Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse

The Michigan City Harbor and its piers were constructed where Trail Creek entered Lake Michigan. Initially, there was just a beacon on the pier, accessible by a raised walkway. Two years, the East Pierhead Lighthouse was built. This is one of the very few lights on the Great Lakes that had a 1,500-foot iron walkway, a “catwalk”, atop the pier.

The lighthouse keeper for the Old Michigan City Light, Harriet Colfax, was responsible for the maintenance of the new pierhead light and the west breakwater light, as well as the shore light.
Twice each night, she would cross the catwalk to the lantern room to trim the wick, polish the lens, and refuel the light, first with whale oil and lard, and later, kerosene. She would return in the morning to extinguish the light. So intent on her duties as she was, the lights of Michigan City Harbor became known as “Old Faithful.”

In October of 1874, the pierhead light was moved to the west breakwater. Harriet would cross the harbor in a rowboat and carry her supplies to the west breakwater light. As lard was used, the heated oil would solidify in winter, and Harriet would have to repeat the trip in order to have heated oil to light. One evening, during a particularly bad storm, Harriet had just returned from her duties in time to see a powerful wave take out the west tower. She found pieces of it the following morning along the shore. It was decided that the west pierhead tower would not be replaced.

It was not until a remodel in 1904 when a new lighthouse with keeper’s quarters was built. That was when the walkway was permanently removed. The fifth-order Fresnel Lens that lit the Old Michigan City Lighthouse was removed from that building. It is currently available for viewing in the museum which is in the Old Michigan City Lighthouse.

Harriet Colfax retired as the keeper of those lights after 43 years of service at the age of 81. She died just months after her lifelong companion, Ann Hartwell.

In May 2007, Michigan City was awarded the lighthouse. The lighthouse and catwalk are closed to the public, but people are permitted to walk the pier after paying for entry to Washington Park.

A 52 Weeks of Fun Fascinating Fact about Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse

The lantern atop the Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse was originally on top of the Old Michigan City lighthouse. After a remodel in 1904, the lantern was moved to the end of the pier, where it still exists today.

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Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse

A 52 Weeks of Fun Fascinating Fact about Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse

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