The Mystery of Presque Isle Lighthouse
Visitors say they’ve seen the light; no one knows how… or why
By Alvin Hayes
Photos Courtesy and Copyright Terry Pepper
Like other destinations along Michigan’s 3,100-mile coastline, Presque Isle offers a wide variety of outdoor amenities, dining and tourist attractions that draw recreational boaters from locations near and far to its pristine shores.
The town features a harbor that’s ideal for recreational boating, with ample options for recreation and entertainment, including fun-filled summer festivals.
But that’s not what sets this destination apart from other locations along the Great Lakes’ shores. Presque Isle is host to a phenomenon that brings weekend tourists and curiosity seekers to this serene northern Michigan harbor town. It’s the place where visitors come to learn about the mystery of the Presque Isle harbor lighthouse caretaker who, according to local legend, beckons travelers into the harbor from the lighthouse he loved, nearly 20 years after his death. more...
Stories about the 169-year-old lighthouse and its apparition have been circulating throughout the region for years. “People I’ve talked to say they’ve seen the light, but nobody knows where it comes from,” said Sgt. Darin Rabeau, of the Presque Isle County Sheriff’s Department. “It lights up at night even though there there’s no bulb or electricity in there. All I know is that there’s some goofy things going on down there.”
No one has been able to definitively identify the source that generates a faint beam that shines into the harbor. Some say light from the moon hits the lamp, giving off light. Others believe the lighthouse is haunted by the spirits of its former occupants. No matter what the explanation, reputable people swear they’ve seen a light coming from the tower, and this has sparked a legend that has lasted for nearly two decades.
A Rational Explanation?
The mystery remains a popular, albeit controversial, topic. While most residents don’t believe that the lighthouse is haunted, they acknowledge that a definitive logical explanation doesn’t exist either.
Judith Kimball, a member of the Presque Isle Township Historical Society who has chronicled the history of the lighthouse, believes the light is merely a reflection.
“I saw the light (after the lighthouse closed) and didn’t give it a second thought,” Kimball said. “I thought someone would have noticed where it comes from and figured it out by now. I’m sure there’s a rational explanation.”
The lighthouse is located at Presque Isle State Harbor, near the northern edge of Lake Huron, about 250 miles north of Detroit. Native Michiganders say the best way to determine the town’s exact location is to hold up your right hand — Michigan’s Lower Peninsula is shaped like a mitten — and point to the top of your index finger.
Like a tall, majestic sentry keeping watch over the harbor, the lighthouse stands at the northern shore, ready to guide visitors safely into this friendly port of call.
At first glance, its appearance might lead a casual visitor to wonder how such a placid building generates so much excitement, especially after Coast Guard closed the lighthouse, removed its bulb and wiring, and shut off the electricity.
The harbor lighthouse isn’t Presque Isle’s only attraction. For families looking for a quiet, intimate getaway venue, it’s a welcome respite for boaters who are seeking a destination where they can relax and enjoy the town’s peaceful, rustic pace.
Visitors arriving by boat can dock at the Harbor, operated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, where a limited number of slips are available. The pier offers ample amenities, including restrooms, showers, electricity, water, pump-out, gasoline, diesel, launch, fishing pier, grills and a restaurant that’s open from late April to early October. Lodging and dining are also available in nearby Rogers City and Alpena.
The town sponsors a variety of summer festivals, including the Classic Wooden Boat Show in June and an Independence Day festival at Lighthouse Park.
There are plenty of opportunities to commune with nature along the Presque Isle shoreline. It’s an area well known among avid fishermen for its Chinook salmon fishery, considered one of Michigan’s best. Hunters can bag turkeys, whitetail deer and other wild game in the state park that surrounds the lighthouse property.
The ghost of the caretaker?
According to Kimball, the harbor lighthouse, built in 1840, guided merchant ships safely into the harbor during an era when Presque Isle was a major supplier of timber. However, by the 1860s, large volumes of commercial shipping vessels were traveling to destinations beyond Presque Isle. In response, federal officials commissioned construction of a second lighthouse at the edge of a peninsula that juts northward into Lake Huron. The new lighthouse aided ships navigating north and westbound to destinations along Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
In the mid 20th century, the property was sold to a wealthy family from southern Michigan whose patriarch wanted to convert the adjoining lighthouse keeper’s cottage into a summer home. That plan was eventually aborted, but the owners noticed that out-of-town visitors were interested in touring the lighthouse.
By the late 1950’s the owners had renovated the structure into a museum, which achieved modest success as a visitor destination after they purchased a modern tower light and installed electric wiring. To keep the structure in good condition, the owners hired a succession of resident caretakers who dedicated themselves to keeping the lighthouse viable as symbol of the town’s proud history and heritage.
At the request of the U.S. Coast Guard, George Parris, the last of the caretakers, removed the lamp and wiring, and shut off electricity to the tower in 1977. He continued to lovingly keep watch over the property until his death in early 1992. Presque Isle residents thought the lighthouse would remain an obscure symbol of the town’s past glory as a Great Lakes destination.
However, shortly after Parris died, residents started noticing a faint glow coming from the lighthouse. Those early incidents were ignored at first, but as reports of sightings continued, residents started to wonder how light could be generated in a facility that had been shut down 15 years earlier.
Logic soon gave way to conjecture, thanks in part, to comments from Parris’ widow, Lorraine, who was among the first to see a light coming from the tower. She later told a local newspaper that she didn’t share her observation initially for fear of being disregarded. But she adamantly maintained that her husband was so devoted to the lighthouse that he wanted to stay there – indefinitely.
The mystery lives on
Months later, aircraft pilots, sailors and casual passersby joined the parade of witnesses who saw a light coming from the tower. There were even rumors that an illumination once saved a boater.
The mystery deepened when a pair of casual visitors who had never met George Parris reported seeing a pale figure with glasses and a beard that vaguely resembled a description of the former lighthouse caretaker.
To this day, the intrigue of the lighthouse mystery generates requests from a wide range of experts — from respected academics to self-described paranormal groups and production crews from popular television shows — drawn by the challenge of discovering the nature of the phenomenon that has eluded conventional explanation.
Suffice it to say, local observers are unimpressed with these ventures. None of the inquiries have generated any significant findings, although one added a colorful anecdote to the legend.
Like many events associated with the lighthouse, there are several versions of what transpired. Here’s what can be verified:
The production crew of a weekly cable television show conducted a detailed investigation at the lighthouse that lasted for several days. The crew kept a 24-hour vigil, meticulously watching for possible causes and clues that could lead to a resolution to the mind-boggling conundrum.
One evening, a crewmember went into the tower to investigate a theory involving light bouncing off the lens. He remained in the tower until he noticed something — or someone — brushing by. He determined that the presence wasn’t human and quickly bolted of the tower.
“He was as white as can be,” said Kimball.
When Presque Isle residents talk about the ghosts at the lighthouse, it’s not hard to detect a hint of mirth as they relate the stories. Many would prefer to avoid giving credence to the rumors. Others appreciate the legend’s impact on tourism.
Then there are residents like Sgt. Rabeau, who isn’t quite ready to dismiss the possibility of a supernatural explanation. Even though he has not seen the light, nor does he offer any explanation for the phenomenon, this law enforcement veteran isn’t taking any chances.
“When you’re in this line of work, you see a lot of strange things,” said Sgt. Rabeau.
“But unless there’s an emergency call, I’m not going down there. There’s definitely something going on down there, but I don’t know what it is. It would be interesting to see what’s down there.”
* * * * * * *
The Presque Isle Township Historical Society operates the lighthouse as a museum seven days a week from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. from May through October.
