Originally for this week’s Northern Michigan in Focus we were going to tell the story of the haunting of the Waugoshance Shoal Lighthouse. But recently something else scary is happening there. Corey Adkins explains why the 168-year-old structure is being threatened in Northern Michigan in Focus.
“When you usually say one step forward two steps back, this is one step forward 300 steps back. It’s a big one, you know, this is one of those points that either it’s going to live or it’s going to die,” said Chris West with the .
The high water levels have wreaked havoc on the property around the Great Lakes this year. That includes the Waugoshance Shoal Light.
The lighthouse is located 15 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge on the west end of the Straits.
Built in 1852, it was the first shoal lighthouse ever built on the Great Lakes.
A few weeks ago the executive director of the Waugoshance Shoal Preservation Society, Chris West, received some pictures and got concerned.
“And what seems to be happening is with the high water levels, the waves are kind of washing away essentially the bricks that hold up Waugoshaunce Lighthouse and are slowly falling off,” explained Chris.
That news didn’t hit Crisis well.
He started the society over 20 years ago and has spent countless hours at the light trying to save it.
Then last week’s wind event happened on Lake Michigan with 50 mph gusts, all that energy hitting Waugoshance.
“So in the matter of about a week’s time, after a pretty big storm that came through the Straits of Mackinac, it looks like we probably lost another ten of those large stones,” said Chris.
After that storm, Paul Welke of Island Airways flew up to check on it. He shot video and the damage was confirmed.
“And the angle you can see from the aerial photo is it really shows that on the northwest side, it’s just kind of eating away at the bottom of it and slowly wearing it down. That obviously is a huge concern for the lighthouse and the stability of it,” explained Chris
Sadly, in this point of the season, nothing can be done.
“I mean, to do something like this and to secure the structure, it takes barges and tugboats and lots of equipment to go out there. I mean it’s over a 20-mile trip just to get there, and let alone you’re in the middle of Lake Michigan, and you are subject to all these weather conditions that are hurting it,” said Chris.
So what’s next?
“If anybody is out there and has an idea, equipment or have the financial backing to help, those are the best. But anything people can do that may be able to help, we are happy to take it and happy to get you involved in our process and what we’re trying to do,” explained Chris.
Maybe, just maybe, if we all put our minds and resources together, we can all help save this important part of our history.
“We have to do something now or this is going to go into Lake Michigan and it breaks our heart and makes our stomach sink.”
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