Point Iroquois Lighthouse-Whitefish Bay, MI (UP)

The lighthouse was built in 1870 to guide freighters safely between the open water of Whitefish Bay and the St Mary' River.  It marked the narrow channel between the shallow sand bars and the shoals off Point Iroquois and the rocky reefs of Gros Cap on the Candian side of the bay.  Despite hard work and long hours, life at the lighthouse offered space and a home-like atmosphere.  Because of heavy ship traffic, in 1902 more facilities were added.  The light station then had room for a head keeper, two assistants, and their families.  They formed their own self-sustaining community, complete with a schoolhouse and a teacher.  The light station was deactivated in 1962 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.