Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service

by Patricia Majher

"A great read about some great ladies, Pat Majher's Ladies of the Lights pays long overdue homage to an overlooked part of Great Lakes maritime history in which a select group of stalwart women beat the odds to succeed in a field historically reserved for men."
---Terry Pepper, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keeper's Association
Michigan leads the country in the number of lighthouses, and also employed the most female lighthouse keepers during its history. 
Fifty-plus women served the sailing communities on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, as well as on the Detroit River, for more than 100 years. From Catherine Shook, who raised eight children while maintaining the Pointe Aux Barques light at the entrance to Saginaw Bay; to Eliza Truckey, who assumed responsibility for the lighthouse in Marquette while her husband fought in the Civil War; to Elizabeth Van Riper Williams, whose combined service on Beaver Island and in Harbor Springs totaled forty-one years---the stories of Michigan's "Ladies of the Lights" are inspiring.
This is no technical tome documenting the minutiae of Michigan's lighthouse specifications. Rather, it's a richly detailed portrait of the women who kept those lights, defying the gender expectations of their time.
Patricia Majher is editor of Michigan History magazine, published by the Historical Society of Michigan. Prior, she was assistant director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame in Lansing, Michigan. In addition, she has been a writer for more than thirty years and a frequent contributor to Michigan newspapers and magazines.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical

136 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2010

About the author

Patricia Majher is a former editor of Michigan History magazine and a museum professional who has held positions at institutions including The Henry Ford and Mackinac State Historic Parks. Her previous books include Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service and Great Girls in Michigan History (Wayne State University Press, 2015).

Reviews

[Phyllis Runyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about women lighthouse keepers in Michigan. I thought it was fascinating and never knew that women were actually hired to be lighthouse keepers and they were paid the same as men. Some started out as assistants to their husbands. Some came from families whose father and brothers were lighthouse keepers and some were hired by the lighthouse service and then the Coastguard without any family connection. At the same time they were raising children and taking care of everything else that women took care of in the 19th and early 20th century. They were truly amazing women.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating - very informative… just wish it was longer with more information and anecdotes.

[Lenore Kuipers-Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michigan leads the country in the number of lighthouses. You often hear tales of lighthouse keepers, but rarely are women mentioned. There were 52 women, that for more than 100 years, served in that exact role...a lighthouse keeper. They covered lakes Huron, Michigan, and Lake Superior, as well as the Detroit River. The "Ladies of the Lights" were all very different. Some raised as many as 8 children while being a lighthouse keeper, some had to go it alone when their husbands went off to war. The weather was a huge factor, as was the isolation of the job. Taking care of the actual light was a time-consuming job as well. Many a person (children too) had to be rescued when they broke through the ice in the winter, and the keeper would go out swimming to rescue them. It was a hard job at best.
This particular book not only has the expected index, but an extensive bibliography. It also has a section of notes, suggested readings for children and adults, a chronological list of keepers, and a map that matches the geographical locations of the lighthouses and their keepers.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll admit that I only read this book for a history book club and did not expect to enjoy it. Despite growing up in Michigan and generally loving local history, maritime history and lighthouses have always bored me. I've seen far too many exhibits on the wonders of the Fresnel light. But Majher made the subject enjoyable because of her focus on the lighthouse keepers rather than the technology. I had never considered what it would be like to be a keeper, the isolation, the boredom, the wonder of getting to watch the lakes every day. I was fascinated to learn that lighthouse keeping was one of the few professions where women were paid equally in the nineteenth century and that the rise in women lighthouse keepers was in part due to a superintendent of the Lighthouse Service being frustrated with the incompetence of men appointed through the political spoils system. For those in Michigan, you will inevitably have driven past many of the lighthouses mentioned, which makes it fun--several were close to either where I grew up or where I live now.

[Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting topic that I wish there was more information on.

I don't have any knocks against Majher, who I think does a good job here.

My biggest problems with this book are that:
1) There is a dearth of information overall. This book is about 90 pages long and it is HEAVILY padded. Many of the anecdotes are repeated 3-4 times. Unfortunately, not much was written about these women.
2) This book is written at about a 3rd grade reading level. I was expecting something more scholarly.

I would recommend this to any kids who want to write a book report, or to any more academic authors who want to take a crack at one of Michigan's lesser known historical aspects.

[Sam Weintraub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the spotlight on women’s contributions to a profession that isn’t talked much about anymore. Life was tough for these women, with many of them holding down the job on top of raising 5+ children. I noticed a common theme of husbands being signed up to do the job but the women actually doing the work!! The end of the book has an interview portion with the last female lighthouse keeper. She seemed like an awesome lady. I was cracking up when she said she separated from her husband bc she didn’t want to go to the UP 😂 The Great Lakes have such a rich maritime history and I recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the relatively niche topic.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super interesting! I love all the little tidbits and stories and the oral history in back was fantastic. Plus great photos and maps.
It's based on a museum display and it reads like it...it doesn't in the end all quite hang together as a beginning to end read but honestly I didn't really care because I enjoyed the little tidbits I was picking up so much.

[Dianna Stampfler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honored to have been able to provide some early inspiration and information to Pat for this book based on my long-time presentation of the same name. Truly inspiring stories about dozens of women who kept Michigan’s lighthouses shining for so many years!

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. I was hoping for more stories than statistics. Some of the experiences of the ladies of the lights. However, it was still an interesting read for those interested in lighthouses and light keepers.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fascinating read!

[Katie Parlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical book with amazing details of life as a light keeper. I would not have known the trials and tribulations had I not read this book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading about women of Michigan's historical past. I love lighthouses and the stories about them.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, short history of some interesting women. I wish there was more of it.

[Carly Really Very Normal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this title from an episode of "Joe Pera Talks with You" called "Joe Pera Guides You Through the Dark" and it was like being in a book club with him <3. I found this informative and interesting. What a cool niche history, and a neat narrative of the brave women of history and my home state.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little repetitive but informative!

[Carie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, interesting and to the point. I will definitely be looking into the other books the author lists on the topic of lighthouse keepers

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I read this because it was referenced on “Joe Pera Talks to You.” What of it?

[Jackalyn]

Very interesting and informative regarding the role of women as lighthouse keepers in Michigan.

[Sharon Sattler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book about many brave women!

[Marieta Grissom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful way to honor the women who kept the lights along the Michigan shores. It was interesting to learn at least fifty-two of them met the challenge, often raising young children at the same time.

[Laura Bien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at a forgotten piece of Michigan history, Ladies of the Lights offers portraits of the often grueling--and sometimes fatal--lives of the women who ran Michigan's lighthouses in an era when such jobs for women were rare. Scholarly, informative, and well-researched, this absorbing book sheds light on an unexplored aspect of Michigan women's history and the lives of Michigan lighthouse-keepers in general. Highly recommended. The author is editor of Michigan History Magazine.

[Shadowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty awesome. It cool to read about women who decided to preform a job that was thought by most to be only open to men. This book is a great tribute to the women written about with in, to their dedication to the state, the sailors, and their families. I hope many more people read and enjoy this book.