|
|
Upon returning from the Sioux locks, we decided to venture 20 miles west to see Point Iroquois LightHouse. It was a warm day with a lot of construction on the road however after seeing the Light House and spending several hours there we were glad we went. Point Iroquois was first build in 1857, on one of the busiest shipping lanes in in the world. It is located in at the entrance of the St.Mary River, at the entrance of the Sioux locks. The grounds of the Lighthouse are surrounded was smooth sidewalks, making it accessable . Also, there was a wooden ramp that led down to the beach of Lake Superior. The grounds, the sidewalks and the ramps were well kept. In The LightHouse itself was a large building of at least three stories, with a 65 with tower attached. In 1870 the house and the tower were completely rebuilt and after the turn-of-the-century the living quarters were large enough to house two families,the light keeper and with the persistence of the local people half of the building became a school house and a meeting place for the community. There is a wonderful book describing life there, written by a Betty Byrnes Bacon. The name of this narrative is lighthouse Memories Growing up at Point Iroquis in the 1920s. The Lighthouse performed its duties for over 100 years, until replaced in favor of a light farther out in water. Today the Lighthouse is preserved by the Bay Mills Brown Lane Historical Society. The historical society also owns the land, which lies in the middle of the Hiawatha National Forest. The building sits up on a bluff overlooking the sand beaches of Lake Superior, with many wildflowers, pieces of drift would, rocks and pine trees, making it a wonderful view. The interior has much in the way of memorabilia, antiques, and in general is laid out in the manner it would have been in the early 1900s. There is a gift shop and the building and tower are open to the public from Memorial Day till October.
