Dianna Higgs Stampfler - Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes: A History of Murder and Misfortune

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC

www.historypress.com

Copyright 2022 by Dianna Higgs Stampfler

All rights reserved

First published 2022

E-Book edition 2022

ISBN 978.1.43967.453.6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021950505

Print Edition ISBN 978.1.46714.995.2

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

CONTENTS

To all the passionate keepers of the Great Lakes lighthouses and those who refuse to let their histories be extinguished.

PREFACE

Losing ones life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouseor any navigational beacon anywhere in the world, for that matterwas, sadly, not such an unusual occurrence. The likelihood of drowning while at sea or being injured while on the job (ultimately leading to death) was often high in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Death by murder, suicide or other graphic means was rarer but not unheard of. More than a dozen lighthouse keepers around the Great Lakes met their maker at the hands of othersby arson, poisoning, bludgeoning or other unknown means. A handful of these keepers, either because of depression, loneliness or fear, took their own lives. We may never know the true story of a few, as the deathsnow one hundred or more years oldwerent subjected to the forensic scrutiny and documentation that such crimes are given today.

I was reading Loren Grahams book Death at the Lighthouse: A Grand Island Riddle (Arbutus Press, 2013) about the 1908 deaths of head keeper George A. Genry and his assistant, Edward S. Morrison, when I started to wonder about who else had died mysteriously or tragically at their respective lighthouses. What were the stories behind those deaths? So, to Google I went.

A few cases were already familiar to memost notably the death of Mary Terry, the keeper of the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba in 1886. I was also aware of the suicides of George Sheridan (the son of the South Manitou Sheridans) at Grosse Point Lighthouse in Evanston, Illinois, in 1915 and William Prior (the father of George Prior, his assistant) at the Big Bay Point Lighthouse near Marquette in 1902 (both featured in my first book, Michigans Haunted Lighthouses, The History Press, 2019).

Given that most of my historical research and writing over the years has been focused on my home state of Michigan, I decided to broaden my scope for this book to include stories from throughout the entire Great Lakes region, from Minnesota to New York and even Canada. And while the number of tales was limited, the details were numerous, often obscure and sometimes inconclusive as to the ultimate cause of death. Most of the stories in this book are new to me, making my research much more methodical but also prompting my travel to areas Id never visited before (like South Bass Island, Grand Island and the waters alongside Door County, Wisconsins Pilot Island).

As always, I wanted to know more than what I could find on Google more than what has already been shared by others. I wanted to delve into old newspaper articles (which were often contradictory), gather death records, look for historic photographs, visit cemeteries and dig further into not only the stories but also the lives of those who died in such tragic ways.

Since I had honed my skills while researching for my first book, I quickly logged into Newspapers.com, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org and Michiganology.com (formerly SeekingMichigan.org), as well as the websites for the National Archives, Library of Congress, United States Lighthouse Society and U.S. Coast Guard and various city, township, county and library websites for nuggets of information.

I also sent countless emails to others who had written about unfortunate keeper deaths and read books by fellow authors in search of answers. One of the most memorable trips I made was to Columbus, Ohio, to visit the library archives at Ohio State University, followed by a visit to the former Toledo State Hospital (and its adjacent cemetery) where I found detailed documents and official lighthouse records about the three keepers who died (at different times) at the South Bass Island Lighthouse.

To some, my interest in murder, suicide and death may seem a bit strange or even questionable. Admittedly, it is often concerning to even myself. Growing up in the generation that watched shows like Law & Order, Forensic Files, Snapped, Unsolved Mysteries, Criminal Minds and the like, I have developed an interest in such topics, and for years, Ive researched various aspects of dark tourism in Michigan and around the world.

Ive also found inspiration among the pages of books by true crime authors (and fellow Michigangsters) Tobin Buhk, Mardi Link, Fred Stonehouse and Jenn Carpenter, who recently opened up a bookstore in Lansings REO Town called Deadtime Stories dedicated to this genre (next to Jenns other unique retail store, The Screamatorium).

It is an interesting hobby to say the least. But I know Im not alone in my fascination, and in that, I (oddly) find comfort. Thankfully, my devoted partner in crime not only embraces my quest to learn more about these macabre stories but also willingly drives me to various locales to research and take photographs as necessary (although I sometimes detect a slight rolling of the eyes).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As always, thank you to my parents and grandparents, who instilled in me a love of history, traveling and storytelling; my children, who continue to indulge me in my passion for all things Michigan and the Great Lakes; and Greg, who never (or rarely) complains about visiting lighthouses, cemeteries and other historic sites in the name of my research.

INTRODUCTION

The Great Lakes region boasts over 3,200 miles of freshwater shoreline (more if you circle every island within the five individual lakes: Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior). These waterways were home to early Natives, well before French voyageurs began exploring this area.

According to the National Archives (Archives.gov):

Prior to 1789, during the colonial period, each colonial government determined the need for a lighthouse in their colony, financed its construction, and oversaw its operation. Twelve colonial lighthouses remained in the hands of the individual states throughout the period of confederation with additional lighthouses being erected. On August 7, 1789, President George Washington signed the ninth act of the U.S. Congress (1 Stat. 53), which provided that the states turn over their lighthouses, including those under construction and those proposed, to the central government. In creating the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment [in 1792]