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A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-06-03....The Lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI
dansangel ^
Posted on 08/06/2003 1:57:21 AM PDT by dansangel
A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day
Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997. Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.
A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.
On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY
If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.
We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear, Aquamarine ~
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The Lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI
A year or so ago, .45MAN and I happened to catch a series on PBS highlighting various lighthouses around the United States. The most fascinating, to me, was the vignette about the lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI. The following story tells why.
From: "Haunted? You Decide!":
Keeper George Parris and his wife, Lorraine, moved into the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse and Museum in 1977. The lighthouse had been built in 1840. In 1870 the lighthouse was decommissioned when the taller New Presque Isle Lighthouse was built. The old lighthouse suffered from neglect until the Stebbins family bought it from the U.S. government in the early 1900s. The family rebuilt the keeper's dwelling and used it as a summer home. They opened the restored keeper's dwelling and lighthouse to tourists. After their children were grown, the Stebbins family decided to give the property to the tourists. George and Lorraine became the caretakers, moving into the keeper's dwelling in mid-May.
George enjoyed the visitors to the lighthouse, especially the children. He enjoyed taking the visitors to the lighthouse on a tour of the buildings and grounds and telling them about the hard life and heroic deeds of the Keepers and their families. He also enjoyed playing harmless pranks on the light station visitors - the grownups as well as the children - by giving them a "muscle test" with the foghorn. The blast of the foghorn invariably knocked the visitors off their feet! In spite of his tricks, the visitors loved George and would return year after year to visit the lighthouse and to see what new tricks he had decided to play on them.
On January 2, 1992, George died of a massive heart attack. The following May, Lorraine didn't want to go back to the cottage alone, but her kids talked her into it. One evening when Lorraine was driving along Grand Lake Road on her way back to the light station, she felt her eyes drawn to the tower - and to her utter amazement she saw a light shining in the lantern room! Lorraine knew that this was impossible as George had disconnected the electricity to the tower so the light wouldn't accidentally be turned on. The Coast Guard said it was illegal to display a light in the tower as mariners might confuse it with the New Presque Lighthouse. To be doubly certain that no accidental lighting would occur, the Coast Guard had removed the gears so the lens could no longer rotate.
4th Order Fresnel Lens
As Lorraine approached the house, she could no longer see the light. The next day she climbed to the tower to reassure herself that someone had not reconnected the power lines and restored the gears. The lantern room was empty.
Lorraine didn't say anything to anybody about what she had seen as she didn't want to be ridiculed ... but she continued to see the light whenever she drove along the stretch of Grand Lake Road that looks out over Presque Isle Harbor.
Soon people began reporting the light in the old tower. The light appeared to have a yellowish cast, as if from an old oil lamp. National Guard pilots reported seeing it when they flew night missions over the peninsula. The Coast Guard being taking notice of it too!
On July 4, 1992, a little girl reported seeing a man at the top of the stairs leading to the lantern room. The little girl described a tall man with snow-white hair and a beard, and wearing glasses. When shown a picture of George, she said it was the man in the tower but he had been "brighter white" when she saw him than he was in the pictures. This child had never met George when he was alive.
These are but a few of the strange happenings at Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. People have reported that George's light had guided them safely to shore on dark, stormy, foggy nights. People have reported playful pranks by unseen hands while visiting the lighthouse. To this day, the light still comes on at dusk and goes off at daylight. The U.S. Coast Guard has classified it as an "unidentified" light.
There isn't much more I can add to that touching story other than to say it is truly a legend that speaks of love and devotion. The light still mysteriously shines to this day as George sends his undying love to his beloved wife Lorraine and the lighthouse that brightened up his life.
If you wish to learn more about lighthouses, the following Website is a gateway to the many sites available on the Internet offering photos and descriptions:
The Lighthouse Depot Explorer
Enjoy!
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Thanks, Mixer!
1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar. 2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up. 3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit. 4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it. 5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer
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God Bless Our Military
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nations leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.
~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~
We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.
Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew ValerieUSA................2 sons Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty
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Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: devotion; freepers; fun; haunted; lighthouse; lighthouses; love; michigan; military; patriotic; surprises; veterans
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
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To: dansangel
Good morning (((Dansy))) Interesting story about the mysterious light.
Do you and .45Man plan to visit a different lighthouse this year?
To: FreeTheHostages; Straight Vermonter
Hi (((((((Freezie))))))
This particular Presque Isle is in Michigan - by mentioning potatoes and Nova Scotia, I think *you're* thinking Maine.
Straight Vermonter admonished me, but there *really is* a Presque Isle ***MICHIGAN***
Promise!
:-)
22
posted on
08/06/2003 6:26:27 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Aquamarine
Do you and .45Man plan to visit a different lighthouse this year?We are going to try for Sapelo Island in GA this year. It's reached by ferry and sounds like a beautiful light.
(((((((Aqua))))))))
Thank you for the kind words!
23
posted on
08/06/2003 6:27:52 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Billie; LadyX; dutchess; Aquamarine; Mama_Bear; dansangel; FreeTheHostages; ST.LOUIE1; Fiddlstix; ..
Goodmorning to ALL!!
24
posted on
08/06/2003 6:28:15 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: dansangel
LOL! Oh my goodness. Oops. OK. Well, maybe they have potatos there too?
To: dansangel
{{{Angel!}}}
I love this post today! I'm debating adding tidbits or saving them for my state. We have some lovely lighthouses here on the East Coast with great stories.
Excellent job.
26
posted on
08/06/2003 6:29:49 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: Aeronaut
Ahhh, Aeronauts fly overs are back! Love it.
27
posted on
08/06/2003 6:30:22 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: The Mayor
Wow, a cup last night and again this morning! I'm going to have the caffine jitters :)
28
posted on
08/06/2003 6:31:24 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: dansangel
The pledge graphic is so pretty, is it new?
BTW...you should be glad you didn't have to take 400 to work this morning, I hear it's shut down. Think a big truck hit an overhead sign.
To: dansangel
Neat story. Thanks for sharing it!
To: Calpernia
Good morning!
To: FreeTheHostages
Morning Free! What has happen to Fiddlstix? Anyone hear?
32
posted on
08/06/2003 6:33:43 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: FreeTheHostages
Well, maybe they have potatos there too?I would hope so - I'd hate to live anywhere that I couldn't get a good baked potato or some fries - LOL! I'm a *carb* freak!
33
posted on
08/06/2003 6:37:39 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Calpernia; The Thin Man
Thank you (((((((((Cal)))))))) for the kind words. We are blessed to have *many* beautiful lighthouses. I'm so glad that a lot of them are being restored.
Love your tag line - The Thin Man would not appreciate it, though...LOL!!
34
posted on
08/06/2003 6:39:30 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Aquamarine
Saw that on the 5 am news this morning - egad!
Then, the first crane they brought in had a malfunction. What a nightmare!!
35
posted on
08/06/2003 6:40:35 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Aquamarine
The pledge graphic is so pretty, is it new?Oops - forgot to answer your question. Yes, I put it together this past weekend. Thank you!
36
posted on
08/06/2003 6:41:47 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: dansangel
Ok, I have to add a neat tidbit.
Bay of Delaware, Cape May, NJ
The President of the United States
Treasury Department
July 6, 1796
The Secretary of the Treasury respectively submits to the President of the United States a Letter from the Commissioner of the Revenue dated the 5th instant, covering a provisional contract entered into by William Allibone, Superintendent of the Lighthouse establishment for the Bay of Delaware, with Garret Halencamp (?) for placing & managing the floating Beacon & Buoy in the said bay of Delaware.
Proposals for executing the contracts in question were received from several other persons; but as the one made by Halencamp (?) were the lowest and perhaps not unreasonable considering the advanced price of living, the Secretary is of the opinion that it will be for the ______of the _____ if the President should think proper to approve of the said provisional contract between the Superintendent & Garrett Halencamp (?) all which is most respectively submitted to the consideration of the President U.S.
Oliv. Wolcott
Secretary of the Treasury
The Secretary of the Treasury
The contract entered into between William Allibone, Superintendent of the Lighthouse establishment for the Bay of Delaware of Garret Halencamp (?), for the placing and maintaining the floating Beacons and Buoys in the said bay of Delaware, is returned approved.
It is to be presumed that these contracts are not more of request than necessary yet as they are so often repeated, & are heavy in the aggregate for the above mentioned bay, it may not be inappropriate to make indirect inquiry whether these frequent renewals are the result of real necessity and to what account the old materials, are carried.
Mount Vernon 13th July 1796
G. Washington
37
posted on
08/06/2003 6:42:29 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
To: iceskater
Thank you ((((((((iceskater))))))))
As I said to Calpernia, we are so blessed here in the US to have so many wonderful lighthouses - on both coasts, the Gulf and even on the Great Lakes.
Happy Humpday!
38
posted on
08/06/2003 6:43:03 AM PDT
by
dansangel
(America - Love it, Support it or LEAVE it!)
To: Calpernia
Good question. My theory: people are under the belief that they are permitted to go on vacation or get busy without getting an Official Freeper's Finest Hall Pass. Tsk, tsk! ;)
My guess is, actually, something like vacation or business. Happens. I regret not hanging around for most of the Texas thread yesterday. It's supposed to be summer! August even!! WHY am I so busy!!!?
To: dansangel; The Thin Man
I did the tagline right after I saw him declare it Typos Amnesty Day. I don't think he ever noticed it. I am about to change it to a quote I found. So take a peak now TTM.
40
posted on
08/06/2003 6:43:59 AM PDT
by
Calpernia
('Typos Amnesty Day')
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