Historical marker at lighthouse to be unveiled

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

MEARS — A new historical marker will be unveiled at the Little Point Sable Lighthouse near Silver Lake Wednesday at 10 a.m.

The plaque is already in place at the site but remains covered until the unveiling, said Peter Manting, executive director of Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Association (SPLKA). The plaque contains historical information about the 140-year-old landmark. “It is being recognized by the State of Michigan as a historical site,” Manting said.

The ceremony will include remarks from Manting, as well as Sen. Goeff Hansen (R-Hart) and Michigan Historical Commissioner Tom Truscott, Manting said.

Procuring the marker has been a two-year process. There has also been an “extensive effort to get light back on,” Manting said. An assessment of the light was performed by one of five lampists in the nation, June 23, he said. The state ordered that an independent lampist perform an assessment before the light could be turned on again, he explained. “It was the last hoop we had to jump through. He said the lense was in the best condition for any assessment he has ever done. He saw no problem with turning the light back on. He may have a few recommendations before the light is turned on.”

The last time the lighthouse’s light was turned on was in June of last year, Manting said, following the U.S. Coast Guard’s de-commissioning of the lighthouse.

“The lense is the only third-order lense along the Lake Michigan shoreline,” he said. It beams out 15 miles. There are first- through fifth-order lenses based on size, he said. The actual light that is reflected off the lense is a small LED light about the size of a fingertip, Manting said.

A Michigan Historical marker helps SPLKA apply for grant money to maintain the 107-foot-tall lighthouse.

For more information about the SPLKA, visit splka.org.