Toledo Lighthouse is located in Lake Erie, eight miles NE of Toledo Harbor. It was finished in 1903 and had an electrified, rotating light installed in 1966. While people were no longer needed to man the facility, a uniformed mannequin was placed in a window to preclude vandalism. In 2003 there was a centennial celebration capped off with completion of a $1,500,000 renovation. The first photo is dated 1911.

Also in Lake Erie (although in Pennsylvania), Presque Isle Lighthouse opened in 1873. The keeper and family had to walk 1.5 miles from the Lighthouse to a boathouse at the appropriately named Misery Bay. From there it was a lengthy row followed by more walking to the town and school. The Lighthouse was opened to the public in 2016, hosting 30,000 visitors, 13,500 of which paid to climb the 40-foot tower. The first photo is dated 1911.

Another Lighthouse located on Lake Erie, near the town of Westfield, NY, is the Barcelona Lighthouse, which was built in 1828. It was the first to use natural gas as the source of illumination and did so until 1851.  The Lighthouse was removed from service in 1859, but remained a tourist attraction. It was in private hands for over 100 years and then became part of NY Parks and Recreation in 2008. The first photo is dated 1904 and makes you wonder what would attract a tourist. The second photo is dated 1926.

Located in Lake Ontario in New York, Braddock Point Lighthouse looks a lot like Presque Isle except the tower is twice as tall. It was finished in 1896. In 1926 a newspaper article estimated the keeper’s twice daily trips up and down the tower totaled about 700 miles during his 20-year tenure. In 1952 the tower’s top half had to be removed due to structural damage. The Lighthouse was a B&B from 2008-2016 and is now on the market for $1,500,000. The first photo is dated 1933.

Split Rock Lighthouse is located in Minnesota on the west edge of Lake Superior. It was built in 1910 with all materials having to be brought in by boat. It was de-commissioned in 1969 and the site was  donated to the Minnesota Historical Society, which restored it to its 1920 appearance. Split Rock Lighthouse is the most popular historical site in Minnesota, averaging 116,000 visitors annually. The first photo shows it nearing completion.

Built in 1869, Cana Island Lighthouse is located on a nine-acre site on Lake Michigan in Door County WI. It was frequently battered by severe storms, so much so that, after 16 years, one keeper left saying it was “one of the most inhospitable and undesirable places that can well be imagined.” In 1902 the tower was completely encased in steel plating. It is now the Door County Maritime Museum. The first photo is dated 1893.