ENJOY IT YEAR ROUND
Point Iroquois Light Station is located along the scenic Lake Superior shore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is only 20 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie and 51 miles east of Tahquamenon Falls. From birch bark canoes to giant ore freighters, this unique point of land has influenced travel for centuries.
The museum reveals the stories of lightkeepers and their families through family album photographs, antiques, and artifacts. Learn about the fourth-order Fresnel lens that could project light for sixteen miles. Climb the 72 steps to the top of the tower for a picturesque view of Lake Superior.
Observe the freighters traveling through Whitefish Bay as you walk along a cobblestone beach in search of agates. Browse through the book shop, which offers a wide selection of historical readings about the Great Lakes. Step back in time as you walk through west wing exhibit.
The assistant keeper’s apartment is restored to the way it looked in the early 1950s. Imagine the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls or the sounds of “Suspense Theater” on the radio as you walk through.
WHY THE NAME “POINT IROQUOIS?”
The area around Sault Saint Marie, including Whitefish Bay, has been called the “Heartland” of the Chippewa Indians. This tribe is also called Ojibwe, and sometimes refer to themselves as “Anishinaabeg,” which is their word for “original people.” The Iroquois lived about 400 miles away, mostly in what is now western New York. In the 1600s, these nations were at war, at least in part because of European influence and fur trade competition. The Iroquois often sent expeditions far from their homeland and attempted to control the trade routes leading east from the Great Lakes.
Accounts of a decisive battle at Point Iroquois in 1662 have been passed down for over 300 years. They tell how an Iroquois war party camped near the point where the lighthouse now stands, and how the Chippewa secretly watched their movements and mounted a surprise attack near dawn. The Iroquois were defeated decisively, and never again ventured this far west.
HISTORICAL STATUS
Point Iroquois Light Station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Partially funded by donations and public contributions, the rehabilitation of this site was assisted by Bay Mills-Brimley Historical Society, HistoriCorps, YouthWork out of Traverse City, and countless other dedicated volunteers. The goal of all of those involved is to promote awareness of the history of the Point Iroquois area.
DANGEROUS PASSAGE
Lake Superior, the deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes, was especially hazardous in this area because of dangerous weather conditions and the high volume of traffic on the water from ships leaving and approaching the Sault Ste. Marie locks. The purpose of the Point Iroquois Light Station was to guide freighters safely between the open waters of Whitefish Bay and the St. Mary’s River. The light station served passing sailors by marking the narrow channel between the shallow sandbars and shoals off Point Iroquois and the rocky reefs of Gros Cap on the Canadian side of the bay.
Even with the aid of the light and fog horn at Point Iroquois, ships occasionally foundered in the passage. Sixteen crewmen lost their lives in the freezing lake when the Steamer Myron went down in 1919 during one of the infamous “storms of November.” Finding the bodies as they washed ashore, lightkeeper Elmer Byrnes took them to an undertaker in the nearby town of Brimley.
HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST
Providing opportunities for outdoor recreation is just one of the many goals of the Hiawatha National Forest. The Forest Service was initially established to protect watersheds and supply timber. Its responsibilities now include multiple-use management of all resources. Preserving this significant structure and interpreting local history are among the objectives of the Hiawatha National Forest in administering the Point Iroquois Light Station.
MORE INFORMATION
Hiawatha National Forest USDA Forest Service | W. 1900 US-2 St. Ignace, MI 49781 | (906) 643-7900
Special thanks to Betty Byrnes, Teresa Monroe, Margaret Zier, and all the other former residents who provided information and photographs.