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Guardians of the Manitou Passage

A Chronicle of Service to Lake Michigan Mariners, 1840-1915

Jonathan P Hawley

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Paperback

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English
Mission Point Press
19 October 2021
Voices heard from the dark water: There's hope! I think I see a flare! Help will be on the way! Lifesavers are on the shore! Our creaking old schooner will be saved, and we will not drown in the icy lake!
The tranquil waters and pleasant, blue skies of Lake Michigan can quickly change to impenetrable fog and dangerously roiling seas that can drive helpless ships toward shore and likely grounding. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, there was no GPS to aid navigation. On northeastern Lake Michigan's Manitou Passage, as elsewhere, ship captains and crews counted upon the protection of lightkeepers and lifesavers, whose resourcefulness and bravery enabled them to save countless sailors, ships, and valuable cargoes.

Night and day, lightkeepers maintained fog signals and climbed light stations' towers to maintain their fragile lenses and other vital apparatus, refuel lamps, and trim wicks. Lifesavers faced nightly beach patrols, station watches, daily boat drills, and practices of other essential procedures. Guardians of the Manitou Passage: A Chronicle of Service to Lake Michigan Mariners, 1840-1915covers the history of the lifesavers and lightkeepers who battled high winds and waves, frigid temperatures, and icy shores during their mission to protect lives on perilous Lake Michigan.

By:  
Imprint:   Mission Point Press
Dimensions:   Height: 254mm,  Width: 203mm,  Spine: 12mm
Weight:   435g
ISBN:   9781954786493
ISBN 10:   1954786492
Pages:   216
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Dr. Jonathan P. Hawley, a resident of Frankfort, Michigan for twenty years, along with his wife, artist Peggy Hawley, earned his PhD in political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His career included university teaching; ten years' staff service in the US House of Representatives, during which he worked toward the establishment of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; and nearly two decades of corporate public affairs consulting. Upon moving to Frankfort, Jon became a founding board member of The Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse, serving throughout his ten-year tenure as vice president and president during the historic light station's restoration and the construction of its museum. A retired member of the board of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, he serves on the board of Frankfort's Benzie Shores District Library, and is a Rotarian. Jon is the author of Point Betsie: Lightkeeping and Lifesaving on Northeastern Lake Michigan (2008), and From Artisans to Artists: Betsie Bay's Historic Island Story (2014).

Reviews for Guardians of the Manitou Passage: A Chronicle of Service to Lake Michigan Mariners, 1840-1915

A condensed yet comprehensive read on the maritime history of the Manitou Passage, made famous by the keepers who kept the lights and the surfmen who patrolled its beaches and braved its storm-swelled waters. -Kimberly Mann, historical architect, National Park Service, and board member, US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association This captivating account of harrowing experiences and immense personal sacrifices of those in service to Lake Michigan mariners compels an acute appreciation of their heroic acts in preserving hundreds of lives and ships. -Susan J. Pocklington, executive director, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear With this book, Hawley cements his standing as one of northern Michigan's most respected and leading Great Lakes and maritime historians. His impeccable research pays proper homage to the surfmen and lighthouse keepers responsible for saving thousands of lives, and he clearly documents their contributions to national commerce. While Hawley highlights the professionalism and high standards of the US Lighthouse service, the Lifesaving Service, and the US Coast Guard, he also shares the stories of the men, women, and families, and the challenging lives they led in their remote posts. A must-read for those interested in northern Michigan or maritime history. -Barbara Mort, executive director, Benzie Area Historical Museum The inclusion of many historic pictures and maps enriches the narrative of this important story in Northern Michigan's maritime legacy. -Kim Kelderhouse, executive director, Leelanau Historical Society & Museum


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