Squaw Island, MI

Beaver Island Tour

Lighthouse

Photo courtesy of: U.S. Coast Guard

Squaw Island Light

Squaw Island, MI

Built: 1892

Construction: Octagonal, Red Brick

Status: Inactive

Location: Squaw Island, Straits of Mackinac

Height: under investigation

Access: Boat

Lighthouse History : This Lighthouse is in Northern Lake Michigan on Squaw Island which is at the Northern end of the Beaver Island Group. The light has been long abandoned. During it's use it used a Red light which was fixed. It had approximately a 14 mile visibility with a flashing Red light variation every 15 seconds. The lighthouse also had a steam operated fog whistle.

Historic Tragedy: With the quickly developing weather conditions in the Great Lakes, many light keeper lives were lost at the beginning and end of the shipping seasons. The Squaw Island Light unfortunately holds part in one of those tragedies. In December of 1900 a twenty-five foot sailboat left Squaw Island with: Captain William H. Shields (keeper) and his wife, Lucien f. Morden (assistant keeper), Owen C. McCauley (assistant keeper) and Captain Shields' niece - Mrs. Lucy Davis. They were headed for St. James harbor on Northern Beaver Island, approximately nine miles away. A quickly developing storm caused the sailboat to capsize with assistant Morden, Captain Shields' wife and niece falling victim to this tragedy. A day later the two remaining were rescued by the crew of the steamer "Manhatten". Captain Shields lost his leg but was later appointed to a lighthouse supply depot in Charlevoix, MI. Owen McCauley returned to Squaw Island as chief keeper.