Iroquois Point Lighthouse

We are in a Ojibwa (Chippewa) community on Whitefish bay. There is a long scenic byway that runs along lake Superior and is very pretty drive.

We stopped at a picnic area and made sandwiches. The water is always surprising.

This lighthouse sits near the Ojibwa community of Bay Mills. It is called the Iroquois Point Lighthouse. The Iroquois  Confederacy became a powerful force in the 1600's Great Lakes Region. They had forced the French to sign treaties and using dutch muskets had forced many tribes out of the area in order to monopolize the fur trades. A large Iroquois war party camped at this point one night in 1662 in order to attack the nearby Ojibwa Village. Someone should have told the Iroquois that the Ojibwa had ran off several tribes from this area including the Sioux of George Custer fame. The Ojibwa call this "The place of the Iroquois Bones". The Ojibwa killed all but two Iroquois who were sent back by canoe to tell people not to have any farther ideas about messing with the Ojibwa. The French recount seeing bones on the beach here well into the 1700's.

The Lighthouses used to be run by a branch of service called the Light Keeper Service. They were replaced by the Coast Guard.  The house attached to the station housed the Coastie's family. The decor is from the 1950-1953 service of one family. (Click on picture to enlarge)

I think I will have some of that pie, thank you.

I climbed the lighthouse while my wiser half stayed below.  My leg muscles are sore now. The hill in the background is Canada.

The water is so clear, you can see the bottom.

Shot this through a hole in the floor looking down on the steps.

Chronology of the lighthouse