Shipwrecks and History

The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse and the thumb area of Michigan have a long and rich history tied to the Great Lakes, shipping and lumbering. Historians, divers and lighthouse enthusiasts will enjoy some of the information we've been able to gather about the lighthouse, its keepers and the surfmen who risked their lives to save sailors off the rocky shoals of the Pointe.

The Great Storm of 1913

Read about the Great Storm of 1913 which cost the lives of over 200 sailors and the loss of many ships - some of which have yet to be found. Read more....

The Life Saving Service Pointe aux Barques Station

The United States Life Saving Service has many roots in Michigan. Although the services started out on the East Coast, they quickly grew where trade on the waterways prospered. Michigan's shorelines, dangerous shoals and severe storms dealt out their fair share of disasters of life at sea on the Great Lakes. Many life saving stations were established in Michigan along with some volunteer life saving stations and crews. The Pointe aux Barques Station was designated as a first class station and went into operation in USLSS's Ninth District on September 15, 1876.Read more......

The Lighthouse in 1909.