[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 206 (Tuesday, November 30, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 THE STORY OF THE MARBLEHEAD LIGHTHOUSE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2021

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the celebration of the 
200th anniversary of the Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio. On 
Sunday, November 20, 2021, I joined with residents and congregants of 
First United Church of Christ-Congregational in Marblehead to kick off 
the celebration through 2022. I am honored to include in the Record the 
history as stated during the celebration. The history was written by 
Lorrie Halblaub.

       Welcome. Today we will rededicate the Marblehead Lighthouse 
     which was built in 1821 and commissioned in 1822. It was 
     originally called the Sandusky Bay Light Station but the name 
     changed to Marblehead in 1870. Starting today, this peninsula 
     will be honoring the light with a year-long celebration 
     featuring many events. There is something about a lighthouse 
     that makes us compare it to God. Its leading light, its 
     steadfastness, its help to those who are in trouble, so a 
     church is a fitting place to begin this journey.


       The Story of the Marblehead Lighthouse in Words and Music

       After the War of 1812, the United States turned its 
     attention to shipping on the Great Lakes and lighthouses were 
     necessary to aid in navigation. In 1819 Congress budgeted 
     $5,000 for a light between the Grand River in Ohio and the 
     Detroit River in Michigan. Another $5000 was budgeted in 
     1820.
       Because Sandusky Bay was the safest harbor in that stretch 
     of Lake Erie, it was decided that a light would be erected at 
     the entrance. So, the United States purchased 3 acres of land 
     for $277.45 on what was known then as Rocky Point, a small 
     peninsula on the east end of the larger Marblehead peninsula.
       Instructions on the size and shape of the lighthouse were 
     given to the builder, William Kelly, from Sandusky. His 
     workers quarried the native limestone and built the 50-foot 
     tower that was to become the light. They started on September 
     14 and finished on November 10, 1821 at a cost of $7,282. Two 
     of Kelly's grandsons, John Jr. and Joab were founders of this 
     church.
       Over the rest of the winter and spring of 1822, the top of 
     the light tower was fitted with the light source; 13 Argand 
     whale oil lamps with reflectors and a set of windows, called 
     a lantern, that the light shone through.
       The lighthouse was the first permanent structure built on 
     the peninsula. The second structure was a stone keeper's 
     house next to the light. Then William Kelly also built a 
     third stone dwelling for the man who would become the first 
     keeper of the light, Benajah Wolcott, the first permanent 
     settler of Danbury Township. By June 22, 1822, the light was 
     officially lit and Wolcott began 10 years of service at $350 
     per year.
       What was it like to be a lightkeeper back then? In a word 
     ``difficult''. First, you had to stay up all night long to 
     keep the light going. You had to haul heavy containers of oil 
     up a series of wooden ladders to fuel the flame. The wicks 
     needed trimming, the lamps and window glass needed polishing, 
     the tower needed maintenance and painting, the grounds and 
     the keeper's house had to be cleaned and kept in repair.
       Remember, back then, the Marblehead Peninsula was a 
     prairie. Settlers lived in log cabins with no towns, roads, 
     stores, schools, churches or local government Travel on land 
     was by horse or on foot so you couldn't run to a store if you 
     needed something. Shopping required a rowboat trip across 
     Sandusky Bay to the nearest town where you turned in your 
     monthly lighthouse reports and picked up your pay.
       All the early keepers grew their own food and kept 
     livestock. All keepers kept a log where they wrote down the 
     weather and what ships passed.
       For the first 55 years of the light, the keepers were also 
     required to aid any ship in distress. If they couldn't mount 
     a rescue of volunteers, they had to do the rescuing 
     themselves.
       There were 15 lightkeepers over the years, including two 
     women. After Benajah Wolcott died of Cholera, his wife, 
     Rachel, became the first female lightkeeper on the Great 
     Lakes.
       Then, in 1875, something happened that changed the keeper's 
     duty of mounting rescues. In May of that year, a gale swept 
     over the lake. The schooner Consuelo began to sink about 3 
     miles from the Lighthouse. Lucien Clemons, whose father 
     started the first quarry business on the peninsula, saw their 
     plight and along with his brothers Hubbard and Ai mounted a 
     rescue.
       They rowed a 12-foot boat for nearly an hour in a raging 
     storm, risking their own lives. They saved two of the crew, 
     who were clinging to the ship. The captain, three seamen and 
     a female cook were lost.
       For their heroic effort, the three were given the first 
     Congressional gold lifesaving medals ever awarded.
       Then, because of the number of shipwrecks in the area, the 
     government built a lifesaving station here and it took over 
     the rescues from the lightkeepers.
       The Point Marblehead Lifesaving Station opened June 24, 
     1876 with Lucien Clemons as the first keeper. He served for 
     21 years.
       His brothers, Hubbard and Ai were members of this church, 
     which was built in 1900. The brothers served on the building 
     committee. Because the lifesaving station was small, they 
     made a deal with the church that people who were rescued 
     could shelter here if needed. The sign of that covenant is on 
     the top of our church steeple. Instead of a cross, we have a 
     symbolic Astrolabe, a device that helped early sailors 
     navigate.
       The Lifesaving station became part of the Coast Guard and 
     the station was rebuilt and enlarged twice. Today the 
     Marblehead Coast Guard station is the one of the busiest on 
     the Great Lakes.
       A replica of the first lifesaving station is on display on 
     the grounds of our lighthouse.
       Because the Coast Guard was part of the Navy during World 
     War II, they have their own verse in the next song, also 
     known as the Navy Hymn. We will now sing Eternal Father 
     Strong to Save with the Coast Guard verse.
       As the years went by, the lighthouse changed, always for 
     the better, and always to make the light beam farther and 
     brighter.
       Around the turn of the 20th century, two additions to 
     height, a bigger lantern and a bigger lens were added. The 
     light fuel went from oil to kerosene to electricity and from 
     a lantern with simple reflectors to a magnificent Fresnel 
     lens, to several big LED bulbs.
       In 1903 the Light gained a clockwork mechanism that only 
     needed to be wound every few hours. Today it is automated. 
     The color of the light has been white, red and now is green 
     so as to distinguish it from other air beacons.
       Two keepers oversaw most of these changes. Joanna McGee, 
     our second' female keeper, and Charles Hunter, who were both 
     members of this church. The McGee's came to the lighthouse as 
     a newly-weds when George was hired as the 12th keeper. They 
     gave birth to 10 children while living there. Joanna became 
     the keeper after her husband George passed away, Together, 
     George and Johanna McGee served 30 years.
       By 1881, the keeper's original stone house was in such poor 
     condition that George built them a shed to live in. When the 
     light house inspector saw that, it wasn't long before the old 
     keepers house was torn down and a new two-story wooden home 
     was built that serves as the lighthouse museum today.
       Charles Hunter came as a single man but married at age 55. 
     He served from 1903-1933, and was quite a character. He was a 
     storyteller, taught a woodworking class at the local school. 
     He built a boat that was too heavy to float and a house made 
     of wood that had washed up on shore.
       Before 1920, he owned a car, a Hupmobile, but didn't drive 
     it. His wife drove while he sat in the back smoking his pipe! 
     He also created pictures out of crewel embroidery like the 
     one on display. And without knowing how to play the piano, he 
     wrote a song about the lighthouse called The Lighthouse by 
     the Bay that will be sung by soloist Bill Bird.
       200 years after the lighthouse was built it is still 
     beaming light every night. It has the honor of being the 
     oldest continuously operating Lighthouse on the Great Lakes. 
     Four other Great Lakes lighthouses were built prior to 1821, 
     but all of them have been decommissioned.
       Over the years, many old lighthouses have been torn down or 
     rebuilt a few times, but the original Marblehead Light still 
     stands because of several factors; it was built on solid 
     bedrock, built of the finest limestone, a stone that is 
     nearly waterproof, built by an excellent mason who mixed the 
     right mortar consistency and let the building cure properly, 
     and because it has been lovingly maintained over the years. 
     It has withstood many Nor'Easter storms with waves that 
     splash the windows 65 feet up. It has withstood the wrath of 
     Lake Erie, known as the toughest, meanest and most 
     unpredictable of the Great Lakes.
       As playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote: `I can think of no 
     other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a 
     lighthouse. They were built to serve. They weren't built for 
     any other purpose.' We will now sing the hymn Brightly Beams 
     our Father's Mercy.

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