Ladies of the Lights – ZOOM

Would you be surprised to learn that more than 50 women served the sailing communities on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior and on the Detroit River as principal and assistant lighthouse keepers? From Catherine Shook, who raised eight children while maintaining the Pointe Aux Barques light at the entrance to Saginaw Bay; to Eliza Truckey, who helped guide ore boats into Marquette harbor after her husband left to fight in the Civil War; to Elizabeth Whitney Williams, whose combined service on Beaver Island and in Harbor Springs totaled forty-one years—the stories of Michigan’s “ladies of the light” are inspiring.

In this presentation (based on her book of the same name), Patricia Majher will highlight the accomplishments of several women who kept the lights on, defying the gender expectations of their time. Majher is a museum consultant and former editor of Michigan History magazine. 

This online lecture is hosted in honor of Women’s History Month. A ZOOM link will be emailed to participants the day prior to the talk. A recording of the lecture will be made available to all registered participants a few days after the presentation.