Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Wisconsin
Limited Edition
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History of Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Wisconsin
The bustling 250-mile long shoreline of Lake Michigan near Green Bay was a bountiful trade community, only accessible through the dangerous waters of 'Death's Door', or Door County. Vessels were often wrecked on submerged shoals and reefs, while attempting to navigate unmarked shipping lanes and perilous straits.
Eagle Bluff lighthouse was one of 10 lighthouses erected in Door County. This yellow-brick beacon, erected in 1868, features an integrated 1 and a half story keepers quarters and a 43-foot tower, built diagonally into the corner of the house. A 3 and a half order Fresnel lens beamed its light over the bay, warning mariners of the craggy headland.
The first lightkeeper, Henry Stanley and his family, tended the light at Eagle Bluff for 15 years. Then, for the next 35 years, William Duclon, his wife Julia and their seven sons made their mark at this station, never failing to keep the flame illuminated.
Peter Coughlin was the final keeper at Eagle Bluff. His 8 years of service, ending in 1926, marked the conclusion of lighthouse keepers at this post. Automation took over. Despite the lack of electricity, even today, the beacon continues to shine with the use of solar power.
In 1960, the Door County Historical Society undertook a restoration project at Eagle Bluff. Members of the Duclon family participated in the restoration, contributing photos, documents, artifacts and information. Walter Duclon, the youngest of the Duclon boys was just over a year old when the family moved to this lonely outpost. Through 80 years old at the time of the restoration, we was most helpful in recalling in great detail how the house was furnished. Today, an authentic museum shows the life of a lightkeeper as it was in the early days. Located in Peninsula State Park, Eagle Bluff is still an active aid to navigation and is listed with the National Register of Historic Places.
EAGLE BLUFF LIGHT
Ephraim (1868)
Marking a safe channel from Lake Michigan into Green Bay, the Eagle Bluff Light first shone in 1868, the same year that U.S. Grant was elected president. Its square, forty-three-foot brick tower was set at a diagonal into the side of the one-and-a-half-story dwelling. This made it easier for keepers to reach the tower when cold winds blew in off the lake. Ironically, there has been no full-time keeper here since 1909, as this was among the first American lighthouses to be automated. Still active, the lighthouse has done its work alone now for almost nine decades.
The old keeper’s residence, which has been attractively restored, is used as a museum by the Door County Historical Society. The lighthouse and museum are among the many attractions of Peninsula State Park, which also offers hiking, fishing, swimming, and golf.
Travel information: Follow Highway 42 to Fish Creek and the entrance to Peninsula State Park. Once inside the park, follow Shore Drive for about 4 miles to the lighthouse. Several miles to the west are the boarded-up Chambers Island Lighthouse (1868). Replaced by a steel tower in 1961, the octagonal brick tower and attached gabled dwelling have been boarded up and abandoned. This historic lighthouse can be seen only from the water.