Oberstar arrives for Superior shipyard

MONDAY:  The Oberstar arrived at the Duluth Entry around 10 am Monday with an escort from Duluth-based USCGC SPAR. A large crowd was on hand for its arrival. The laker will unload its Tilden fluxstone at CN-Hallett Dock 5 before shifting to Fraser Shipyards for inspection and repair.

4 female lighthouse keepers highlighted in Michigan Maritime Museum performance

Published: Jun. 16, 2025,
By Lindsay Moore | lmoore@mlive.com

SOUTH HAVEN, MI — The love for lighthouses runs deep in the Great Lakes State. Michiganders have a true appreciation for the valiant efforts of lighthouse keepers who directed ships across temperamental waters and for the volunteers who now preserve that history.

The Michigan Maritime Museum is taking the helm this week on the lighthouse love.

This Day in History: First African-American College Is CharteredThis Day in History: First African-American College Is Chartered

As part of this museum’s year-long series highlighting minority communities, the museum is hosting an evening that spotlight female lighthouse keepers.

The one-woman show “Women of the Watch, Keepers of the Light” will bring to life stories of four Michigan lighthouse keepers weaved with personal stories from writer and performer Kamryn Marck.

The performance, running at the museum for one night only 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, will be free to museum members and $10 for non-members.

The Whispers Across the Water series amplifying stories of Indigenous peoples, African Americans, women, and other minority groups who have molded the region’s maritime legacy will continue monthly through November.

“Whispers Across the Water programs are important in showcasing the many perspectives, narratives, and contributions in and to Great Lakes maritime heritage and history often overlooked in traditional historical contexts. These are invaluable contributions in telling the complete story of our shared past. We are proud to be a platform on which to celebrate these stories,” said Ashley Deming, Director of Education & Programs at the Michigan Maritime Museum.

There’s deep pride and history in the stories of Michigan’s female lighthouse keepers.

Lighthouse keeper jobs were among the first federal positions – outside clerical work – open to women.

Between 1849 and 1954, Michigan had more than 50 female lightkeepers and assistant keepers, according to National Park Service officials. That’s more than any other state.

The “Women of the Watch, Keepers of the Light” performance will showcase:

Julia Sheridan, the first assistant keeper at South Manitou Lighthouse in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Mary Terry, the first female keeper of Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba.

Harriet Colfax, lighthouse keeper for Michigan City Lighthouse for 43 years.

Elizabeth Whitney Williams, lighthouse keeper at Beaver Island and Harbor Point and one of the longest-serving lighthouse keepers in American history with 41 years of service.

In 1953, Michigan’s last female lighthouse keeper, Frances Johnson, gained national attention on the CBS game show “What’s My Line?” where a celebrity panel tried to guess her profession in 10 yes or no questions.

She stumped the celebrity panel and took home a $50 prize.

For more of Michigan’s maritime history, get to the South Haven museum early to see the latest exhibit on passenger steamships.

If you’re seeking an even more immersive experience, then book a sailing trip on the museum’s historic replica of a tall ship, Friends of Good Will.

Staff and volunteer crew, dressed in period clothes, offer passengers a glimpse into the life and operations of a Great Lakes sailor in the early 19th century.