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History was made at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore this past May 30 when Michigan’s South Manitou Island Lighthouse was relighted after being dark since 1958. Jack Sheridan, the great-grandson of lighthouse keeper Aaron Sheridan, who first lit the tower in 1872, flipped the switch that turned on the new solar powered beacon.

>> Click to enlarge << After being dark since 1958, a light from a ...

The Manitou Islands Memorial Society, Manitou Island Transit and Electro-Optics Technology, Inc. all collaborated with the National Park Service at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to raise funds to purchase the replica third order Fresnel lens that was installed last fall after park employees worked all summer to repair and paint the tower.

The light in the tower will shine its beacon from May through October. All those involved with the many phases of this project are to be congratulated. They have brought a historic lighthouse back to life and helped save its history for future generations.

For more information on the

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore you can visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov.slbe or call them at 231-326-5134. You can also write to them at

9922 Front Street, Empire, Michigan 49630.

This story appeared in the July 2009 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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