Maritime Conference

The proceedings from the recent and successful 7th Annual Maritime Heritage Conference are being published on the Historic Naval Ships Association web site at www.hnsa.org/conf2004/index.htm.

Vintage lighthouse toy is big bucks

A newspaper story in the Nov. 11, 2004 edition of the Northern Virginia Daily Newspaper told of an antique tin lighthouse toy, standing 25 inches high, from Germany was going up for auction with a minimum bid of $33,600.00. The story stated that the collectible could sell for as much as $78,000.00. The lighthouse is a Marklin toy lighthouse dating from 1900 to 1902 and included a life raft and crane. It is believed it is one of the rarest of early Marklin collector items. Our thanks go out to Marlene Latimer Bondurant of Virginia who alerted us to the story.

New DVD tells story of DeTour Reef

The DeTour Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society has produced an exceptional film of the DeTour Lighthouse, before, during and after restoration, along with fierce storm footage from 1975. It includes interviews with the last known person who built the lighthouse and other officials. All profits from the sale of the video go back to the DeTour Reef Light. To order send $20.00 plus $3.00 shipping to DRLPS, P.O. Box 307, Drummond Island, MI 49726. FMI visit www.DRLPS.com.

Norwood turns 100

Mrs. Martha Josephine Norwood of East Boothbay Harbor, Maine recently turned 100 years old. She was born in 1904 in Kennebunk, Maine and at age 16 she married Ralph Norwood who became a lighthouse keeper at various New England lighthouses. After being stationed at Great Point Light in Massachusetts, the couple spent 17 years at Boston Light Station in Boston Harbor, MA. By the time she was 29 she had nine children to care for in the island. In 1944 her husband was transferred to Ram Island Light in Boothbay Harbor, Maine where he stayed as keeper until his retirement. She has 36 grandchildren, 61 great grandchildren and 17 great-great grandchildren for a total of 123 descendants. Unfortunately, four of her sons are deceased. However, Mrs. Norwood said she has had a good full life and she loved the lighthouses.

Logo help needed

The American Lighthouse Foundation is trying to come up with one or new additional logo designs that it can use in various promotional material, awards etc. It will continue to always use its primary logo, which can be seen on its web site at www.LighthouseFoundation.org. If you have some ideas or designs that you'd like to submit send them to Tim Harrison, American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF), P.O. Box 889, Wells, ME 04090. Since ALF is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization there is no monetary award for this and all logo designs will become the property of ALF for its use. However, any submitters whose design(s) are chosen will receive a Harbour Lights lighthouse replica as a thank you and a certificate of appreciation.

Morro Castle is back

Lighthouse Digest subscriber Dennis Bitzer recently sent us an ad from a cigar magazine that showed the Morro Castle cigars are back. The cigars label feature the original logo of Morro Castle cigars that used then, as now, the lighthouse at Morro Castle in Havana Harbor, Cuba in their logo. The cigar was originally made by the Caribbean Cigar Company in the glory days of Cuban cigars. The Caribbean Cigar Co. went out of business years ago, leaving many stockholders in the smoke. Websites indicate that the Eiroa family of Honduras now makes the cigars. All we can wish for now is that the Eiroa family would make a donation to the American Lighthouse Foundation and perhaps even send a box of cigars for display in the Museum of Lighthouse History in Wells, Maine.

Winter Reading

The new book, Lighthouse Love and Secrets might be just the book for your wintertime reading. It's the story about Catherine, a young widowed teacher from New York, who comes to terms with her hurt, confusion and anger after meeting a mysterious stranger while exploring an abandoned lighthouse and island in Michigan. They both seem to be searching for something. Is he real or the spirit of her late husband trying to help her in her dark hours? The stranger requests that their friendship remains secret. Her feelings become deeper than friendship, but she is never quite sure of his feelings. Summer end. She returns home and meets Nick, who can fulfill her dreams. She marries Nick, never telling him about the stranger. When events bring the stranger back into her life, her marriage is threatened. As she struggles with unraveling the mysteries, she becomes capable of a strong and mature love. The lighthouse secrets and the stranger's personal sacrifices and tragedies are revealed in an unanticipated ending. Lighthouse Love and Secrets is available from (www.PublishAmerica.com) for $16.95 plus $3.00 shipping.

Oops

In last month's issue we forgot to add the by-line on the story titled "Grand Manan's Swallowtail Light gets a facelift." The story was written by Bob Gustafson and we apologize for leaving his name off the story that he wrote.

This story appeared in the Jan/Feb 2005 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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