Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse

Point Aux Barques lighthouse is located on the shores of Lake Huron at the tip of Michigan's thumb.  The lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes.  The first lighthouse on the spot was operating in 1848 but didn't last very long due to bad construction.  The current tower was completed in 1857 and it is still in operation today guiding boaters and commercial traffic.  The tower is 89 feet tall.

The first lighthouse keeper, Paul Shook, drowned in 1849 and his wife took over the operation of the lighthouse.  She is said to be the first female lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes.  The brochure on the lighthouse states that her salary was $350 per year.

Today the lighthouse grounds, a museum, and gift shop are operated by the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society.  When we visited, there was no one else around so I had plenty of space to explore and photograph the lighthouse from various angles.  The photo above was taken from a platform going out on the lake at the campgrounds that adjoined the lighthouse grounds.  Below are several other shots I took of the lighthouse.

Here is an ornament made from one of my photos of the lighthouse.

Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse Double-Sided Ceramic Round Christmas Ornament by lighthouseenthusiast
View more Pointe aux barques lighthouse Ornaments at zazzle.com

I love finding interesting place to visit in the "Off the Beaten Track" series of books.  Here is one on Michigan.

Click here to view on Amazon