The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes

Great Lakes Books Series

by Charles K. Hyde, Ann Mahan (Photographer), John Mahan (Photographer)

Symbols of safety, reassurance, and guidance, lighthouses hold a special fascination for many people. On the Great Lakes, lighthouses―"northern lights"―helped to open the region to settlement and support the growth of commercial trade. Charles K. Hyde describes the histories of more than 160 individual lighthouses that still exist on Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior and the straits of Mackinac. As the shipping industry flourished, so too did the necessity for lighthouses. With their proliferation came a demand for more sophisticated structures. Hyde describes the changing design of lighthouses and the equipment that produces their beacons. Featuring over two hundred color photographs, The Northern Lights captures the beauty, history, and significance of lighthouses on the Great Lakes and illuminates the rich maritime history of the region.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1994

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice overview of the history of lighthouses and light-keeping on the Great Lakes (specifically, the westernmost end of Lake Erie and the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River, and then Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior). It's a little bit older now, so the information isn't necessarily perfectly up-to-date, but that's inevitable. Nicely illustrated and includes brief (very brief, usually only one or two paragraph) descriptions of each light station. There's also a pretty nice map in the back showing the locations of each station.