Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers celebrates 40th anniversary Aug. 19

Cheboygan Daily Tribune
·2 min read

CHEBOYGAN — The 40-year anniversary celebration of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers organization (GLLKA) will be held at Cheboygan’s Front Range Lighthouse on Aug. 19.

The lighthouse was built in 1880 and owned by GLLKA since 2004.

The Front Range Lighthouse in Cheboygan.
The Front Range Lighthouse in Cheboygan.

All activities, except the Glass Bottom Boat cruises, and yard sale purchases, are free and open to the public.

A morning Breakfast Cruise aboard the Yankee Sunshine Glass Bottom Boat at 8 a.m. includes a ride along the Cheboygan River out to Lake Huron, passing over notable shipwrecks in the area. Several lighthouses can be seen along the cruise — Front Range, Cheboygan Crib, Fourteen Foot Shoal, and Poe Reef. The cost is $45 per person and includes breakfast items and refreshments. Space is limited — sign up by calling the GLLKA office at (231) 436-5580.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., both the Cheboygan Front Range and Crib Lighthouses will be open for tours. Live music will be played throughout the day, with informal speakers giving talks about the history of GLLKA. There will be nautical knot-tying demonstrations, and historical facts given about the original dining room furniture, purchased for the lighthouse by keeper John Duffy in the early 1900s. Meet Duffy’s great-granddaughter, Linda Birely, and her sisters, who donated the furniture, which is more than 100 years old, back to the lighthouse. A GLLKA Yard Sale will feature nautical-themed items and books at bargain prices.

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Volunteers at the Front Range Lighthouse have installed a new garden in what used to be a water tank holding marine cable.
Volunteers at the Front Range Lighthouse have installed a new garden in what used to be a water tank holding marine cable.

The new Front Range Garden will also debut. The garden structure is a large cement octagon. It was originally a wood-covered water tank that held marine cable. The cable was backup cable for Fourteen Foot Shoal Lighthouse, which was built in 1930, and electrified from Cheboygan. Today, Fourteen Foot Shoal lighthouse continues to be an active aid to navigation and is powered by a solar array and batteries.

There will also be an evening Glass Bottom Boat cruise at 5 p.m. to view lighthouses and shipwrecks. Appetizers and refreshments are included. The cost is $45. Space is limited. Call GLLKA to reserve your spot.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers celebrates 40th anniversary Aug. 19