![]() ![]() ![]() She was injured, and the family had to live in kind of a lean-to on the property while the lighthouse service repaired the house.” “Within a month or two after her husband died, there was actually a severe fire in the lighthouse chimney. “She is clearly recognized for being the first female lighthouse keeper appointed in the entire State of Michigan,” Stampfler said. Shook tended to the light for four years, while also raising her and her late husband’s eight children. Stampfler said that there are records of women serving as lighthouse keepers in Michigan as early as 1849. That was the year that Catherine Shook became keeper of the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse following the death of her husband, Peter, who was the light’s first ever keeper. Well, these female lighthouse keepers really were pioneers in this industry by keeping things all together and taking care of their families as well.” In addition to that, Julia was responsible for all the housekeeping and she had six children, she actually had six sons. Lighthouse Service and she drew her own salary. Julia was appointed an official keeper, however. ![]() “.It became the family business everybody kind of chipped in. “In many cases, wives were assistants to their husbands in an unofficial capacity," Stampfler said. “Aaron came in and was appointed head keeper, however he had a significant disability he had lost the use of his arm in one of the battles he served in.”ĭue to the importance of the South Manitou light – which helped illuminate the deepest natural harbor in Lake Michigan and part of the busy steamboat route between Chicago and Detroit –and due to the fact that there were an imposing 117 steps to the top of the lighthouse, the United States Lighthouse Service made Julia an official assistant keeper so that she would be compensated for sharing the job with her husband. “Aaron was a veteran of the Civil War, and it was very common for these veterans to be appointed lighthouse keepers because it continued their employment with the government,” Stampfler explained. The Sheridans and their six children lived on the island in the 1860s, tending the light together until husband, wife and their infant son died in a freak boating accident one day while making a trip to the mainland. One of these pioneers was Julia Sheridan who, along with her husband Aaron, tended to the lighthouse on South Manitou Island, which sits in Lake Michigan not far away from the Sleeping Dunes National Lakeshore. Through historical photos and anecdotes, the best-selling author and veteran of the Michigan tourism industry recounted how these women thrived in a male-dominated profession that was crucial to safe travel in and around the state. ![]() Stampfler took those who tuned into Tuesday’s presentation on a virtual, geographical tour of Michigan and the lighthouses where these “Ladies of the Lights” once served. “Some of them (served) for as short as two weeks, some of them as long as 44 years. I imagine (these women) always felt like they had to prove themselves, because they were always in fear of losing the job to a man or not being able to keep the position.” “We actually were able to determine, through various sources, that over 50 women served as lighthouse keepers,” Stampfler said Tuesday during "Ladies of the Lights,” a live virtual presentation hosted by the Flat Rock Library. While the majority of those keepers were male, historian and author Dianna Stampfler says there were more than a few women who made a living keeping Michigan’s lighthouses operational. These individuals braved the constant perils of this lonely and physically demanding profession to ensure the safety of all ships sailing Michigan waters. Thousands of lighthouse keepers tended to the state’s lights over the decades when they were crucial tools of marine navigation. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 125 lights along its shores. ![]()
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