Pottawatomie (Rock Island) Light
Pottawatomie Light marks the Rock Island Passage, from northern Lake Michigan into Green Bay, between Rock and St. Martin Islands. These islands are part of a string of islands, running from the end of the Door County Peninsula in Wisconsin to Point Detour Michigan, that separate Lake Michigan from Green Bay. The lighthouse is named after the early natives who lived in this area.
Built in 1858 to replace an earlier lighthouse that was washed away, the gray limestone, 2-story building sits atop a high bluff on the north side of the island. The square wooden tower sits on the roof of the building. The tower is only 41 feet high, but the location gives the light a focal plane 159 feet above the water.
The lantern room was removed a number of years ago, and replaced by plastic lens beacon mounted on top of the square tower. In recent years, the automated beacon has been placed on a steel tower in front of the lighthouse. This was done to make the light visible above the growing trees, when permission could not be received from WDNR to trim the trees. A replica lantern room has been replaced on the tower.
Early in its life, the lighthouse basement served as a school for children of a local fishing village. The school was taught by the wife of an assistant keeper.
Rock Island is the former home of Chester Thordason, an eccentric electrical inventor, and is now Rock Island State Park. Several buildings remain from the Thordason estate including a huge stone boathouse and Great hall.
To reach the island requires taking a Washington Island auto/passenger ferry from the tip of the Door County Peninsula, Wisconsin to Washington Island, then driving across Washington Island to Jackson Harbor and taking the Karfi passenger ferry to Rock Island. It is a delightful day trip, but requires some planning. Only backpack camping is permitted on Rock Island, and there are very few overnight accommodations on Washington Island. No wheeled vehicles of any kind are permitted on Rock Island, and there are no concession stands. Take a lunch, and your swimming suit, and spend the day on Rock Island.
The lighthouse has undergone a recent restoration by the Friends of Rock Island Lighthouse, and is open for tours during the summer.
We were given a guidebook for the Pottawatomie Lighthouse which had an outline of material for us to use as a guide for the different rooms. There was also a detailed history of the lighthouse and the many keepers and their families who occupied it from 1836 until 1946 that we studied and shared with our visitors.
Editor: Were visitors interested?
Absolutely! For me one of the most gratifying things about being a docent was to see the enthusiasm and interest from the families, especially the children, when they listened with rapt attention to our descriptions and anecdotes.
Editor: Did you have much downtime? What did you do?
As I mentioned, we were open for tours 10am-4pm. We each had some free time during the day, and the evenings were wonderful! We sat outside under the stars with our glass of wine talking like school girls. We brought Scrabble and played by the light of our lanterns -- a new experience, but fun!
Editor: What was the funniest experience of your stay?
Funny you should ask! One evening after having sat outside till quite late, we tried to open the front door to the lighthouse to go to bed only to find we were locked out. Panic ensued. Luckily we were able to boost our smallest person through the only window that wasnít locked. We laughed at the idea of spending the entire night outside!
Editor: Any advice for folks thinking about volunteering their time as docent lighthouse keepers?
Sure! Just be willing to live without your modern conveniences for a few days, and above all bring along your sense of humor! This is not for someone who canít live without daily cell phone updates or a hairdryer. There is a Park Ranger available for emergencies, however.