Creating an 1890s atmosphere in McGulpin Point Lighthouse is one of several plans that Jim Tamlyn, chairman of the Emmet County Board of Commissioners, has for the Mackinaw City destination. Mr. Tamlyn detailed his ideas during a speech made to the Mackinaw Area Historical Society Monday, November 9, at the Mackinaw Area Public Library.

The 1890s will be the era depicted because the lighthouse offers a greater visual history then, Mr. Tamlyn explained to The St. Ignace News. Many written documents from when the lighthouse was established in 1869 are available, he said, but the photographs of the 1890s can offer visitors an idea of what the lighthouse and the keepers who stayed there looked like.

Filling the lighthouse with authentic 1890s furniture and other items is part of Mr. Tamlyn's goal. A couch, pottery, and potbelly stove from that era have been donated to the lighthouse, and a family from Indianapolis, Indiana, donated a pipe organ, as well.

The lighthouse also received a flat rock donation, something that was used in that era for warmth. People then were afraid of leaving their stoves on in fear of their houses burning down, Mr. Tamlyn said, so flat stones were placed by the stove throughout the day and heated. When people retired for the night, they brought the heated rock with them to bed to keep them warm.

As the lighthouse site is developed, it will show visitors what life was like in Mackinaw City in the 1890s. Seeing an 1890s Christmas could be charming, he told the crowd, so the lighthouse will be open during the Christmas in Mackinaw event. Christmas in Mackinaw takes place in Mackinaw City Friday, December 4, through Sunday, December 6.

Also under discussion is how to use the lighthouse during the off season for fundraisers, Mr. Tamlyn said. Offering a Thanksgiving raffle where a winner and his family could be treated to an entire Thanksgiving dinner at the lighthouse is one idea, for instance. The raffle idea has not been formally explored yet, Mr. Tamlyn said.

Promoting the site is a doubleedged sword. Preserving the lighthouse and its history is important, but money must also be raised to maintain and promote it.

"This is not about turning a dollar, but it is," he said.

Visitation to the lighthouse has been steady in its first year as a public museum. It was opened to the public May 30. The chamber received many calls asking about the lighthouse, and visitors have added it to their list of destinations, according to the chamber of commerce. Numbers of tour guests weren't counted , Mr. Tamlyn said, but four guest registration books were filled by the end of the season.

"It absolutely added to the flavor of the area," said Dawn Edwards, executive director of the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber members have handed out brochures about the lighthouse, she said, and have promoted visiting it since it was opened to the public this year. Mrs. Edwards noted it is popular with lighthouse enthusiasts and those looking for "hidden treasures" while visiting Mackinaw City. McGulpin Point Lighthouse

History at a Glance

The construction of the McGulpin Point Lighthouse was spurred by a need for a navigational aid along the Straits of Mackinac. Congress appropriated $6,000 for a fog bell and the lighthouse's construction in 1854, but difficulties in obtaining a deed to the property led to the money being unspent and returned. Twelve years later in 1866, Congress was once again petitioned for funding, and $20,000 was granted for construction. Work on the lighthouse finally began in 1869.

James Davenport, who served as the lighthouse's keeper from September 1879 to 1906, is of note as he submitted weekly status reports of the lighthouse to Washington, D.C., during the winter.

Weekly winter reports were unusual for keepers to compose, Mr. Tamlyn said, as the waterways were often frozen over. Mr. Davenport's messages were important for that reason, as they often included the state of the ice in the Straits, which mariners used to determine when it was ready for sailing.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1906 with the construction of the nearby Old Mackinac Point Light and fog signal station. Unlike Old Mackinac Point, McGulpin Point Lighthouse was only visible from the west. In May 22, 1907, advertisements of the sale of the lighthouse were posted in newspapers in Chicago, Detroit, Cheboygan, and Milwaukee. Bids were opened July 17, with the highest at $875. The bid was rejected as the property was believed to be more valuable than that.

Sam Smith, a president of Mackinaw City, purchased the lighthouse for $1,425 July 13, 1913. It was resold throughout the years, eventually landing in the hands of the Peppler family, who sold it to Emmet County in 2008. The county formed a historical commission for the purpose of restoring the lighthouse. The Village of Mackinaw City is also involved in the project.

The commission celebrated the relighting of the lighthouse with a ceremony May 30, 2009. The lighthouse has also been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard as a private aid to navigation.

National Site Update

Sandy Planisek, chair of the Emmet County Historical Commission, said the commission is still waiting to hear about the status of an application submitted to establish the lighthouse as a national historic site. The application was sent to the National Park Service last winter, Mrs. Planisek said, after the commission learned from the State Historic Preservation Office they were eligible to apply. Having the lighthouse recognized as a national historic site will give it greater visibility, and would open up other advertising opportunities such as posting signs on I-75, Mr. Tamlyn said.

McGulpin Point Lighthouse is closed for the season, save for the Christmas event, but will reopen May 1, 2010. There is no charge to visit the lighthouse.