its design and construction. Other lighthouses of similar style include Huron Harbor Pierhead Lighthouse and Conneaut West Breakwater Lighthouse in Ohio. Another prime example is Gravelly Shoal Lighthouse in Michigan. In 2018, Port Washington Breakwater Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

📍: Port Washington, WI 53074

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Undoubtedly, Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is the loneliest lighthouse. Situated on Lake Michigan, it faces the bustling metropolis of Chicago across the water—the joys and bustle of the opposite shore seem unrelated to it. As one of three lighthouses guarding Chicago, it has kept watch for over a century.

📍: Chicago Harbor, IL

Lorain Lighthouse

Built in 1917, Lorain Lighthouse was once called "The Jewel of the Port" by locals. As early as 1978, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A narrow corridor is the only way to reach this lake lighthouse, which has guarded ships on Lake Erie for nearly half a century. Now faded from its former glory, it resembles an old man living alone on an isolated island, silently standing on the water as time passes and gloom settles. Before nightfall, under a heavy slant of sunset glow, Lorain Lighthouse seems reborn, blending with the low clouds and brilliant colors in the sky to form a beautiful picture.

📍: Lorain, OH 44052

Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse

Located in Michigan City, Indiana, the East Pierhead Lighthouse, like all lighthouses, has weathered storms and hardships on the water, watching over ships. The lighthouse's last keeper, Harriet Colfax, told a reporter from the Chicago Tribune: "Although I have an assistant to tend the light, I still insist on trimming the wick and lighting it myself. For forty-three years, I have been the only one doing this. I love the old lighthouse and this job; they are what I have known for so long, my family, even my everything. I don't want anyone else to light my lamp, so I would rather die here than live elsewhere. The work is easier now. The old beacon lamp has been replaced, leaving only this main light. In the past, lard was used as fuel for the lamp; in cold weather, we had to keep heating it to prevent it from solidifying, but the beacon lamp would easily burn out. Before I lit it, the lard would harden, but once lit, it would never go out. It will only go out when the lamp of my life goes out."

📍: Michigan City, IN 46360

THE END

Visitors come to appreciate this weathered "old fellow," for its long history as a witness to changing times. In the historical river where the rise of navigation and the development of surrounding port cities unfolded, the lighthouse played the role of guidance, while those who stayed at the lighthouses were the guardians of countless seafaring families. We record lighthouses to make people feel the "lighthouse spirit," and more importantly, to remember the "guardians" who embody that spirit.

"In the darkest moments,"

We pay tribute to those who bravely forge ahead against the flow.