Cana Island Lighthouse, Wisconsin
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History of Cana Island, Wisconsin
For Midwesterners, Door County, Wisconsin is a vacation paradise with its lush forests and rich fishing waters. Visitors have made Cana Island Lighthouse one of the most photographed, painted and videotaped sentinels in the region.
The 65-foot brick tower was built in 1869 to replace the deteriorating wooden structure at Bailey’s Harbor. Rather than build on the same site, the Lighthouse Board purchased a 9-acre site known as Cana Island, which juts into the lake. At the time of construction, the tower was the tallest brick structure in the county. A one and one half story keepers dwelling was connected with a covered walkway.
For many, Cana Island Light is what they expect a lighthouse to be -- a graceful, tapering white cylinder tower topped with a beautiful two story-high lantern, reached by a 102-step spiral staircase. Built of cast iron, the lantern has two levels: the watch room at the top and the lantern room equipped with a powerful Third Order Fresnel Lens that was built in Paris. With a focal plane 75-feet above the base of the tower, it can be seen more than 19 miles over the lake.
The light’s precarious location on Lake Michigan made it vulnerable to the severe Midwestern storms. An especially intense gale in 1880 caused waves to sweep through the keeper’s house. Afterwards, the Lighthouse Board filled an acre of land around the station as a barrier against the elements. In 1902, the effects of weather had caused serious deterioration in the soft cream city brick, and the entire exterior of the tower was encased in steel plates and painted white.
One of the lake’s infamous "pea soup fogs" in 1928 caused the 352 foot steamer Bartelme to run aground on the south side of Cana Island. Its bottom plates were ripped out and even salvage seemed impractical. The wreckage drew hundreds of visitors to the site on a regular basis, and it was five years – almost to the day – that the ship was completely removed.
The beacon was automated in 1945 and a keeper was no longer required. Badly neglected and in need of repairs, the Door County Maritime Museum leased the property in the 1970s and began preservation efforts. Returning the historic lighthouse to its original condition with the help of donations and volunteers, the island is open to the public.
Now illuminated by a 500-watt electric lamp, the original Third Order Lens still beckons mariners to safe passage across Lake Michigan to picturesque Door County -- just as it has done since it was first lighted in 1870.
CANA ISLAND LIGHT
Baileys Harbor (1870)
On a clear night the impressive Cana Island Lighthouse throws its beam seventeen miles out into Lake Michigan. Established in 1870, the light marks the northern approaches to Baileys Harbor. To help the eighty-six-foot tower and adjacent one-and –a half-story dwelling withstand the lake’s prodigious storms, construction crews built them with brick. The light yellow bricks, however, weathered more rapidly than had been expected, and after a few decades, the tower had begun to crumble. To protect it lighthouse officials had it encased in a protective cocoon made of individual iron plates riveted together. The station’s original third-order Fresnel lens remains in operation.
Travel information: With its pristine island setting, the Cana Island station is among the most beautiful lighthouses in America. Take County Road Q north from Bailey’s Harbor; then follow Cana Island Road and Cana Cove Road to the lighthouse. The grounds are open to the public until 5:00 P.M. daily, but keep in mind that the dwelling is a private residence.