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Navigating Death's Door

The warm waters of the Bay of Green Bay meet the cold waters of Lake Michigan in this narrow strait - located between the mainland tip of Door County and Washington Island. 

Ancient boulders and cliffs rise from the lakebed, lurking just below what might appear to be deep water. The currents in this strait are unpredictable and strong, lending to numerous shipwrecks over the centuries. 

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The first lighthouse on Lake Michigan was constructed on Rock Island - just to the north in 1836. (1) This marked the safest shipping passage between Lake Michigan and the bay of Green Bay at the time. Today, this route is still preferred by ships entering "The Bay" from the north. When approaching from the south however, the Death's Door passage lies about 10 miles south of the shipping passage north of Rock Island. Being able to use this passage would save the slow sailing ships of the day significant time. 

Change to an old chart

Chart image: LC00035-00-1864WWL

The Port des Morts Light (1849 - 1858)

In August 1848, US Congress appropriated $3,500 for the establishment of a lighthouse marking Port des Morts passage. Later that same year, President James Polk reserved Plum Island, in the center of the passage, for lighthouse purposes.

During 1849, a stone lighthouse was built on the southern end of the passage. Not much is known about this lighthouse. What we do know is based off of the construction contract and an archeological dig undertaken on the ruins in 2009.

(Click here to watch a ____ lecture by US Fish & Wildlife Service Archeologist James Myster regarding this dig)

 

Ultimately, the lighthouse was located too far inside the passage to guide ships into it. Additionally, the lighthouse was very poorly built. When Robert Noble was stranded on the deserted Plum Island on New Years Eve 1863, he sought refuge in the old lighthouse - abandoned only 5 years previous. The lighthouse reportedly offered no real shelter, reportedly only containing the cellar and a chimney. (NOBLE citation) The chart in the background of this section was produced shortly after Noble's harrowing ordeal, and notes the old lighthouse as being "ruins."

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A key factor in the eventual replacement of this lighthouse took place when the administration of lighthouses was transferred from the US Lighthouse Establishment to the US Lighthouse Board in 1852. With the new "Board," dozens of the poorly built and poorly located lighthouses would be replaced over the coming years. 

The Pilot Island Lighthouse (1858)

The lighthouse on Plum Island was located too far into the passage to guide ships safely into it. After the administration of lighthouses was given to the US Lighthouse Board in 1852, many pre-1852 lighthouses were rebuilt. This was due to widespread problems with the physical locations of these old lights, and the shoddy construction  practices and lack of qualified oversight used during the older administration. 

As a result, a new lighthouse was built on nearby Pilot Island in 1858. Pilot Island is a tiny island located at the eastern entrance to Death's Door Passage. Ships traveling North or South in Lake Michigan see this light while they are much further away, allowing them to better plan to avoid the shoals off of the Spider Islands to the South, or Fisherman Shoal to the North.

The Plum Island Range Lights (1895)

Since 1858, the lighthouse on tiny Pilot Island has served its intended purpose of guiding ships through the eastern end of Death's Door Passage. The Western end of the passage, however remained unlit and unmarked until a set of Range Lights were built on the island in 1895, with the lights entering service in 1896.

Range lights consist of 2 light towers of different heights arranged in a straight line and some distance apart.

The arrangement of the lights, or the "Range Line" was to further guide ships through the passage.

While traveling from the East through the passage, ships align the tall rear light up with the shorter front light and steer directly on that course - straight towards the front range light - until far enough into the passage where they can turn due west.

Ships entering Death's Door from the west can see the tall rear range light as they approach the area. It's used much like Pilot Island's lighthouse is used on the other end - as a reference to enter the passage. As the ship sails east towards Lake Michigan, the ship lines itself on the Range line to guarantee a safe exit from the passage - though the ship is sailing AWAY from the range lights.

When the light station was built, a dwelling was also built to house the Keeper and 2 Assistants and their families. Also built at the same time, was the Fog Signal building as well as the Lifesaving Station on the North side of the island.

Death's Door Fog Signals

The Great Lakes in general are prone to periods of heavy fog. Fog signals - sound signals used to warn ships of the light station's existence in poor visibility - were common in light stations throughout the 20th Century. Both islands in the Death's Door area were equipped with fog signals, in order to allow ships to continue sailing safely when the lighthouse was rendered invisible.

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