A Heart-Warming Memory from Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse

 This piece of short fiction about the nineteenth century keepers on Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse was published in the U.S. Lighthouse Society's Keepers Log many years ago. It is based on true information gleaned from Edward Rowe Snow's books on lighthouses. I hope you enjoy it!

Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse in 1847, from the National Archives, courtesy of LighthouseFriends.

Photo of the light station in 1876 from the National Archives and courtesy of Lighthouse Friends. Click to enlarge so you can see the details. Note the kids. Imagine living here in childhood! And the wives--some of them didn't get off the station for years at a time. A hard life for sure. Also note the dog. It appears to be a Newfoundland, the perfect breed for a rock lighthouse with kids. Newfoundlands are quite large, excellent swimmers, and incredible rescue dogs. Many lighthouses had them. Lewis & Clark took one named Seaman on their great cross-country expedition. (Just a little woof-woof, arf-arf minutiae!)

Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse, courtesy of the Coast Guard Historian's office. The caption on the image reads 1892, but I am doubtful of that. It's an aerial photo--1892 is too early for that. Based on the tanks seen in the image, I think this is more like 1940-1950. Just sayin'!

An 1877 painting by Charles Edwards on the Maine Memory website.

Excerpt below, used with permission from Anna-Myrle Snow, the late widow of Edward Rowe Snow, Lighthouses of New England, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1945 and 1973.

For a well-researched history of Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse visit Lighthouse Friends. Don't neglect to look at the images and notes/comments. Kraig Anderson, of Lighthouse Friends, has actually been to this place. I have not! But I am still hopeful someone will get me out there. 

Below are Kraig Anderson's wonderful photos of Mount Desert Rock Lighthouse.

"The fog comes in on little cat feet," said Carl Sandburg. But then the loud foghorns fire up and the cats all scamper away!