>> Click to enlarge << Freeman E. Crosby in his USLHS uniform with his ...

Thanks to Patricia Crocker of Foresdale, Massachusetts, another part of U.S. Lighthouse Service history has been preserved for the future. Patricia recently sent us some photographs of her father Freeman E. Crosby, known as “Hank”, who served on the U. S. Lighthouse Service Tenders Lotus, Azalea and Shrub from 1925 to 1938.

>> Click to enlarge << Freeman Crosby in the engine room of the ...

He served in the rank of Seaman and Quartermaster. He left the U. S. Lighthouse Service to join the Bureau of Marine Inspection and came highly recommended for that position by the Commanding Officer of the Lotus, George Bartlett in a letter date January 15, 1937.

>> Click to enlarge << Recreation time on the lighthouse tender Shrub ...

For some reason photos of crewmembers of lighthouse tenders and their memories are difficult to find and locate, but are a vital part of lighthouse history.

This story appeared in the November 2004 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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