Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes: A History of Murder and Misfortune

by Dianna Higgs Stampfler

The author of Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses shares tales of disaster and misfortune on the Great Lakes. Losing one's life while tending to a Great Lakes lighthouse sadly wasn't such an unusual occurrence. Death by murder, suicide or other tragic causes--while rare--were not unheard of. Two keepers on Lake Superior's Grand Island disappeared one early summer day in 1908, their decomposed remains found weeks later. A newly hired and some say depressed keeper on Pilot Island in Wisconsin's Door County slit his own throat after a consultation with a local butcher about the location of the jugular vein. A smallpox outbreak in the late 1890s led to the tragic death of a lighthouse hired hand on South Bass Island in Lake Erie. Join author Dianna Stampfler as she uncovers the facts (and debunks some fiction) behind some of the Great Lakes' darkest lighthouse tales.

Genres: Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2022

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was certainly well-researched, but it was a little dry and read more like a term paper. I think some of the sources used were Not completely credible (that could just be years of teachers and professors cautioning me not to use websites that end in ".com" for research though.)

The last thing that detracted from my overall enjoyment were some easily-fixed errors. For example, Lake St. Clair does not have an "e" at the end (I live within a couple of miles of this lake.) Also, on page 46, the photo caption reads: "...for seventeen years, from 1911 to 1925..." That math doesn't add up (in the paragraph itself, it says 1908 instead of 1911, so I think this wasn't caught in editing.)

Still, the subject matter is interesting and this is a good starting point to investigate lighthouse deaths further.

[Chy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this because I love history and lighthouses. However I found this book to be so dull and boring. Granted it was well researched, but the way it was written was too dry for my taste.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written book! Stampfler not only tells about the murders and misfortunes of those who served our lights, but writes to help the reader understand the importance of the role the victims filled, the ordeal they encountered and the family that mourned their loss.

It's not a gothic book, but one of sorrow and remembrance.

The book is divided by each of the Great Lakes and is thoroughly researched by newspapers of the time, ancestral records, books and online resources. Photos are included when available and when needed to help the reader understand the important work that was done by the keepers in times gone past. Just in case you'd like to visit the place of these misfortunes, she provides information on where to find the site and whether it's open to the public.

Many times a keeper might stationed be out on a lonely outcrop of a rock for months at a time with little human interaction. While being a lighthouse keeper may seem romantic to us, the keepers recognized how vulnerable they were and took all the precautions they could to be safe and keep the light lite for others, but sometimes even those measures weren't enough.

[Renae Hesselink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't intended to do this but picked the book up yesterday and read all in one day. I would not normally be attracted to this type of book but knowing the author, I wanted to support. So much tragedy and the author did a great job of laying it all out and I learned so much about our Great Lakes in addition to those that served as lighthouse keepers and their tragic stories. Such an important job however I don't think the work was valued as much as it should have been especially considering the dangers. I was happy when the federal government approved pensions for light keepers, the first group to receive. Lighthouses are such icons still today even though they are now automatically operated. Such an important part of our history especially if you live in the Great Lakes region or other coastal communities. So glad I read. I highly encourage anyone who lives in the Great Lakes, is a history buff or just wanting to learn more about these important people that sacrificed their lives to provide safety to others to read this book.

[Callie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 I’m so bummed! In the beginning this book was decent but as I read more and more, I personally feel like there’s a lot that doesn’t even pertain to the actual deaths. I feel like I’m gone on a side quest.
And this could be a me thing and having it engrained into my head from school, but I was looking for some .edu or .gov citations. The read seemed to become drier and drier as the book went on too. I also personally visited the South Bass Island lighthouse at Put In Bay and found out that Duggan had also helped rescue the crew of the Isabella J. Boyce which was a ship that caught fire in 1917. I feel like that would’ve been worth noting in the book.
(Please correct me (nicely) if I’m wrong about this last part)

And last thing, SO MANY LINEAGE LINES. I got confused more than once trying to keep track of that.