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It was July 13, 1997, one day before my late son’s birthday. To honor the times when he had taken me out to photograph lighthouses, I took the tour to Machais Seal Island with Capt. Barna Norton and his son John, out of Jonesport, Maine. I took pictures of everything I could, including those of John and Barna. I remember so many things about them both.
I listened carefully to whatever Barna talked about on our trip out, as he was such a wealth of information about the island and the birds. He discussed the territorial dispute with Canada, which I was not aware of before this trip, and what we were to do or not do once we arrived. I really wanted to see for myself this remote lighthouse, and those beloved puffins that we were finally getting back after almost losing them. And now I was here with a man who had spent his life trying to protect an island full of puffins and other birds that he believed belonged to the United States and not to Canada!
We arrived and slowly disembarked into a small skiff to land on Machais Seal Island. Finally, I was there! The lighthouse loomed large over us as we clamored ashore and were given instructions on how to conduct ourselves while walking toward the bird blinds. We had to hold something high above our heads to protect ourselves from protective nesting terns that might dive bomb us if they felt the need to protect their nests. I had my tripod.
Puffins and two kinds of terns are just three of the nine species that nest there. Barna opened an umbrella to hold over his head which had a tiny American flag flying from the top. He explained how this is the only time an American flag flies on what is rightfully an American island. I smiled at his ingenuity especially after seeing the Canadian flag flying in front of the Canadian lighthouse.
After a few photos of the lighthouse, we were sequestered in a bird blind in full view of puffins and other birds. Camera shutters clicked over and over as we viewed these lovely feathered beauties. Soon our time was up and we returned to the boat. As we slowly boarded the tour boat, other pictures were snapped of other birds resting on the rocks. One was considerably larger than the resident birds, and puffins, and looked like a great auk.
On our way back to the mainland Barna gave us each a patch to indicate that we had taken the cruise. You could not have it unless you took the cruise. He gave it out like it was a diploma after accomplishing a great feat. I still have that patch which is emblazoned with a puffin of course. I also have pictures of him at the wheel of the boat that day with the same patch on his upper jacket sleeve.
His son, John, displayed similar dedication to the boat guests having a memorable experience. He frequently pointed out many things to us along the way, such as birds in the water, seals, birds in flight, etc. He also answered myriads of questions from us all. It also seemed to me he was also being a strong backup captain to his aging father, who at the time was 82 and still at the wheel of his tour boat.
In conversation with John, I asked about Moose Peak Lighthouse, which was also in the vicinity. Did they do tours out to that light? He said no, but he could take me out there himself after we got back. I did not hesitate to take him up on his offer.
Off we went in a skiff from Jonesport with an outboard. When we reached the lighthouse and I climbed out of the skiff, he handed me my camera gear, and I climbed the rest of the way to the light over seaweed-coated granite. I was to meet him in two hours at the old Coast Guard boat house on the other end of the island. Because of the tide, we had not been able to land at the boat house for my arrival, but we could disembark from there.
John had told me on the way out that the house that was once home to the lighthouse keepers had been blown up by the Coast Guard and was no longer there, and how the whole thing had gone awry. I still have a tiny piece of what was once the rubble stone foundation of that house, which I picked up on the island, and the photo of the foundation. I walked around for some time, trying to take it all in and figure out how to capture it on film. There were no digital cameras at the time.
It was July, what could grow on the island, was growing, such as several wild berries, and of all things, some wild irises and daisies in bloom next to the wooden walkway that reached from the light to the far away boat house. They had probably been planted years ago by the families of the lighthouse keepers.
I wandered, pondered, photographed, and eventually met John at the Old Coast Guard boat house, and off we went back to Jonesport.
I was sad to learn about Barna Norton’s death in 2004, but he left us with some wonderful memories and appreciation for our rare puffins and other nesting seabirds. He was 89. Sadly, his son John died four years later, only nine years after he had taken me to Machias Seal Island Lighthouse and Moose Peak Lighthouse. Tall Barney’s grandson, and great-grandson, were both gone within a short period of time.
One other connection for me to the Moose Peak Lighthouse is that keeper Frank Faulkingham, who was the assistant keeper from 1923-1928, and head keeper from 1928-1932, was the brother of the man who I bought my house from in 1985. His name was Paul Faulkingham Sr., and his son, who grew up in this house, lives across the street from me. Paul was a lobsterman in Southwest Harbor whose buoys were white with two black lines on them. His house, now my house, is still white with black shutters as it was when he lived here. I kept that in his honor.
When Paul saw that I had kept some of his lobster buoys that he left behind, and also had some really old solid wood ones, he said he would bring me a couple of the really old ones from his home town of Jonesport. Paul then proceeded to tell me about Tall Barney from Jonesport, Maine, who was six feet six inches tall. Who could have thought that many years later I would meet Tall Barney’s grandson and great-grandson on my way to two remote Downeast island lighthouses!
This story appeared in the
Jul/Aug 2022 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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