[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 128 (Saturday, August 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. JOSEPH LIGHTHOUSE IN 
                                MICHIGAN

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. UPTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the proud 
maritime heritage of the twin cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, 
MI. This month several special events will be held commemorating the 
l00th anniversary of our historic landmark, the St. Joseph Lighthouse.
  St. Joseph and Benton Harbor's very beginnings were tied to Lake 
Michigan and the St. Joseph River. The intersection of these waterways 
provided for the founding of Fort Miami in 1679--the first European 
settlement in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. At one time, the trade and 
waterfront activity rivaled that of Chicago.
  St. Joseph's lighthouse legacy has included five historic structures, 
including most recently, the North Pier lighthouses, which were 
completed as a range light system in 1907. When lined up together, they 
direct mariners to the mouth of the river. These architectural icons, 
along with their original Fresnel lenses and restored catwalk, survive 
as one of only two range light systems still active in the Great Lakes 
today. This year we celebrate 100 proud years of the lighthouses 
guiding fleets of freighters, passenger liners, fish tugs, and 
recreational watercraft safely to our harbor.
  Few shoreline communities in the Great Lakes region can offer such a 
rich blend of past traditions, surviving historical structures, and 
living maritime history as St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. The lighthouse 
and the commercial shipping industry it was built to serve remain vital 
to our understanding of the past, present, and future. The St. Joseph 
lighthouse's working waterfront and maritime tradition have defined the 
cultural life and economy of our community, and I look forward to 
another century of the lighthouse serving as a loyal beacon for our 
magnificent shores.

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