History of Lighthouse Keepers

Information Compiled from Mississagi Lighthouse Legends by Clara Eadie.

1873-1876

Mr and Mrs John Miller. They were the first lighthouse keepers. They arrived at the lighthouse on August 12, 1873 and left shortly after in 1876. The only mail to that area during this time was delivered by a supply ship from the Department of Transport. Mr Miller cut wood in his spare time and hauled it to the wharf by ox team to sell it for .50 cents a cord.

1877-1901

Mr and Mrs William Cullis.They had 2 sons educated at home because of the lack of accessibility to school. Little is known about this family as well. Notable Events/Tidbits - Mr Cullis offered a token of $10.00 for the first person to bring a team through the bush to the lighthouse to break a trail. Mr. Robinson a field homesteader from Bass Lake Camps was the first to break through with a team of oxen and won the $10.00.

1902-1913

Mr and Mrs J.H. Ball. The father and mother came from Brant county in autumn of 1879 aboard a schooner named Abigail. They purchased a farm, known as the “Townsend Farm” to live on during the winter months and moved to the lighthouse for the summers from 1902 until 1913.They had one son named Harvey who was educated in the local school and boarded in the community while his parents ran the lighthouse. The Balls were considered well off and were even the first people to own a team of horses. Among their possessions were several feather beds and a yard stick commonly used to measure ones wealth. Their chest of carpentry tools were the envy of other settlers. Notable Events/ Tidbits- The summer of 1910 a great fire raged on the south shore with a span of about 5 miles from the lighthouse to the stone quarry in the north. The smoke lay so thick that fisherman put cowbells on their buoys’ to hear them when they got close. During the lengthy fire, Mr. Ball after blowing the horn day and night for weeks, ran out of coal from the steam engines for the fog alarm and was forced to buy coal from passing freighters and could not contact his own supply ship. The fire left the soil barren for years and destroyed thousands of acres of timber. The fire was the result of an accident. In 1903 - One of the first structures on the site, a barn burned to the ground due to a strike of lightning. The lightning, although a beautiful display, is drawn to the shore because of one of the magnetic reef on the southern end of Cockburn Island Mrs. Hector Ball , Jim’s mother prized her storage of chinaware at such a high value that when her treasure was unloaded from the ship Abigail in Meldrum Bay she insisted on carrying it herself in pails all the way to their home, a distance of about 4 miles. It was also said that many settlers with a toothache would be sent up to Jim Ball who would gladly pull out any tooth with one single set of forceps. Around this time Mr. Ball and Jack Walker decided to make a trip over the ice to Gore Bay about 40 miles away. They got lost in a snowstorm and spent the night on the ice. It was so cold they had to keep moving so they would not freeze to death. However Jim’s feet froze so badly that several of his toes had to be amputated. On April 1912 after hearing news on one of the wireless radios from a docked supply ship, Mr. Ball also took the word down to the Meldrum Bay settlement that the Titanic had sunk.

1913-1946

Mr and Mrs William A. Grant. They became lighthouse keepers in 1913 and served until 1946. The Grants had eight children. They owned a home in the village and their children attended school in Meldrum Bay. His son Ken was an assistant of the lighthouse and foghorn plant. Notable Events - The Burlington supply ship burned at the dock which floated out and sank about 25 feet from the shoreline and is now a divers paradise. 1989 Ken visited the Lighthouse and before receiving an official Mississagi Lighthouse hat, recalled many tales of his life during his fathers’ stay. Ken and his father had numerous encounters with bears on their hikes to the village for supplies. In one encounter, Mr. Grant was obliged to walk backwards over half of the way home, pounding on a metal pan to discourage one particular bear from getting too cosy. Mr. Grant were keepers when the telephone line was put in to Cockburn Island and in turn decided that he and his children build their own line from the village around the shore to the lighthouse. They had to keep the lines clear of falling limbs and brush. Ken recalled how the Line to Meldrum saved his dad’s life. “My dad liked to carve. He carved a miniature Lighthouse and a miniature Griffon. One day after a big storm my dad ran out of wood to carve so he went down over the rocks to the boathouse that used to be in the cove by the cottage. As he went down over the rocks his boots slipped and he fell. Unfortunately he hadn’t put his jackknife away and he fell on it. The blade entered his chest between his ribs. He pulled out the blade but could not stop the blood from flowing. He soon became too weak to shovel the coal needed to stoke the boilers to make the steam for the foghorn. He called me at school the next day and I ran the 8 miles to the lighthouse because he refused to go to a doctor until he got the foghorn to blow. The steam was so low by now that it would take hours to get it back up. I think my dad was prepared to die because I was a small boy at 15 weighing only 113lbs and I was only 5ft 3 inches tall. I was determined that he wouldn’t die and I shoveled coal for hours without a break and it worked. The steam started to rise and I blew the horn about 4 hours later, then got my dad to the doctor. The Doc said he wouldn’t have lived through the night because he lost too much blood. Mr Grant also carved the wooden scarecrow for Ken that used to be seen in front of the museum. Ken wanted a garden and he hauled lots of dirt and planted one. However the deer also loved his garden, especially his “pet” deer who ate everything he planted. Ken told us of a story he about saving his deer. He was out by the shore when he saw a timber wolf chasing a doe. The wolf chased her right passed him into the straight. The doe jumped off the rocks and into the water. It was November and in fear that the doe would not survive the water, Ken rowed a boat out to her. At first he could only keep her head above water, but after awhile of struggling he got the doe into the boat. The doe was exhausted and after returning to shore, Ken dried her off and kept her warm. She survived and showed that she even had a fawn behind the cottage. She never went back to the bush and became so tame she would eat out of your hand. In another incident Ken discovered the true meaning of isolation. He was up on the roof of the lighthouse repairing shingles while his father was in town. He cant recall what startled him, but it was enough for him to lose his grip and fall. He landed on some sharp rocks and broke both his legs. He crawled slowly into the lighthouse, pulling himself along with his arms in an effort to use the phone. He remembered that is was the most painful and desolate feeling he had ever felt, knowing he was all alone and helpless. In Ken’s younger days, he and his friend Bill would keep close watch on the passing schooner’s during the prohibition. They kept close eye on one particular ship and as it got closer they would climb the rocks around the shoreline until they could see exactly what the ship would do. From their hiding spots they would watch the crew unload from the schooner barrels into nets with ricks to hold them down. They would run back and tell his father who would also watch from a telescope. After the ship would leave, the boys would row over a boat to collect what they could of there sunken treasure. Bill remembered that his first barrel was so difficult to get that the metal rims would nearly freeze his hands and cut them open. They soon realized they had to go for the entire net. After several trips they got to enjoy their first taste of well preserved rum.

1946-1970

Mr and Mrs D. N Joe Sullivan. They became lighthouse keepers in 1946 and remained until its closure in 1970. They had 3 girls who attended school in Meldrum Bay where they also owned a home. Notable Events /Tidbits- In the early 1940's Mr. Sullivan had fixed improved the road well enough to allow his car to travel to and from the lighthouse as well as allow access to many visitors. Joe was known for his many lighthouse stories as well as his self made taxi service. Emily Falls recalled a story of her youth. “When my mother and I would visit the lighthouse before Mr. Sullivan fixed the road, we would ride up as far as the quarry and would leave the horses to graze. We would then wade in rubber boots through the swamp and brush fighting the mosquitoes until we came upon the flat rock and the beautiful breeze of the strait. A friend of Mrs. Sullivan remembers that she would bring from the cold of the lighthouse, fresh homemade pies. The lighthouse keeper’s Cottage was also built during this time with the need to have an assistant employed at all times.

Assistant Lighthouse/Foghorn Keepers

Mr and Mrs Harry Head who were the first assistants. The following is the remainder of names although not much information is found about them. Mr and Mrs. Joyce Oakely, Mr and Mrs Harvey Ives, Mr and Mrs Orace Bailey, Mr and Mrs Wallace Vanhorn, Ches Hazzard, Ken Grant and Jim Vanevery. Management of the Heritage Park/Museum

1970-1983 - Privately Leased

1983 - Meldrum Bay Historical Society formed by Gertrude Bailey, Doreen Townsend and L. Morrison. They received grant money to search for La Salle’s Griffon and fought to keep the lighthouse as well as the wreckage site as historical sites to be enjoyed by the public. Many artifacts from the find are still on display at the shed museum beside the lighthouse. When the responsibilities became too great, the park was ran by Marie Vanhorn who was also a past president of the Algoma-Manitoulin Provincial Liberal Association. She had also received grant money to develop the 35 site campground, modernize the restaurant and give all the buildings a new face-lift by painting the roofs and trim.

1984 - 1987 - Joey and Riet Wilson (Managed for MTA)

1987 - 1992 - Mr and Mrs Gerald Eadie (Managed for MTA). The Eadie family ran the park successfully as a family oriented and run business. Employees included mostly family. They have 4 children Lawrence ( 2 children Stephanie and Bradley) who came to visit and enjoy the summer retreat. Mary (3 children Kitrina, Tyrone, and Leslie)who took the hotel-restaurant management course with mother Clara and ran the dining room and assisted in the kitchen. With her skills in the industry, Assistant Manager Maureen split kitchen duties with Clara, other general duties around the park, business operations, historical research and PR work. Michael an inspiring artist, used his talents to do rock paintings and tours of the lighthouse. Gerald with the aid of his 2 grandsons managed the maintenance of the campground. The older 2 granddaughters worked in the dining room or gift shop and the youngest Leslie got to play and enjoy her summer. The family ran the business until Clara passed away on short notice. During the Eadie family’s management, they were involved with keeping the history of the lighthouse alive and retrieving and updating as much history as possible.

1992-1995 - Helen Vanevery (Managed for Lafarge Inc. and the MTA)

1995-2005 - Peggy Mullen (Managed for Lafarge Inc. and the MTA)

2006-Present - Mary Eadie and Family (Managed for MTA). See About Us for more information.

 

The History of the Mississagi Lighthouse


Information Taken by Clara Eadie's -Mississagi Lighthouse Legends- and other Sources

Location: Extreme westerly point of Manitoulin Island
Built: 1873
Description: Square white wooden tower, red octagonal lantern, attached dwelling
Light: Fixed white 4th order dioptric
Visibility; 15 miles/24kms
Fog Horn:1881-compressed air; 1891-steam whistle; 1908-diaphone
KEEPERS:
1873-1876 John Miller
1877-1901 William Cullis
1902-1913 J.H. Ball
1913-1946 William A. Grant
1946-1970 D.N. Sullivan

The lighthouse was built in 1873 by the department of Transport of Canada to protect and guide ships through the perilous passage known as the Mississagi Strait. The rugged shoreline of the west end of Manitoulin Island provided a great hazzard for shipping at that time because of the lack of navigational aids. A number of ships were wrecked on the reefs and coastline of the strait.
In the early days the lighthouse had a stationary light which was fueled by coal oil. The wick-lamp with its magnifying glass warned ships away from the shores at night and during inclement conditions. The entire lighthouse was kept like a well-run ship, including the daily entries into a log book.
The first lighthouse keepers were very isolated. The land around them “Dawson and Robinson Townships” had not even been surveyed or settled. Supplies were brought in to lighthouse twice a year by boat. For leisure books were supplied by the department of transport.
Around this time the Cleveland Administration was prevalent in the United States and with it prohibition. It was easy for Schooners to cross the border between Drummond and Cockburn Islands with their cargo holes loaded with barrels of rum. The little Islands and remote shores of Manitoulin were a perfect hiding place for the rum runners. Many a bottle of fine rum was stashed in the rock caves on the lighthouse shore and many a lucky logger relieved the weary pains of the days accidently finding these bottles, including a bottle found in 1989. One tale still told by older member of Meldrum Bay. The tale tells of wives sending their husbands off to work with a good lunch and in the evening when the husbands returned they would still be feeling the glow of there well made lunches. The ladies could not figure out where the men were getting this highly illegal but still enjoyable beverage from. The husbands never told for many years how they liked to eat their lunches on the little green island south of the lighthouse.
In 1918 a telephone was installed at the lighthouse when a line came from Gore Bay to Meldrum Bay. A cable was laid on the bottom of the strait to provide communication with Cockburn Island. During the winter with the exception of dangerous trips across the ice, communication with the Island would be cut off Within hours a once safe passage could give way to winds in open water. Many tragedies have occurred in the perilous strait in the winter. Often travelers crossing the strait in the winter would call the lighthouse keeper ahead to get the weather report on how thick the ice was. These travelers usually walked or used horse and sleigh when crossing the ice and many of these animals fell into the crevices and drowned while the drivers just escaped with their lives.
The road to the lighthouse was merely a trail for many years. The next improvement was by a trail of oxen then followed by a horse trail to allow car travel until finally in 1968 the Department of Transport put in a new road because of the too rough conditions. Little did they know that the road would now be traveled by many to come see the Lighthouse and the Heritage Park. The road was and still is in a sense left to the upkeep of concerned citizens. Road improvements as well as entire movement of the road has been made a few times over the years by Lafarge Inc due to the expansion of the quarry mine.
In 1970 the Department of Transport installed hydro power on the site and an automatic light was installed. After the automatic light was installed the lighthouse and all other buildings were put up for lease. It was leased privately for a short time. Then lease until 1983 by the Meldrum Bay Historical Society (formed in 1982 to save the lighthouse as a museum). The lease was then secured by The Manitoulin Tourism Association from 1984-present to insure the public would still have access to the heritage park. Mary Eadie and family are now the current Management for the MTA.
The Lighthouse Museum is opened to the Public 7 days a week from May long weekend to the 3rd Saturday in September. Hours from 8am-8pm. We are not charging an admittance fee to the museum, and are looking to provide tours in the upcoming seasons. We are however asking for donations to help us continue research and maintain the interior and exterior of the building.


Mississagi Legends (1988) was compiled with the help of the Meldrum Bay Society and surviving relatives, keepers of the lighthouse.
Currently we are trying to do more research and will gladly accept corrections or additional information. We are also looking for missing artifacts , (even pictures of them) belonging to the lighthouse or even additional periodical artifacts we can add to make the museum more informational and exciting. If you have any information about Mississagi Lighthouse’s History, Artifacts or Keepers please Contact Us.


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