SKU: 5497

Lighthouses in Michigan's Upper Peninsula were all spurred by a combination of the discovery of copper, ore, vast lumber resources and the opening of the Soo Locks in the early and mid 1800s. The famed "Ontonagon Boulder" found in 1819, a 3708 lb chunk of copper now at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., led to Ontonagon's Great Copper Rush. The logging boom in the late 1800s contributed to the dramatic increase in maritime shipping. Ontonagon became one of the busiest ports on Lake Superior. First lit in 1866, the Ontonagon Lighthouse, sitting tight against the west bank of the Ontonagon River, was situated at an advantageous position for mariners. By using the lighthouse beacon and a lantern suspended from the steeple of the Rockland church, ships could steer straight into the harbor at night or during treacherous Lake Superior storms.

Use of the lighthouse was discontinued in April 1963. Ownership was transferred in 2003 to the Ontonagon County Historical Society.

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