MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

Holland’s Big Red, Michigan lighthouse is located on the Great Lakes! Are you interested in lighthouses on the Great Lakes? I am fascinated by these structures. Their stories helped shape water transportation and vessel safety through Michigan lighthouse history. 

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“The lighthouse does great service to humanity; yet it is the slave of those who trim the lamps.”

~Alice Wellington Rollins

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Government’s involvement in safe navigation began early in American history. The first lighthouse was established on the east coast in 1716 at Little Brewster Island at the entrance to Boston Harbor. 73 years later there were a dozen active beacons in place.

On the Great Lakes, the first lighthouses were established around 1815 at Fort Niagara on Lake Ontario and the Presque Isle light on Lake Erie. Many followed suit in the years to follow!

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As commerce boomed on the Great Lakes, the number of lighthouses commensurately increased. By 1865, there were approximately seven on Lake Ontario, perhaps twelve on Lake Huron, approximately twenty-six on Lake Michigan and nearly fifteen on Lake Superior. Each new lighthouse was a step towards more safety. They warned sailors of dangerous shores and reefs and assisted navigation by guiding them to the safety of a harbor.

Holland’s lighthouse was built in 1907. The Holland Harbor Light, known as Big Red, is located in Ottawa County, Michigan at the entrance of a channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa, and which gives access to the city of Holland, Michigan. The lighthouse is on the south side of the channel.

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“Is the beam from a lighthouse affected by howling wind and rain? It remains perfectly steadfast and unaffected by the storm. Your true self is like that. Nothing can ever harm you once you are consciously aware that it is so.”

~ Vernon Howard

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MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS

Do lighthouse keepers still exists? What a fascinating history these people provide! Each story from each lighthouse location has intrigue and wonder. I encourage you to listen to a story keeper’s recount of a historical lighthouse near you! Each story is filled with what these keepers witnessed and provided to vessels on the lakes. It is such a rich history!

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The last civilian keeper in the United States, Frank Schubert, died in 2003. The last officially manned lighthouse, Boston Light, was manned by the Coast Guard until 1998. Volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary “Keepers” serve a role now as interpreter tour guides on these historical sites. They are in place to share the stories of the history of each lighthouse.

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The first lighthouse keeper at the Holland lighthouse, in 1870, was Melgert van Regenmorter. He served until 1908, just prior to the steam fog signal going into operation.

Between the years of 1908 and 1912, three different keepers shared time tending the light, showing how demanding maintaining the signal constantly was on a person.

The last active lighthouse keeper, from 1912-1940, was Joseph M. Boshka. He served until the US Coast Guard took over.

Not only did the lighthouse keeper maintain the light and signal, they also stood watch. As the steam powered fog horn required 45 minutes to become operational, the watch was generally broken down into six-hour shifts.

In 1934, the lighthouse was wired for electricity and electric air compressors for the horn were installed. The entire operation became automated and no staff were required to operate the lighthouse.

Currently the Holland lighthouse is owned and maintained by a non-profit lighthouse commission and is Michigan’s most photographed lighthouse.

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“We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won’t need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don’t fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine.”

~Dwight L. Moody

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MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

HISTORY OF HOLLAND’S LIGHTHOUSE

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Holland’s lighthouse has a long and rich history dating back to the first structure built on that site in 1870. An important understanding of Holland’s history involve the early settlement of the Dutch to this area. The community leaders of that day realized that success for their community hinged on access to Lake Michigan, to and from Black Lake, (now Lake Macatawa) as the key to their success. However, the entrance to the lake from Lake Michigan was blocked with sandbars and silt.

They worked hard to create a channel of shipping access from Lake Macatawa to Lake Michigan. However, maintaining this access proved to be extremely challenging. Continual dredging and control of the sand movement was paramount. Many appeals to the US Government for assistance were made.

A permanent pier was built into Lake Michigan that was battered year after year by winter storms. Dredging was done both by hand and machine. The 1860’s showed a huge improvement for this channel when barges were able to float through the channel to provide an access for commerce.

Finally, in 1867, the Federal Government took over improvement of the harbor. Later a breakwall was constructed to help control the sand movement from closing off the channel.

A life saving station opened here in the late 1890’s and later became a US Coast Guard Station.

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Originally, both the steel tower and the fog signal building were painted pale yellow with a deep maroon base. In 1956, however, the Coast Guard sandblasted the tower and painted it bright red to satisfy a requirement that a structure or light on the right side of any harbor entrance must be red.

Viewing “Big Red” from the South side of the channel is very calming and enjoyable. The lapping sound of the water along with the buzz from pedestrians from the beach creates quite a lovely, tranquil place to enjoy a coffee or an ice cream treat while viewing boating traffic.

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“Lighthouses are endlessly suggestive signifiers of both human isolation and our ultimate connectedness to each other.”

~Virginia Woolf

MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

ADVENTURES OF THE LAKES

Many enjoy Holland State Park’s gorgeous beaches located on the South side of the channel that leads into the harbor of Lake Macatawa on hot summer days to cool off. It is a popular summer destination for many families and the park does offer 3 separate camp grounds too!

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“A lighthouse doesn’t save the ships; it doesn’t go out and rescue them, it’s just this pillar that helps to guide people home.”

~Lea Michele

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MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

OTHER ADVENTURES NEAR HOLLAND’S LIGHTHOUSE

“A lighthouse is not interested in who gets its light! It just gives it without thinking! Giving light is its nature!”

~Mehmet Murat ildan

How about capturing a sunrise, early morning, with the promise of a new day prepared before you? What about a sunset shimmering on the sparkling crystal clear waters of Lake Michigan? Beaches of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan are pristine, sparkling Caribbean blue fresh water gems. What a treasure to enjoy! What a gift from God!

God’s inspiration can be found by simply looking around and observing all of His blessings abounding, especially here in this tranquil, beautiful location.

However you find God’s inspiration each day, allow it to serve as a reminder that He is in control. Trust in Him, fear not, and replace any doubts you have in Him with prayer, asking Him to teach you to trust more and more each day. The God that created the heavens and the earth and the lakes and the sun will watch over, protect, and guide you each day if you only ask for Him to be a part of your life. Grow in your faith and trust in Him. He awaits you. He is willing to walk beside you through all of your life adventures…even exploring breakwaters and lighthouses!

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We hope this has inspired you to discover new adventures while exploring break-walls and lighthouses as we have discovered. I am interested if you have favorite lighthouse that you have explored or snorkel locations to share. Please leave a comment below to recommend an adventure exploring ruins or a snorkel adventure that you’d like for us to try out on our next Inspirational Travel Adventure!! I am so excited to hear from you!

Did you notice some affiliate links along the way?? If you plan to buy any of the products we mentioned or search for other purchases, please consider clicking through our link on this page. It won’t cost you a dime, and it will help our website continue running and offering you further inspirational travel adventures!

Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

ABOUT ME:

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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MICHIGAN LIGHTHOUSE SERIES – HOLLAND’S BIG RED

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