chicago lighthouse tour

The History of Four Chicago Lighthouses

• April 1, 2015

When one thinks of architecture in Chicago, lighthouses might not come to mind.  But Chicago, long a preeminent American port, has an extended history with these vital, vertical structures.

We research stories from Chicago history, architecture and culture like this while developing our  live virtual tours ,   in-person private tours , and  custom content for corporate events . You can join us to experience Chicago’s stories in-person or online. We can also create  custom tours and original conten t about this Chicago topic and countless others.

Learning Chicago Lighthouses History

I recently had the opportunity to hear a fascinating talk by Chicago lighthouses expert, Donald J. Terras.  Terras is the author of Grosse Point Lighthouse : Landmark to Maritime History and Culture  (Windy City Press, 1996) and Lighthouses of Chicago Harbor: Their History, Architecture and Lore  (Windy City Press, 2006).

The first area lighthouse was constructed at the mouth of the Chicago River, years before the city incorporated. The 1831 structure had some problems, though, and soon collapsed.  Its 1832 replacement was forty-feet high and stood near Fort Dearborn. We’d walk right past it on our Downtown Bucket List private tours if it were still standing.

Chicago’s first lighthouse was also the first on the Great Lakes.  As of 1848, there were 59 lighthouses on the Great Lakes. Chicago lighthouses were crucial for navigation; they marked dangerous passageways as well as harbor entry points. Hundreds lined the Great Lakes, but lighthouses became obsolete with modern navigational technology.

The Second Lighthouse

With the opening of the Illinois and Michigan canal in 1848, Chicago became the connecting point between the eastern seaboard and the Mississippi River… and soon, the nation’s busiest port. The first lighthouse quickly proved inadequate for such traffic.

Made of iron and in an octagonal design, the second Chicago lighthouse was built in 1859 out on the end of one of the newly built piers and was intended to be more visible and useful than the old lighthouse, which was by this time relatively hidden behind other structures inland. But the octagonal tower had its challenges, as well: its light was often obscured by the thick smoke from steamers and nearby factories.

The Grosse Point Lighthouse

After the Great Fire of 1871, the Lighthouse Board decided to build a substantial masonry lighthouse 13 miles north of Chicago at Grosse Point in Evanston. Completed in 1872, this Grosse Point lighthouse superseded Chicago’s. Ships relied heavily on this navigational aid; once spotting it, they would hug the shore down to the Chicago harbor. The Grosse Pointe lighthouse still stands today and they seasonally offer historical tours .

We delved into the history of this lighthouse, its prominent location, and Evanston generally for a custom virtual tour . Reach out to us to learn more!

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

In the 1880s, a breakwater was built to protect Chicago’s harbor. Plans began for a new, powerful lighthouse for the Harbor of Chicago, which, the Lighthouse Board proclaimed, “was the most important on the lakes, with a greater average number of daily arrivals and departures during the season of navigation than any other in the United States…”  The new lighthouse was to stand at the mouth of the river, not far from where the original lighthouse was located.

The city was also preparing to shine before all the world during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The lighthouse was under construction during the World’s Fair, completed just as the Exposition was ending. A state-of-the-art Fresnel lens that had been on display at the Fair was then installed in Chicago’s harbor lighthouse, illuminating for the first time on November 9, 1893. The 1859 iron lighthouse was put out of commission.

A Local Landmark

And this 1893 structure is the lighthouse we see in Chicago’s harbor today . The lighthouse is now a n official Chicago landmark, and i s still active, though now automated. We always love sailing past it on custom private tours of the lakefront and river.

The lighthouse was a ctually moved and altered in the early 20 th century . The breakwater was extended in 1918 , so the city relocated the lighthouse relocated to new southern tip.  T he structure also contains a three-story keepers living facilities, a fog signal building, and boat house. 

(An interesting note about the need for a fog signal: according to lighthouse expert, Donald J. Terras, Chicago was once a much foggier place; due to climate change, there is significantly less fog today. Photos of the Chicago lighthouse covered in ice are still frequent though.)

Chicago lighthouses a re among the defining works of architecture that grace our city . Too often overlooked in lists of Chicago sightseeing , they deserve lots more admiration.

Learn More About Chicago Lighthouses

For more information about American lighthouses from enthusiasts who’ve ‘done’ them all: Lighthouse Friends , Lighthouse Facebook groups: Lighthouses and United States Lighthouses , and The American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee. That last one is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of American lighthouses.

— Wendy Bright, Professional Tour Guide

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chicagology

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Chicago Harbor

CHRONOLOGY 1832 – First Chicago lighthouse built. 1859 – Skeletal structure built on North harbor pier. 1871 – Grosse Point becomes main light to direct maritime traffic into the Chicago River. 1893 – Chicago Harbor light built to replace the skeletal lighthouse. 1894 – Lantern and upper watch room moved to Rawley Point, WI. 1918 – Chicago Harbor light moved to new breakwater east of Navy Pier from river mouth

Chicago Tribune, March 18, 1859

Mr. Phelps, of Missouri: I rise to a question of order. The amendment is for a work of internal improvement in the harbor of Chicago and is not in order.

Mr. Farnsworth: It provides for preserving the light-house. I suppose that if you destroy the foundations of the light-house, you destroy the light-house.

Mr. Phelps, of Missouri: I make the question of order, it is for the repair of a pier, and not of a light-house.

The Chairman, (Mr. Hopkins): The amendment purports to be for the preservation of a light-house, and the Chair thinks it is in order.

Mr. Farnsworth: I have fixed the amount in this amendment at $87,000, as the Senate, at the last session, passed a bill providing for the repair of these piers, appropriating that amount. That bill is now upon the Calendar here. I hold in my hand a letter from Colonel Graham, the superintendent of the harbor and coast surveys of Lake Michigan, which I will ask to have read:

Mr. Burnett: It seems, from the statement of the gentleman from Illinois last up, that there is a bill now pending before the committee upon this subject; and under the ruling of the Chair, it cannot be offered as an amendment to this bill.

Mr. Farnsworth: The gentlemen does not understand correctly. The bill upon the Calendar is merely for the purpose of preserving the harbor. This id for the purpose of preserving and protecting the light-house. It is a different object. The money may be expended in the same way. But the object of this amendment is the protection of the light-house, while the object of the bill is the protection of the pier. If you destroy the pier on which the light-house stands, you destroy the light-house.

The Committee divided; and the tellers reported—ayes 83, noes 40.

So the amendment was adopted.

Chicago Tribune, July 24, 1860

The Light-House Pier. —We notice that the light-house pier and breakwater have been put in most complete and substantial order, with new timbers and new planks. The pier head is now a most attractive resort, and we advise our readers who wish for a lovely waterside view, to that broad, high platform that extends about the new light-house. It may be easily visited by ladies, as carriages can be safely driven to the inner and of the pier.

Government Pier and Light-house 1863

Rand McNally’s Bird’s Eye Views of Chicago, 1893

The Chicago River Light-house Is on the north at the mouth. This is the oldest light on the lake shore, and was built and established in 1859. The skeleton tower is but 83 feet high, of iron construction. The light is lit at sunset and burns till sunrise the year round. The lenses illuminate an arc of 285 degrees, and may be seen for 16 miles into the lake. There are range lights, and in fogs a bell is struck by automatic machinery. Three keepers and 2 laborers reside in a frame house near by.

Mouth of the Chicago River with Chicago River Lighthouse (1859-1893) The tower and lens were removed and installed near Two Rivers, Wi as the Rawley Point Light. 1893

View of the City of Chicago from the Top of the Lighthouse at the Mouth of the Chicago River. Harper’s Weekly June 1884

Chicago Tribune August 13, 1893

It was these fog horns that were so bitterly and successfully fought by the citizens of North Chicago for a great many years, but finally in 1888 the officials of the Treasury Department at Washington overruled the objections that were so freely tendered and authorized the inauguration of the work. As the tower stands in the lake off Chicago avenue, it was alleged that the harsh shrieks of the fog horn, which ofttimes would necessarily be run three or four days in succession, would make life a burden to those citizens of the North Side who reside in the vicinity of the lake and south of Lincoln Park. The residents of the Lake Shore drive were at the head of the movement, and received the cooperation of the greater portion of those residing south of Lincoln Park and east of La Salle avenue. Several delegations were sent to Washington, and at a time when it was thought that the question was safely shelved for an indefinite number of years the department officials advertised for bids and commenced the work, much to the disappoint- ment of the before mentioned Chicagoans.

Immense Big Whistles. The fog horns have been constructed especially for this harbor on an entirely new plan and will be a novelty in their operation. The old style consisted of large oval shaped horns, but these it has been ascertained could only be heard at long distances in the direct wake of the sound, end during a dense fog the mariner was often deceived as to distances, and even at times, according to location, was absolutely unable to hear the warning signal at short distances. The horns to be located here are more in the nature of immense whistles, and may be heard with equal distinct all sides. It ia to be a duplicate plant with separate towers which are located on either side of the main tower. Each will have an engine and boiler of 25 horse-power. the cylinders of which will be four-inch bore by nine-inch stroke and 120 revolu- tions per minute. These are fitted with automatic whistle gear operating ten-inch steam whistles, prod a characteristic series of five seconds each with twenty-five seconds silent intervals. These fog .horns under normal atmospheric conditions can be heard as far as -four miles, but during foggy weather they will not be heard beyond six or seven miles, as the penetration of the sound depends entirely upon the density of the atmosphere.

The peculiar mechanism of these signals renders them such that can readily distinguish them from steamboat, railroad, or factory whistles. In tone they have a low, sonorous sound, not at all offensive, and do not possess such sharp, squeaky, ead irritating tones as many North Chicago people imagine. The superintendent in charge says the people will soon get used to the whistles. and except for their continued monotony they will not be noticed any more than are the hundreds of tugboat, steamer, railroad, and factory whistles now so commonly heard. The sound is produced on a different principle from that of the ordinary whistle, which relieves the sound of any shrillness, and although a person may be close by it does not have a stunning effect on the head or a grating upon the nerves, as would be supposed. The persons in charge of the tower, it is said, may be about the whistles for days at a time without having their hearing impaired or receiving any ill effect of any kind.

Another remarkable feature is that the whistles do not sound any louder in the im- mediate vicinity than they do at a mile distant. It is said that this distance is required for the whistles to develop their full effect, and for the vibrations to operate upon the atmosphere at their maximum capacity. One of the chief merits of the rotary is the ease with which it is located by the mariner. Although the fog may be very heavy he has no difficulty in ascertaining the exact direction from which the sound is coming. This is a very important item, as it enables the captain to clear the shore in case of a storm. Many shipwrecks have occurred from the failure to locate sounds, but with whistles of this kind all such fears may be laid aside.

The preparatory work In the tower was commenced in the fall of 1889. At that time the foundation was laid, which consists of a crib 40×60 feet in plan, solidly filled with stone ballast. This crib stands about 100 feet from the southerly end of the outer breakwater, and is separated from it by an interval of about 80 feet. Upon this crib a solid concrete superstructure with stone faces was built to about eight feet above the lake level. Above the substructure a steel casing four feet wide is boarded to the top of the wooden substructure and filled with Portland cement concrete. On this is set a pier of stone masonry built of Bedford stone of the same dimensions as the substructure and eight feet high, containing two fresh water cisterns. A part is given up to a basement and to coal cellars, where the fuel supply for the engines of the fog signals is to be kept. The interior of the stone work of the pier is also backed with Portland cement concrete.

The pier is surrounded by a post and chain railing and provided with snubbing posts, chocks, and a crane, with ladders for the landing of lighthouse tenders and small boats. One ladder will be on the northwest end and the others distributed about the pier where they seem to be moat needed. The tower will be seventy-three feet above the pier and the focal plane of the lighthouse lantern will be sixty-eight feet above the level of the lake.

Rapid Red and ‘White Flashes. The lantern or illuminating apparatus will be a third-order flash light. The machinery of the lantern is so that it will work very rapidly, showing a red and white flash at intervals of only five seconds. The mechanism of the machinery is very intricate and the -lantern when in running order will show more flashes per minute than any lighthouse on the entire chain of lakes. Close by the light does not appear powerful and is discernible. It will leave the pier in comparative darkness, and persons on the breakwater and near by in boats would hard- ly observe any light whatever. With the light, however, distance lends enchantment, for its power increases as you leave it. Its maximum is attained at a distance of about two miles which is retained to its extreme point of visibility. This on a clear night will be about sixteen miles, but with a heavier atmosphere the distance is proportionately reduced. The light itself is of about 2,000 candle-power and this is multiplied a hundred-fold by the powerful lenses which are brought into service. Flashes may be seen from shore, and in fact from all sides. It will be a big improvement to the one now in use on the north pier, as the latter has only a fixed white light. The advantage and value of the new light are its peculiar characteristic, which makes it prominent sand discernible among a thousand other lights. It is similar in many respects to those in use on the seashore. It will differ from the Grosse Point, off Evanston, not only in the superiority of the work but in the constant flashes which occur every five seconds, while the changes at the Evanston lighthouse are a fixed white varied only by a red flash every three minutes.

In 1889 Congress made an a of $35,000 for the erection of the lighthouse, off the new government pier, but this amount was soon found to be inadequate, and in 1890 an additional appropriation of $15,000 was made. The importance of the station and the fact that the lighthouse and fog horns were to serve the entire harbor of Chicago so im- pressed itself on the Treasury officials that thp plans were improved and magnified from time to time, so that the last Congress found it necessary to make a further appropriation of $15,500. And now the inspector in charge says that Congress will be called upon for another appropriation of $20,000, with which to complete the interior finishings and furnish some necessary equipments. This will make the total amount expended $85,000.

The contract for the stone pier and steel casing was let to Lydon & Drews of Chicago, and this part of the work was completed early last year. The for the construction of the metal work and the placing of it id position was let to the Russell Wheel and Foundry company of Detroit, which still has the work in charge. It includes the erection of the tower and the mason work necessary in connection with it. The interior finish, will be done by the government employe under the direction of the inspector. Over 800 cords of riprap were furnished by the Western Stone company, which have been placed around the pier as a protection against storms.

Inspector B. Todt has superintended the construction during the progress of the entire work. The construction was started during the term of office of Col. William Ludlow, Lighthouse Engineer, and since his retirement has been carried on under his successor, Maj. M. B. Adams, Lighthouse Engineer of the Ninth and Eleventh Districts of the United States. These districts include Lakes St. Clair, Huron, Superior, and Michigan, and all connecting rivers and straits. His headquarters are in Detroit and when seen in regard to the work being done in Chicago harbor he said:

The lighthouse and fog horns now in course of construction will carry out this idea to a large extent and will be something entirely new in their plan for Chicago. They will be completed at least two months before lake navigation closes.

Chicago River Lighthouse 1914

Chicago Tribune, Saturday, November 11, 1893

Fog Horn Kept Busy. As the new lighthouse and its screaming signals were built expressly for service in times of such emergency and extreme danger the fog horns and flash lights were kept busy both nights sounding and flashing signals to the lake-going craft. Anyone who ever heard a fog horn in ful operation can understand the annoyance suffered by those living within hearing distance of this station. With the whistles going at a terrific rate all night, the noise made by them, it is claimed, is something wild and terrible, and as it can be heard under favorable circumstances a distance of twenty-four miles persons residing along the Lake-Shore drive must have had their rest and comfort greatly disturbed. They say they could not talk; neither could they think, and sleeping was entirely out of the question.

Chicago River Lighthouse September, 1914

History of Opposition. The fight made by the citizens of Chicago and especially those living south of Lincoln Park and east of LaSalle avenue, headed by the residents of Lake Shore drive, against this lighthouse and its horns being located in the harbor is still fresh in the mind of nearly every one. It was commenced, as Mt. Ryerson says, ten years ago, and for a time was successful, but in 1888 the Treasury officials at Washington overruled the objections so freely offered and authorized the inauguration of the work. Last August, in a description of the new institution, then nearing completion, The Tribune predicted that October was comparatively free from fogs, those that should have come then were mixed up with November supply and the whole stock was crowded in two days. As a result the fog whistle was compelled to do two months’ howling in one night.

Mr. McCagg’s Experience. Other men besides Mr. Ryerson were discussing the matter yesterday. Among them was E. B. McCagg, who said:

Franklin MacVeagh’s Opinion. Franklin MacVeagh took a different view of the situation. While he characterized the noise of the horn, when it is in extraordinary action, an unquestionable annoyance, at the same time he could discern some cheerful notes in the vibrations of its far-reaching voice. This is what MacVeagh said:

Vigorous Condemnation. Thus runs the story from river to park. All through that section yesterday were found men openly, vigorously, condemning the fog horn’s ceaseless howls of the night before. The sensibly nervous people were were all broken up, not only from loss of sleep, but because of the shock to their nerves. A young man, who requested that his name be withheld, ventured the opinion that with the fog horn in the harbor North-Siders would not be permitted to get lonesome. “On a lonely, dismal night,” he continued,” it is pleasant to hear that demon screaming like mad out there in the lake. It makes you feel that there is somebody around.”

Dr. Isham’s Views. Dr. George S. Isham said:

Anything that attracts so much attention naturally arouses public curiosity, and everybody at once becomes interested in knowing all about it, therefore a description of this peace-of-mind disturber is in order. It should be understood that these fog horns were constructed especially for this harbor and on a plan entirely different from other fog horns. That is why they are so much of a novelty in their operations. They are after the style and in the nature of immense steam whistles, and may be heard with equal distinctness on all sides. They are located on either side of the main lighthouse tower and each has an engine and boiler of twenty-five-horse power attached to it, the cylinders of which have a nine-inch stroke and make 120 revolutions a minute. These are fitted with an automatic whistle gearing working ten-inch steam whistles, producing a characteristic series of blasts five seconds each with twenty-five seconds silent intervals. Under normal atmospheric conditions these horns can be heard as far as twenty-four miles, but during foggy weather six or seven miles is about the limit. The penetration of sound depends entirely upon the density of the atmosphere.

Unlike Other Whistles. The peculiar mechanism of these signals renders them such that vesselmen can readily distinguish them from steamboat, locomotive, or factory whistles. In tone they have a low, sonorous sound. The superintendent of the plant says that the people will soon get used to the noise, and except for the continued monotony will pay no more attention to them than they do to the hundreds of tugboat, steamer, railroad, and factory whistles, now so commonly heard. The sound is produced on a different principle from that of the ordinary whistle and is relieved of any shrillness. It has no stunning effect upon the head. The men in attendance say they can be about the whistles days at a time without their hearing impaired or receiving any ill effect of any kind. One of the remarkable features of the noise is that it sounds no louder close to the whistle than it does a mile away. The distance, in fact, is required to develop the full effect and for the vibrations to attain their maximum capacity. One of the merits claimed for the whistle is the ease with which it can be located by the mariner. Although the fog may be heavy he has no difficulty in determining the exact direction from which the sound is coming. Vesselmen say that the lighthouse and the fog horns are an absolute necessity where they have been placed; that they should always remain. The signals were started for the first time Thursday night and they worked to the entire satisfaction of everyone interested. The plant was turned over by the contractors Thursday afternoon and was not to have been started until Nov. 15, but Commander Price realized the urgent need of signals that night and turned on steam at 7 o’clock in the evening. All night the sounds and lights continued, showing boats the safe way into port.

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse About 1930

Chicago Tribune, June 7, 1925

Along about 4 o’clock in the morning, when the moonlight falls sweetly on the alley cat and the taxicab taking home a load of late revellers, busy business men rise up in their beds of sleep and curse. “That;s the damnedest outrageous nuisance and somebody ought to hang for it.”

One is the Chicago Harbor lighthouse on the government breakwater, about half a mile out from the end of the Municipal Pier. One is on the Calumet Harbor light, and the other is at Grosse Point. That is the order of of importance of the three and that also is the numerical order of the kicks that have come in about each one.

Why does a foghorn toot? Ask the man who blows one. So the inquiry reasonably enough began with a trip in a launch out to the Chicago Harbor foghorn itself.

In response, it’s a tame enough instrument to look at. Inside the lighthouse tower, just below the gleaming yellow brass and the polished lenses, is the timing device with its electric motor and its toothed wheel and the diaphone end of the horn itself. It’s timed to blow a second’s toot, pause, two seconds, another a second’s toot, and then pause fifteen seconds before the double toot over again. Outside the tower, pointing to the lake, the terror looks like an overgrown auto horn.

Tooter Sleeps Under It. What does the man who blows it say? He sleeps right under it, only he doesn;t sleep, and has to stuff cotton in his ears to keep his eardrums intact.

And he says, this Assistant Keep A. E. Pierce who does that blowing, he says, “It’s hell.”

Beyond that he dare not say, because a paragraph in the rule book says he mustn’t. Instead he takes this landlubber who asks so many questions up on the platform beside the horn. Then he goes inside a minute.

There is a hiss of air, a shriek, a bellow, that cracks in the middle and bangs a devilish roar. The whole lighthouse shakes.

“We don’t blow unless we have to,” says Mr. Pierce and the limp landlubber is ready to agree.

Out at the Chicago Harbor station the rule is to blow when for or smoke obscures the Carter Harrison and the four mile crib .

What the Mariners Say. And then the inquirer seeks information from a couple of mariners, Capt. Lee Sobota of the launch U.S.A., for i=one, and Roy Christensen of the Longfellow, and a gentleman who is better known as “Barney” on the lakes.

They are among those who scoff at the few hours of sleep lost by te soft citizens on land and they tell tales of the lakes,a nd the fogs that creep in before you know it.

Capt. Sobota begins:

“That’s right,” says Skipper Christensen. “Damn right,” echoes Barney.

This Man Recommended It. Milwaukee and Capt. Charles H. Hubbard, superintendent of the twelfth lighthouse district of Lake Michigan and Georgian bay, is the next port of call. The captain proves to be a man who’s sailed all his life, and whose knowledge of every danger of the lake is surpassed only by his courtesy.

It was his recommendation that had the horns installed.

Secondly, the diaphone horn is much more economical of operation. Lastly, it is the most modern and efficient horn. To have failed to install it at this important point would have been equivalent to a soldier’s refusing rifle, machine gun, and gas mask, and sticking to sword and shield.

Blows When It’s Smoky. Some of the writers to Vox Pop have doubted there was fog when the horn was blowing. Capt. Hubbard answers this:

Washington Works for Harmony. Then the quest turned to Washington, D.C., and invaded the office of George R. Putnam, commissioner of lighthouses of the department of commerce. He has received scores of complaints. Yesterday he began an official investigation of the question of whether the citizens’ nerves and the sailors’ safety could be harmonized.

In the hands of Commissioner Putnam and Secretary Hoover, alone, rests the power to change the horn.

“I sympathize with the people who have to listen to the horn,” said Mr. Putnam, “but a foghorn seems to be the only possible method of warning ships on the lake. Ship owners say that a horn is necessary at that point. That is a question, however, which will be investigated.”

In the meanwhile if it’s foggy tonight or the smoke drifts in from Gary, remember that that terrible broken-in-the-middle hoot is only type F.

During the 1917 renovation of the northern breakwater that lies just east of Navy Pier, it was determined that a lighthouse was needed at that location to guide vessels around its southern extremity into the harbor. To avoid the expense of building a new structure, the federal government appropriated $88,000 for the relocation and rebuilding of the 1893 cast-iron tower of the lighthouse on anew site at the south end of the north arm of the extended exterior breakwater. At this time the 24-year-old tower was moved out to its present location, and the beacon was first shown from thenew position on the night of August 1, 1918. The large light station included a keeper’s dwelling and an oil room. The one-story structures adjoining the light tower once served as a fog-signal room and a boathouse and were constructed shortly after thetower was moved to the breakwater.

Throughout the 1920s the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was continually outfitted with the most technologically superior navigational aids. In 1925 the light’s fog signal was upgraded to a “Type-F diaphone,” a new type of fog signal which produced sound almost one hour faster than the light’s original steam-powered locomotive whistle. This state-of-the-art signal impressed mariners with its penetrating sound, but Chicagoans who lived and worked nearby were much less enthusiastic. One businessman complained, “That’s the damned-est outrageous nuisance and someone ought to hang for it.” By the 1930s and 1940s with the increased use of electronic navigational aids, including automated beacons, radar, and radio signals, the lighthouse took a quieter, but no less active role, in providing navigational aid to vessels entering the port. In 1979 the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was fully automated. Today it continues to operate as an unmanned beacon.

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Chicago, Illinois - 1893 (1832**)

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History of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

Lights have marked the entrance to Chicago Harbor and the Chicago River as early as 1832. Originally, the first tower was constructed on land, piers would later appear to try and control sand bars that would show up with a northeasterly gale. By 1847, the piers jutted out 3900 feet into Lake Michigan to form a harbor. To help mariners navigate into and out of the harbor, pier lights were constructed.

Several wooden pier lights would mark the entrance for several years before a newer tower was put into service in 1859. This tower was made of prefabricated cast iron pieces that could be assembled on site. It consisted of a steel skeleton to hold up the lantern room.

Chicago continued to grow, more and more factories were popping up. So much so, that smoke from the factories were obscuring the lights. The Lighthouse Board had constructed a new landfall light ( Grosse Point Lighthouse ) for the City of Chicago 13 miles to the north in Evanston. Although this new light to the north would be the primary landfall light for the Chicago Harbor, the 1859 pierhead light remained in service .

A new lighthouse to mark the Chicago Harbor was constructed near the mouth of the Chicago River in 1893. This new lighthouse (shown above) sealed the fate of the 1859 pierhead lighthouse. Due to its construction technique, it was disassembled, and moved to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Here it renovated, heightened, and became the Rawley Point Lighthouse .

As ships arriving in the Chicago Harbor became larger, difficulties in navigating down the Chicago River ensued. This led officials to develop the outer harbor. This was an area of Lake Michigan that was enclosed with a protective break wall near the mouth of the Chicago River. A municipal pier was completed in 1916 to handle the loading and unloading of these larger ships. It is known today as Navy Pier. To finish off this new outer harbor, the 1893 Chicago Lighthouse was moved to concrete foundation at the end of the north pier to become the Chicago Harbor Light.

When the tower was moved, two support buildings were integrated into it. One side housed a fog signal whereas the other side housed a boat house. At the height of Chicago Harbor, the lighthouse accommodated four keepers that were responsible for all navigational aids in the harbor. The tower was automated in 1979.

Directions: The lighthouse sits offshore on a breakwall, which is detached from the mainland. The best way to view the lighthouse is from the end of Navy Pier in Downtown Chicao, or from one of the many harbor cruises. Also look for the Chicago Southeast Guidewall Lighthouse located near the harbor.

Access: The lighthouse is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. Tower closed.

On August 7, 1919, Albert Van Velzen, assistant keeper, Chicago Pierhead Light Station, Ill., while working at the tower on the north pier, hearing that some one had fallen overboard, seized a grapnel hook, with line attached, and ran a distance of about 1,000 feet to where a boy�s hat was seen floating in the water. On the second cast of the grapnel by Mr. Van Velzen, the boy was caught under the arm, brought to the surface, and resuscitated by the life guards who had arrived by this time. The boy was under water at least eight minutes. The action of Mr. Van Velzen in this case is especially creditable due to his physical condition, his feet having been frozen years ago while walking, during a severe storm, from the keeper�s dwelling to the light under his charge. Mr. Van Velzen has been commended by the department for his action in this instance, as well as for the rescue from drowning, on July 28, 1919, of a man who had fallen into the water near the light station.

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New life for historic Chicago Harbor Lighthouse? Group pitches major renovation, public tours

Friends of the chicago harbor lighthouse hopes to partner with schools and other organizations to bring children from underserved communities to the aging icon in the lake..

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse as seen from Navy Pier, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Efforts are underway to try to restore and preserve the historic beacon, which dates to 1893.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

A nonprofit organization wants to restore the aging Chicago Harbor Lighthouse and use the landmark as a teaching tool for younger generations, as well as attract more visitors to the city.

Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse shared its vision for the icon of the city’s maritime history at a meeting this week. They envision a three-stage plan: The first is to allow boat tours to get visitors close to the site. Second is to restore the lighthouse so it’s safe enough for boats to dock and for people to go inside. And the last phase is to preserve and “celebrate” the lighthouse with exhibits showcasing its history, in addition to restoring some rooms to their original condition.

Kurt Lentsch, president of Friends of the Chicago Lighthouse, said schools and other organizations could become partners with the nonprofit to teach children about the city’s maritime history by visiting the site.

“We want to ... reach out to those communities that are underserved and bring kids down to the lakefront, board a boat, take a ride down the lake, possibly for the first time in their life, and also go into the lighthouse and learn about the impact that lighthouse has made in the development of Chicago,” Lentsch said.

Members of the Cliff Dwellers Club and the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse attend a presentation on the history and efforts to restore lighthouse and open it to visitors.

Preservation architect Edward Torrez said there is also enough room at the location to create event space that could accommodate up to 150 people.

“What we would like to do is preserve it, make it a public space for everyone, to learn about technology, engineering and navigation and the history of Chicago,” Torrez said. “It really should be shared.”

There is no timeline for completing the group’s plan.

The lighthouse was built in 1893 and reconstructed at its current location — east of Navy Pier — in 1917.

It’s been all but abandoned for decades. It still functions. But it’s been fully automated, no longer needing a lighthouse keeper, since the 1970s.

The city has owned the lighthouse since the Coast Guard, National Park Service and General Services Administration signed off on handing over the deed in 2009 with an agreement the city would figure out a way to restore the deteriorating building for public use.

But little to no work has been done on the lighthouse since. Several ideas to breathe life back into the building have surfaced in the last few years, including turning it into a luxury hotel, a museum with a cafe and a bed and breakfast.

Kurt Lentsch, president of the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, envisions schools and other organizations partnering with his group to teach children about the city’s maritime history.

After seeing that no progress had been made on repurposing the lighthouse, the federal government in 2020 said it wanted to reclaim it from the city. If that were to happen, the government would be in charge of finding a new suitor for the location. If no one steps up, the site would be auctioned off to the highest bidder, including private owners.

Lentsch said under no circumstances should the lighthouse be allowed to be placed on the auction block and taken away from the public.

“It’s an important icon to the city of Chicago; we feel it should stay under public ownership,” Lentsch said, adding that city officials have expressed support for the group’s plan.

The lighthouse has visible exterior damage, but its bones seem to be in decent shape, according to a city-commissioned assessment completed in 2015 by Torrez’s firm, BauerLatoza Studio.

Edward Torrez, a preservation architect with BauerLatoza Studio, says the lighthouse could be turned into an event space that could accommodate up to 150 people.

Estimates on the cost to make the building safe for visitors were included in the report but redacted in a copy released by city officials.

But Lentsch said his group would most likely need to raise $3 million to $5 million to restore the lighthouse. Those numbers still need to be finalized by the preservation team, which is being assembled. The next step would be to ramp up fundraising.

“You should go in there and see what it looked like, what it felt like, and your kids should go there,” Torrez said. “That’s what we’re trying to do, trying to get everybody to see what a significant structure that is to our history.”

Contributing: Mitch Dudek

Block Club Chicago

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Chicago Harbor Lighthouse Off Navy Pier Could Be Restored, Turned Into A Museum

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CHICAGO — Architects and maritime history lovers are raising money to restore the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, which was built in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. 

The red and white lighthouse was moved to its current location off of Navy Pier in 1919 and has fallen into disrepair. Now, nonprofit Friends of The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse wants to preserve, restore and celebrate the lighthouse so future generations can enjoy its history, President Kurt Lentsch said at a meeting at the Chicago Maritime Museum. 

Over the next two to 10 years, the group members hope to turn the lighthouse into a museum and event space that people can reach by boarding a boat at Navy Pier. They expect the entire project will cost $3-$5 million, Lentsch said.

“We could really make this something special for the city of Chicago, for the Great Lakes experience, for historical preservation. It could really work out,” Lentsch said at the Feb. 17 meeting.

Due to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act , city officials are only required to maintain the light for navigational purposes and aren’t responsible for repairing the physical structure, which has remained largely the same as when it was built. 

Members of the nonprofit are in the initial stages of this project. They are mainly focused on raising money and awareness at this point, Lentsch said. 

To donate to Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, click here . 

The group has support from city officials and is consulting with a project manager about next steps, which include determining a pin number and address for the site as well as figuring out which ward oversees it.

These things have to happen before building permits can be granted, said Edward Torrez, an architect who’s helping lead the venture. 

“These are technical challenges, but we’ll figure out how to get there,” Torrez said. “Our attorneys are doing a lot of work surrounding the question, ‘How can this become a real property that’s situated on the lake?’ I can just picture a Uber driver plugging in the address and being like, ‘WHAT?!’”

Ideally, visitors will eventually be able to visit the lighthouse, climb past exhibits detailing its history — complete with artifacts — and to access an observation deck at the top. Individuals and companies could rent the space for events. 

“You would never be able to see the city from this angle anywhere else,” Lentsch said. “Everyone should be able to experience this view of our beautiful city. The city of Chicago is so rich in its history, in its architecture, so it’s just a shame that the lighthouse is sitting out there empty right now.” 

With permission from the city, a restoration team — including structural engineers, environmental engineers and a team of divers — spent a day examining the lighthouse site in July and found it’s “not in the best condition it could be,” Lentsch said. 

The majority of the lighthouse’s structure is made of steel, so it’s somewhat stable, but numerous repairs are needed to protect it from the elements, Lentsch said. This will include roof repairs, restoration of interior plaster, new flooring, new railings and a coat of paint. 

This work is especially urgent due to the changing environment of Lake Michigan and the onset of stronger storms due to climate change, Lentsch said. Most lighthouses in the Great Lakes were built more than 100 years ago, so they’re becoming more susceptible to damage, Lentsch said. 

“Storms are becoming more powerful, and our lighthouses are becoming more vulnerable, if not addressed and reinforced,” Lentsch said. 

The first phase of construction would likely focus on restoring the lighthouse’s shell and cleaning it up. More extensive upgrades will be required in the second phase of construction to prepare the interior for visitors, including the addition of a stronger electric source, working bathrooms and an elevator, among other things. 

One of eight lighthouses in Illinois, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was among the first to be powered with electricity in a time when most lighthouses used gas to keep the lights on, Lentsch said. 

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1984, and it became a Chicago Landmark April 9, 2003, according to the nonprofit’s website . 

A keeper lived in the lighthouse until the ’80s and was responsible for maintaining the light, Lentsch said. The group hasn’t been able to identify this man, but Lentsch did meet someone who claimed to have dated the keeper, who described him as “a little nuts,” Lentsch said. 

One of the keeper’s responsibilities was bringing a huge weight on a rope to the top of the structure and dropping it. As the weight fell through the center of the lighthouse, the rope pulled on the light, causing it to rotate. This “ clockwork mechanism ” was developed in the 1870s, and the equipment remains within the lighthouse today.

If the lighthouse is restored according to plan, it could include a recreation of the keeper’s living quarters with more information about the equipment he used to complete his responsibilities as well as his day-to-day life, Lentsch said. 

Other exhibits could include artifacts depicting the lighthouse’s construction and its broader impact on the city’s maritime history. 

For updates about the project’s progress, visit Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse’s website and check out the video below.

(Video from John Sheehan,  Hawkwind Droneworks )

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Are you flying into the City? If so, it takes about 1 hour from O'Hare via Blue Line and a little less from Midway via Orange Line to get downtown.

Besides, what are you going to do with your luggage?

That being said, on your question of the lighthouse:

If you had the time, in addition to the ones mentioned above, Michigan City (IN) has their Lighthouse Museum, although it is about 1.5 hours each way via the South Shore and South Bend Railroad to even get to Michigan City. The train stops aren't that close to Washington Park at the lakefront, so you'd have to get a cab in addition to that. (Hope you don't mind my mentioning it for others, if they are going out that way.)

But there is good news, you can see the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse at a distance. The closest onshore vantage point would be at the far east end of Navy Pier (the Pier juts almost 1 mile out). You could even take one of the harbor cruises from Navy Pier and see it along with the skyline. However, it is still visible from many vantage points along the lakefront, including the Museum Campus, so you really don't need to do that.

But it just depends on whatever else you have planned and if you would be somewhere along the lakefront.

Thank you for the information. We're arriving by Amtrak at 6:00 am and departing by Amtrak at 6:00 pm headed to Holland, MI. Our luggage will be stored at the Amtrak Lounge.

Oh, the Tulip Festival weekend.

You'll just have to play it by ear with the crowds and traffic, but you might want to do the lighthouse tour when you get up to MI, assuming (of course) it is OK with your host.

http://www.michigan.org/lighthouses You'll have to check each to see if it's even going to be open that early in the year - but they might be, since the Tulip Festival pulls in a hefty crowd.

Have you been up there for the festival before? If so, you should know that that weekend may or may not be the best for seeing the tulips at their peak. Some years they really should call it the "Stem Festival". But perhaps not this year - what with the colder weather so far. You might want to check the MI forums to see if there are any updates on the status of what they anticipate the peak to be a little more than a month from now

The one thing I do like to do in that area is go out to Veldheer's Tulip Farm (outside of Holland) - but, again, you need to have the right timing and I try to *never* do it right at the Tulip Festival weekend for obvious reasons.

Disclaimer: Holland is my least favorite of the smaller towns up there. JMHO, too commercial for my taste, more so than other towns - although you won't escape that to a large extent anywhere along or even close to the shoreline any more.

But I do appreciate going to the Saugatuck/Douglas area with a side trip (of about 10 miles) inland to Fennville, which has a nice winery, Crane's Pie Pantry (outside of Fennville) and a couple good restaurants within Fennville itself, including The Salt of the Earth. They used to serve a trumpet royal mushroom soup that was very very yummy. Open for dinner only.

The thing is, though, with Saugatuck - in order to get a decent parking space, especially on the weekend, you have to get there quite early. Later in the morning, you might not get anything fairly close to the downtown.

The website does say there will be chances to "peek inside" before opening day, so you might get lucky on the 6th. Taking a Chicago Architecture Foundation tour (link in #4) is a fine idea as well.

This year I am very excited to be heading to the Keukenhof outside of Amsterdam!

To the OP - lighthouses are by necessity not really close to each other. Either plan to see one if possible while you are in the Holland area, or settle for just seeing one from outside. Too bad you aren't driving to Holland, as Michigan City is on the way. You do have time to get up to Evanston via either CTA, possibly using a Pacebus. Google can give you the alternatives.

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Lighthouse Map + Circle Tour

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Lake Michigan Lighthouse Map & Circle Tour

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Circling Lake Michigan

Vacationers have been looping the lake for generations, but the official “Lake Michigan Circle Tour” route was not established until the 1980s when the Michigan Department of Transportation teamed up with West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) to create the route and its official guidebook. Along the way, find more than 100 lighthouses, countless islands, unique attractions, parks and natural areas, miles of glorious beaches, quaint harbor towns, an internationally-recognized urban center, and one “modern marvel” – the Mackinac Bridge.

While a loosely-organized “circle route” around Lake Superior was promoted by local tourist organizations as early as the 1960s, the first official (and signed) Great Lakes Circle Tour was the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. The only single-nation Circle Tour (Lake Michigan being the only Great Lake completely within the US), the Lake Michigan Circle Tour also has the most mileage of any Circle Tour in the state.

Working in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Transportation, the West Michigan Tourist Association helped to make the first of the official Great Lakes Circle Tours a reality and the first publication was released in 1988 as a 52-page guide book. The guide book was transformed into a map in 2007, and the route can now be found online at Lake Michigan Circle Tour: Lighthouse Driving Itinerary .

Recommended stop: Indigo Bluffs – Sleeping Bear Dunes  in Empire

Lighthouse Passport Club

Lighthouse hunting is an addicting hobby, and one shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. The U.S. Lighthouse Society’s Lighthouse Passport Program and Club is the perfect complement to this passion allowing you to record your lighthouse visits, and achieve recognition for your accomplishments.

To purchase your very own passport, you can sign up online at www.uslhs.org or by calling 415-362-7255.

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More From Forbes

Chicago’s lee loughnane on the band’s new concert film and their debut album turning 55.

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The rock band Chicago: front (L-R) Lee Loughnane, Robert Lamm, James Pankow; back (L-R) Neil Donell, ... [+] Eric Baines, Ramon Yslas, Tony Obrohta, Ray Herrmann, Loren Gold, Walfredo Reyes Jr.

In November of last year, the veteran rock band Chicago performed a special show at Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort that featured guest appearances by Steve Vai, Robert Randolph, Chris Daughtry, Judith Hill, VoicePlay, Robin Thicke and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. For Chicago trumpeter and original member Lee Loughnane, the show marked a rare occasion of the band collaborating with multiple artists onstage.

“It was great to work with all the guest artists,” he says recently. “We don't have anybody sit in with us on a normal basis. And maybe if we do, it's like one person or something like that. But to have seven was challenging and very interesting to work with each one, and see how they brought their expertise to work with us and how they were able to give us their interpretation of our music. It was very cool watching it happen.”

The experience in Atlantic City was also filmed and is now being presented as Chicago & Friends in Concert , which will be screened in theaters this Thursday, April 18, and Sunday, April 21 (the film will be available in a variety of commercial formats in the future). A collaboration between the band, Fan Tracks, Iconic Events and Mercury Studios, Chicago & Friends in Concert features Chicago – led by co-founders Loughnane, trombonist James Pankow and keyboardist/singer Robert Lamm – playing over two hours of classic hits including “Saturday in the Park,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Old Days, “If You Leave Me Now,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and You’re the Inspiration.”

Loughnane felt that the special guest artists brought something new to the time-tested Chicago material as captured in the new film, which was executive produced by Decades Rock Live! series creator Barry Summers. “I think they had a great time too,” Loughnane says of the artists. “Talking to them backstage and then performing with them, you could see that they were enjoying what they were doing.”

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For his appearance, Thicke sang lead on two Chicago songs, including “Call on Me” (from 1974’s Chicago VII album) that Loughnane wrote. “I think he did a great job,” Loughnane says. “And interestingly enough, he's singing it in a little more falsetto, which you're not used to hearing. I think it added something different to the song that was very emotionally pleasing.”

Poster for 'Chicago & Friends in Concert.'

Another highlight from the shows was the vocal group VoicePlay performing such Chicago songs as “Look Away,” “If You Leave Me Now” and “Happy Man” with the band in an semi-acoustic setting. “At various times, we do an unplugged segment ourselves on stage just to sort of break it up,” Loughnane says. “It was great to hear how they approached our songs and how we were able to blend the two bands together.”

Meanwhile, Chicago will be marking another year of summer touring as they join forces with Earth, Wind and Fire again on the Heart and Soul tour beginning July 10 in Missouri. Says Loughnane: “We can't wait for it. We're going to rehearse a couple of days with Earth, Wind and Fire, and then do about 30 shows with them. We've always played the encore at the end, where we do a half-hour’s worth of music, three of their songs and three of our songs, and everybody plays. It's really cool.”

The new film and the upcoming summer tour with EWF come as Chicago marks the 55th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, The Chicago Transit Authority , which featured the original band lineup of Loughnane, Lamm, Pankow, guitarist Terry Kath saxophonist Walt Parazaider, drummer Danny Seraphine and bassist Peter Cetera. A good number of that album’s tracks were performed during the group’s Atlantic City appearance last year, including the deep cuts “Poem 58,” “South California Purples” and “Listen” for the first time in many years.

“We hadn't played them since we had enough hits…and people wanted to hear our current hits,” Loughnane says. “So as we amassed more hits and live performances, we weren't able to do the deeper cuts anymore because people would actually complain. Not that we weren't playing things that they would enjoy hearing, but they wanted to hear the hits even over the deeper cuts.”

Recorded in New York City with producer James William Guercio, The Chicago Transit Authority ( which was also Chicago’s original name) was an ambitious double album of jazz rock, progressive rock and pop. Upon its initial release, the record’s singles didn’t become immediate hits.

“Interestingly enough, AM radio wasn't ready for it either because when we initially released “Beginnings” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” they didn't want to play it,” Loughnane recalls. “Top 40 didn't want to play it because they said we hadn't had a hit yet. So that was the excuse, the catch-22 type thing. But obviously, how are you going to have a hit if you don't play it?”

But interest in the songs from The Chicago Transit Authority was revived when the band’s second album, 1970’s Chicago (a.k.a. Chicago II ), became a success and generated hits with “Make Me Smile,” “Colour My World” and “25 or 6 to 4.” “And then we went back and re-released the songs off of the first album,” Loughnane says, “So it worked for us in retrospect.

“The thing that was the most bizarre was the way the press acted toward it,” he continues, “because they put the first album as ‘groundbreaking,’ ‘way ahead of our time’ and all of that stuff. And then when we went back and re-released the songs [from The Chicago Transit Authority ] and they became hits, the same people started saying that we had sold out because the songs were hits. We hadn't changed one note on any of those songs. I think it told us that we should concentrate on what we're doing on our music, try to keep all of the other noise away from us, and just do what we enjoy doing.”

Not only did that debut album highlight the horns and Lamm’s songwriting but it also showcased the electrifying guitar work of Kath, who died in 1978. “Terry is greatly overlooked as far as the greatest guitar players of all time in pop music. And he got overlooked because, I think, unfortunately, the horns got more notoriety than the guitar. People who listen to it now go, ‘Oh, my God. Who is this guitar player?’ And he's getting more applause for what he did. He left us way, way too soon. But finally, he's getting some recognition.”

On The Chicago Transit Authority ’s legacy, Loughnane ranks it up there alongside other Chicago albums such as II , III , VII , 16 and 17 . Coincidentally, Chicago 17 is marking a special anniversary by turning 40 this year–it remains the group’s best-selling studio album with the hits “You’re the Inspiration.” “Hard Habit to Break,” “Stay the Night” and “Along Comes a Woman.”

“It definitely [a turning point] was because David Foster came in as a producer and he focused in on the tenor voice in the band,” Loughnane says of 17 . “ And he focused in on using the horns as more of an effect than you know really doing full-on brass arrangements like we had in the past. So me, Jimmy and Walt picked up other instruments and were able to get better at other instruments during that period. It was a pretty interesting time for us, but in no way did we think we were ever going to stop playing horns. If someone was attempting to get us out of the band, we weren't going to go without a problem.”

The combined success of Chicago 16 and Chicago 17 connected the band to the MTV generation after their commercial fortunes dwindled during the late ‘70s. “ 16 and 17 became like a second wave of success for us where people saw our 16th and 17th album [and] they thought those were the first and second [Chicago] albums. They were growing up during that period. And so they would say, ‘Mom and Dad, look at this!’ And then Mom and Dad would go get the albums from I to XV and say, ‘You mean these guys?’”

As for the future, Loughnane says the band is writing new music though but has no plans at the moment to put it on an album (the group’s last studio record was 2022’s Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This Moment ). Fifty-seven years into Chicago’s existence, Loughnane could have never imagined the band would endure this long amid changing trends and lineup changes (in addition to Loughnane, Lamm and Pankow, the current band configuration features singer Neil Donell, drummer Walfredo Reyes Jr, bassist Eric Baines, guitarist Tony Obrohta, keyboardist Loren Gold, percussionist Ramon Yslas and saxophonist Ray Herrmann).

“I am ecstatic that we're still able to do this for a living, says Loughnane, adding, “I would have thought we're lucky if we get one album and maybe two. That's the way we were thinking back then. There's no way to look you know this far ahead and have any idea that you would be able to do this at this level, especially.”

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, Chicago still garners airplay and concertgoers. The group has also generated admiration from musicians of different generations as indicated by the diverse guests on Chicago & Friends in Concert . “It's very gratifying to see that they have not only respect for their music, but we have influenced their music in some way and they felt honored to be able to come and share that with us,” says Loughnane.

‘Chicago & Friends in Concert’ will be in theaters on Thursday, April 18, and Sunday, April 21. For information on venues and showtimes, visit chicagoandfriendsintheatres.com .

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