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Today there are two lighthouses on Lake Ontario at Sodus Point, New York: one on the mainland that is home to a wonderful museum, and another lighthouse that is on the pier at the entrance to Sodus Bay. However, other lighthouse structures that are now only a memory in old photographs also once stood in Sodus Point. This story is a photo journal of some of the history associated with the lighthouses of Sodus Point.
One of the interesting facts about Sodus Point Lighthouse is something that was not very common in American lighthouse history. The first keeper, Ishmael D. Hill, who became keeper on November 8, 1826, was officially removed as the lighthouse keeper on May 14, 1829 because of insanity. Two other keepers were also removed: Jesse Lyman in 1862, and Elisha Pettit in 1866; however, we don’t know if they were removed for dereliction of duty, because of political reasons, or something else.
Interestingly, the lighthouses at Sodus Point also had an inordinate number of keeper resignations compared to the number of keepers who served there. Six of the fourteen men who served as head keepers up until Edwin G. Ward, the last keeper who served there, resigned for one reason or another.
Bennet Fitzhugh, who became the keeper on May 14, 1829, resigned on May 12, 1844. Lyman Dunning, who became the keeper on December 5, 1844, resigned on May 20, 1845, Bennet Fitzhugh, who had resigned in 1844 and was appointed keeper again on May 20, 1845 resigned for a second time, on February 27, 1846, less than a year after having become keeper for a second time. Capt. George W. Tillitson, who became keeper on February 27, 1846, served a little over four years when he resigned on July 20, 1849. Charles B. Hallet served less than a year; he became keeper on July 20, 1849 and resigned April 1, 1850. Hallet was replaced by George Sergent, who was appointed keeper on April 1, 1850, and he resigned on May 21, 1853. Sergent was supposed to be replaced by J.W. Lawson, but Lawson had a change of heart and declined the job on the same day that he was supposed to start. Charles A. Degan became keeper on February 13, 1866 and served until March 26, 1866 when he resigned.
This story appeared in the
Jul/Aug 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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