Volume 1, Issue 8 - November, 2023

President's Letter

Dear Friends,

As November graces us with its chilly embrace and autumnal hues, I am delighted to extend my warmest greetings to all of you.

The changing of seasons brings with it not only the falling leaves but also new opportunities for us to continue our dedicated efforts in preserving and promoting the historic Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

With the holiday season just around the corner, we reflect on the year's

accomplishments and look forward to what lies ahead. In the spirit of gratitude, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to every member of our passionate and devoted community. Your commitment to our cause, whether through volunteering, supporting our fundraising initiatives, or spreading awareness, has been

instrumental in our mission.

We have been busy getting our message of Preserving, Restoring, and Celebrating the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse out and are happy to announce our partnership with

Chicago Harbors! More details below. One thing I never expected when we started down this road was the number of people I get the opportunity to meet and speak to weekly about the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

This week, we made another great connection and an opportunity to engage in a

touching story about a dog and a lighthouse tender. Learn more about this story below.

As we approach the end of the year, I encourage you to consider making a year-end

tax-deductible donation to continue supporting our noble cause. Our collective efforts have brought us this far, and with your ongoing commitment, we can look forward to an even brighter future for the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

Once again, thank you for your unwavering dedication to our cause. Together, we are the keepers of this historical beacon, and with your support, the light of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse will continue to shine for generations to come.



Wishing you all a cozy and memorable November.

Be Safe and Be Well!

Regards,

Kurt Lentsch

Chief Dreamer and President, Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

If you are part of an organization that has an interest in financially supporting our efforts to Preserve, Restore, and Celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, please reach out to Nick Naber (nicknaber@savethelighthouse.org), our treasurer and a member of our fundraising working group.

Your contribution will enable us to offset the start-up costs for the

Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

and begin the work of preservation and restoration...

We are very grateful for your generosity.

The Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is a 501c3 organization

so please make a tax-deductible gift to help us Save the Lighthouse!

www.SaveTheLighthouse.org

FOCHL is pleased to present the fifth edition of

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse – Past, Present and Future

Jackson Park Yacht Club on Friday, November 3, 2023



FOCHL Speakers:

Kurt Lentsch, Chief Dreamer, President, FCHL

Edward Torrez, AIA, NCARB, Preservation Architect

If you are part of a group of 25 or more interested in learning more about the history of our lighthouse and our efforts, please contact Steve Clements (steveclements@savethelighthouse.org) to discuss the possibility of scheduling a presentation for your group.

SPORT, THE SHIP DOG OF THE GREAT LAKES

Pam Cameron, an author residing in Kalamazoo, MI, has reached out to Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse after hearing about the group’s preservation efforts. Pam has penned a fascinating tale called Sport, the Ship Dog of the Great Lakes.

Sport's story takes place in 1914, when crew members of the lighthouse tender Hyacinth rescue a stray puppy from the Milwaukee River, affectionately naming him Sport.

Over the course of twelve years, this endearing Newfoundland-retriever mix

becomes a dedicated ship dog, assisting the Hyacinth's crew in their missions to deliver supplies to lighthouses and maintain safety features throughout Lake Michigan. Sport swiftly endears himself to the crew, earning the title of mascot and friend in every port he visits.

Photo: P79-26-1 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Collection

The 160- foot lighthouse tender Hyacinth, launched in 1902 and commissioned as the USLHS Hyacinth on June 26, 1903, played a crucial role in supplying lighthouses

across Lake Michigan, including the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. Initially assigned to the 9th Lighthouse District based in Milwaukee, the Hyacinth was primarily tasked with engineering duties. In the mid-1930s, the vessel underwent a significant conversion from coal to diesel power, adapting to the changing times. Finally, on November 15, 1945, the ship was decommissioned, concluding its distinguished service.

FOCHL is looking forward to delving deeper into the story of Sport through Pam's

unique perspective. His adventures are a heartwarming testament to the enduring bond between humans and their faithful companions and a window into a bygone era of maritime history. The tale of Sport, the Ship Dog of the Great Lakes , promises to be a captivating journey into a world of loyalty, camaraderie, and the adventures that unfolded upon the waters of Lake Michigan.

CHICAGO HARBORS AND SUNTEX MARINA TO HELP PROMOTE FOCHL MISSION

Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is thrilled to share a noteworthy collaboration with Chicago Harbors, in partnership with Suntex Marinas, to bolster awareness of a shared mission: preserving, restoring, and celebrating the historic Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. The inaugural joint effort takes the form of an insert included in the 2024 slip renewal packages, scheduled to be mailed to the 4500 slip holders within the Chicago Harbor System this November.

FOCHL extends heartfelt gratitude to the incredible team that made this collaboration possible, including Scott Stevenson, Roberta Hooper, and Matt Knighton, for their unwavering support and enthusiasm. Their commitment to the FOCHL cause underscores the collective dedication to the legacy of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, ensuring its light shines brightly for generations to come.

Together, both organizations embark on a journey that promises to ignite the passion

and support of countless individuals who share the vision for preserving and celebrating this iconic beacon of Chicago's maritime history. This collaboration is a testament to the power of teamwork and a bright beacon of hope for the future of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

CHICAGO HARBOR LIGHTHOUSE TAKES A CUE FROM ROCK OF AGES PRESERVATION EFFORTS

As Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse works to preserve, restore, and celebrate the city’s iconic lighthouse, the organization is grateful for the knowledge and experience of previous lighthouse preservation efforts on the Great Lakes.

Indeed, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is often compared to the Rock of Ages

Lighthouse, situated five miles off the southwest tip of Isle Royale in Lake Superior.

One of the tallest beacons on the Great Lakes, the lighthouse has protected ships from washing up on the Rock of Ages Reef for more than 100 years.

Although not nearly as tall or remote, the CHL is similar in age, structure, and

appearance to the Rock of Ages Light. The two lighthouses were built 15 years apart

near the turn of the twentieth century, both were built on concrete piers with a cylindrical base supporting a conical frustrum structure.

The lantern rooms of both lighthouses originally held Fresnel lenses - a Second Order Fresnel in the Rock of Ages and a Third Order in the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

Working with the National Park Services, the Rock of Ages Preservation Society began their restoration efforts in 2014 and, today, consider their work about halfway through. Limited working months in the far northern Great Lakes and time-consuming travel to the light’s remote location, have been daunting challenges for the society. However, a dedicated group of volunteer tradespeople keep the group on track year after year.

After 2014, when the Society identified and digitized drawings that date from the

lighthouse’s construction in 1907, the group began restoration work over the next nine summers. Some of the projects completed include demolition work on automation structures within the tower that had been built by the Coast Guard in the 1970s, restoration of the keepers’ quarters, plastering and painting walls, installing and sealing wood floors, stripping and refinishing existing woodwork, cleaning and painting several sets of stairs and installing solar power panels.

“Most of the restoration work at Rock of Ages Lighthouse is undertaken by our

volunteers,” says Society Director David Gerth. “Although the work entails skill in

carpentry, painting, plastering and cleaning, the one common thread for our volunteers is their deep appreciation of solitude and nature.”

Volunteers must be ferried by the non-profit boat, the Rock Hopper, about eight miles from Windigo Ranger Station on Isle Royale to the lighthouse. For the past five years, solar power and a compost toilet have allowed volunteers to stay overnight, sleeping on bunkbeds within the tower to avoid the time-consuming daily commutes.

It is the group’s mission to restore the Rock of Ages Lighthouse as a monument to the skilled craftsmen who built it and to the many lighthouse keepers stationed there

throughout its history.

“It is for their dedication and sacrifice, that we preserve and maintain this beacon on the open waters of Lake Superior,” says David.

CHICAGO’S UNFORTUNATE CONNECTION TO THE ROCK OF AGES

Would-be Century of Progress Tourists Wash Ashore on

Lake Superior Reef

Story excerpted from Lighthouses of the Great Lakes by Todd R. Berger

Credit: Larsen Collection of the National Park Service

Despite being rather obvious things for ships to avoid, many vessels have hit

offshore lighthouses and the hazards they mark.

On May 27, 1933, the George M. Cox departed from Houghton, Michigan bound

for Port Arthur, Ontario (now part of Thunder Bay, Ontario), on northern Lake Superior. The passenger ship had originated in Chicago and was travelling to the Canadian town to pick up tourists and carry them back to Chicago for the Century of Progress Exposition. A large contingent of Chicago passengers was aboard the northbound ship enjoying a late spring cruise.

The George M. Cox’s route would take her northwest around the far western tip

of Isle Royale and then northwest into the port. Along her route, she would round the

130-foot-tall Rock of Ages Light, which stands on a separated reef off the eastern end of Isle Royale. The George M. Cox steamed along on the foggy night on May 23, approaching the western edge of the Isle Royale around dinnertime.

Some of the Rock of Ages keepers were in the lantern room as the ship

approached, but they did not see the vessel’s lights due to the fog. However, as the

ship drew nearer, one of the keepers spotted the masts of the Cox poking above the fog bank. The ship seemed to be on a collision course with the lighthouse. The keepers attempted to attract the attention of the Cox’s crew by repeatedly blasting the foghorn and flashing the lighthouse lamp.

After hearing the alarm signal from the Rock of Ages foghorn, the ship turned

west, attempting to round the reef and, after eight minutes, turned north, feeling assured they were at least two and a half miles from the lighthouse. The George M. Cox however was not beyond the reef and the ship plowed into the submerged Rock of Ages Reef at an estimated speed of seventeen knots. The force of the of impact, as the steamship drove high up on the reef, sent champagne flutes, bow-tied waters,

suitcases, and nattily dressed passengers flying.

Passengers and crew scrambled in the aftermath, trying to get to the deck to find

out what had happened. The keepers of Rock of Ages made their way by motor launch to the Cox to aid passengers. The crew of the ship launched the lifeboats and lowered many passengers to water. Though it was foggy that night, the lake itself was calm. Only four passengers had been seriously hurt by the impact. A passing freighter, the Morris B. Tremaine, picked up the critically injured and took them on to Port Arthur for treatment.

The remaining 118 passengers and crew spent the night on Rock of Ages Reef.

The lighthouse wasn’t big enough to harbor all the castaways, so the survivors took

turns standing inside. The next morning, a Coast Guard cutter picked up the

bedraggled, chilled-to-the-bone survivors and carried them back to Houghton.

The George M. Cox remained stranded on the Rock of Ages Reef for some time.

Eventually, waves stirred up by a heavy storm dislodged the battered ship. She slipped from her perch on the reef and, with a gaping gash in her hull, promptly sank.

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND TALENT

Photo credit: Barry Butler

We need your help, and we are asking you to volunteer and join us in our mission to save the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse and keep its legacy alive for generations to come. 

We are a passionate organization dedicated to preserving, restoring, and celebrating the historic Chicago Harbor Lighthouse for future generations. Our mission would not be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers who share our passion and commitment to this iconic landmark.

As a volunteer with Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience, meet new people, and make a meaningful impact in preserving a historic Chicago landmark that is cherished by our city.

If you are interested in donating your talents and joining our team, please visit our volunteer page at savethelighthouse.org/volunteer to learn more.

Currently, we are seeking talented and experienced part-time volunteers to assist us in the areas of fundraising (especially grant writing), construction, and community outreach to help us build and maintain our connections to local and national organizations.

41°53'22"N 87°35'26"W

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