Special Traveling Exhibit
At our new location: 301 Traverse Street
(the former Elk Rapids United Methodist Church)

August 1, 2012 through August 31, 2012

"Ladies of the Lights:
Michigan Women
in the U.S. Lighthouse Service"

This traveling exhibit, on loan from the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame in Lansing, combines maritime history with the stories of inspiring women who went against the gender expectations of their day to tend lighthouses on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, as well as the Detroit River.

A wide variety of information will be presented in this exhibit, from the unique challenges of women in this non-traditional field to such details as the daily and nightly tasks they performed, the clothing they wore, and the salaries they earned.

A map of Michigan will highlight the many lighthouses at which women served and seven women will be recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments, including the first female keeper in Michigan (Catherine Shook at Pointe Aux Barques), the longest-serving keeper (Elizabeth Williams at Beaver Island Harbor and Little Traverse), and a keeper who carried on valiantly during the Civil War after her husband went off to fight (Anastasia Truckey at Marquette Harbor).

Lighthouse keeping in the 19th and early 20th centuries was a rugged life of long hours and hard work punctuated by periods of real peril. Not a profession for the fainthearted, it was thought to be unsuitable employment for the “fairer sex.” But at least 50 women in Michigan proved the naysayers wrong.
Acting as both assistants and full-fledged keepers, these women served the sailing community with distinction for more than 100 years—often juggling their official duties with the demands of raising their families. Two women even gave their lives while keeping.
Stirring stories of dedication and determination such as these may be found in a this traveling exhibit, developed by the Michigan Women’s Historical Center and on Loan to the Elk Rapids Area Historical Society for the month of August.
Admission FeeTo Be Announced