City's Wawatam Lighthouse Awaiting Permit
By Karen Gould

Standing on the end of the old Railroad Dock, the Wawatam Lighthouse awaits Coast Guard approval before the beacon can become operational. On the shore end of the old Railroad Dock rests the lift gate once used by the railroad ferry Chief Wawatam, the namesake of the lighthouse.

The new lighthouse in St. Ignace has been named Wawatam Lighthouse and its navigational light could be operational later this month, pending approval by the U.S. Coast Guard. Standing at the end of the old Railroad Dock, home to the rail ferry Chief Wawatam, the beacon defines the harbor and marks the entrance to the City Marina. Once lit, Wawatam Lighthouse also will serve as an aid to navigation.

A permit to turn on the light has been filed with Ninth District Coast Guard in Cleveland, said Eugene Elmer, St. Ignace marina director, who hopes to have approval to flip on the light switch by the end of the month. The Coast Guard required that the lighthouse be named before the application for the light could be processed.

The outside of the lighthouse already is lit, and the beacon light is wired, installed, and awaiting Coast Guard approval, said Mr. Elmer.

The five-piece lighthouse was erected in early June at the end of the old Railroad Dock. Rising 52 feet above its perch on the dock, the replica lighthouse was a decorative attraction at the Monroe Welcome Center before being given to St. Ignace by the state in fall 2004.

Originally, the application was submitted without a name and the city had hoped to have a contest to name the structure. Then, the Coast Guard notified the city that a name was needed for navigational charts, which are issued yearly by the Coast Guard, said Mr. Elmer. Until new charts are printed, notices are sent out to mariners that include the latest changes and additions.

To keep the process moving, a poll quickly was taken with people at St. Ignace City Hall. Wawatam was the first choice and it provided a tie to the dock's history, said Mr. Elmer.

Built in the late 1800s by the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad, the railroad dock once served as a port for the 338-foot railcar ferry Chief Wawatam. The track elevator used to align the railroad tracks on the dock with the deck on the Wawatam still stands at the base of the dock and serve as a reminder of the area's railroad and ferry history.

As the city awaits the permit approval to make the lighthouse operational, a project to extend the existing boardwalk to the lighthouse is about to go out for bids. The project will include a fishing pier on the south side of the dock near the lighthouse and a railing around the light.

A $137,500 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant will be used to extend the Huron Boardwalk by more than 1,000 feet.

Mr. Elmer said he hopes the entire project will be completed and open to the public later this year.

Once operational, Wawatam Lighthouse will remain lit yeararound and during winters, when an ice bridge is in place between St. Ignace and Mackinac Island, the Wawatam's light may aid snowmobilers coming into St. Ignace, said Mr. Elmer.

On a clear night, the light will be visible from 13.2 miles away. Mackinac Island is approximately three miles to the east of the beacon.

"I think it's going to be great for snowmobilers this winter," said Mr. Elmer. "What a beacon to home in on."