The rain has broken a bit but the wind is still ferocious. I decided to visit the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse next to give the trails a little more time to drain off, and to catch part of the historical tours. It had not hit me until seeing the pumpkins now that Halloween was approaching as in my head I still assumed it was early October. How time flies…
Access to the lighthouse is easy – just park in the lot and walk maybe 100 yards on the paved path. Here you’ll find the lighthouse which was built in 1868, and a large anchor displayed on a chained-off platform.
Plaque on the anchor reads “The 1,000 anchor from the schooner ‘Oak Leaf’ Launched on April 14, 1866 Sank in Sturgeon Bay in 1926.”
Here’s a tighter view of the lighthouse from an angle. It’s a two-story brick house with several rooms and the lighthouse immediately adjoins on the back side closest to Green Bay to the northeast and the smaller Tennison Bay directly to the west, both of course on Lake Michigan.
At the front entry door are plaques denoting the building’s status as listed in both the Wisconsin State Register and U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
For a small donation, I was able to join the volunteer-guided historical tour. They retold the story of what keeper life was like, the history of the house and tower, details on some of the other buildings that used to exist on the property, and more. Well worth the time if you take interest in topics like this. I find it fascinating how stepping into a place such as this can immediately transport you back in time hundreds of years, making you wonder what it would be like for your own self.
There were three keepers that manned the light from it’s construction in 1868 until it was automated in 1926. Several families called this place home, and many of the artifacts on display are the authentic originals either left behind or donated.
You can climb the three-story spiral iron staircase to the light itself, but the very top is locked off behind a sheet of plexiglass. Very tight quarters here so avoid the crowd and wait until you can go up as a single person!
After the tour, don’t forget to check out the back of the house to see it from every side. There is also a brick outhouse off to the light tower side; apparently the other buildings, a barn and a summer kitchen, are no longer here but the Door County Historical Society is working to fund and lead reconstruction projects.
Steps away on the back patio you can see Lake Michican some 75 feet below (though it looks closer today with the windy wave swells). Also in the distance are the Strawberry Islands though they are far off enough that you won’t see much detail by the naked eye. Hey look at that, some blue sky is starting to peek out!
On my way back to the car I saw a big red trolley arriving which carried another group of tourists. There is a decent amount of parking here, but I can easily see in the busy summer and early fall months how riding the trolley would be an advantage. Check out that option if you find the time to do so. For now, it’s time for me to check out the hiking trails while the weather is improving – more to come!
Lat = 45.1690025 , Long = -87.2365646 -- Show at Google MapsAuthor’s Note: Due to many reasons – none of them very good – I’m posting this from the future. I’ve got an overwhelming backlog of photos to process which is probably why I procrastinate. Actual visit date/time October 16, 2019 10:53am. I’ll backdate it later so as to maintain chronological order. Hope you enjoy them all the same.