After viewing all these forums and noting all the talent and idle time that most of the contributors have, I thought it would be a GREAT IDEA if John Chidester would organize and assign volunteers to gather information on each light house IN the collection, as to its location and how best to find it, best angles for photos, best times of the day for viewing, if it can be reached by land or by water, if it is open to the public and when, does it have a gift shop, etc. Information could be included to advise all on availability of boats to go to an island, or planes in vicinity to view a light, and so forth. For example: If one wanted to view the S.E. Light on Block Island, where would one go to get a boat ride to get there and while there, should they look for other lights on near-by islands etc.
It sounds like a big undertaking, but if we flooded these forums with useful information for the readers, it would be of far more value than the idle chit chat. I know that after talking to several of you at the last reunion, you have a wealth of knowledge that could be passed along.
John knows where most of us are from and he could solicit volunteers to cover lights near their home. Once it starts I'm sure a list could be posted of the lights that we don't have any member covering, then others could volunteer to get the information on those. I know that a lot of the current books have some of this information, but we have found some of them to be inacurate. As lighthouse lovers and knowing how hard is is to find some lights, we would really go out to get a fellow collector the straight scope.
Take it away Johnny...
Jake jakescol@cpuinc.net

Nice idea Jake, but sounds like quite an undertaking. There's lots of info on the Internet. Maybe if someone had questions on a particular light they could ask on this forum, on any lighthouse, not just the ones already done by HL.

Sue

Great Idea! I needed a reason to visit some lighthouses. People living nearby shouldn't have all the fun. Others can arrange their vacations to visit the lighthouses. That might give an idea of what a true tourist will find. They could include their impressions of accomodations in the area also.

AB atop Bryant Mountain in Ala-Bama
(not a lighthouse in sight)

Jake, as I'm sure you know, there is a great book on Michigan Lighthouses by Laurie Penrose. Pretty much covers most every light in Michigan, starting with your very own St. Joseph pier lights and working up the west coast, around the UP and back down the east coast. We have used this book on several lighthouse trips and found it to be generally very accurate in its directions.

The Penrose's have also put out Traveler's Guides to the Eastern and Western Great Lakes, again with fairly accurate directions and maps. Only downfall of these books is they are in B&W, not color, but this keeps the cost down to $15.

The many books by Bruce Roberts & Ray Jones also provide directions, but not maps. Unfortunately, they do not cover every light along the way as Penrose does.

Kenneth Kochel has a very detailed book on East Coast Lighthouses that includes directions and maps. I think his maps leave quite a bit to be desired but lots and lots of info.

The Chesapeake Chapter of the US Light House Society has a great web page and has begun to post directions and map links to the many area lights.
www.cheslights.org

Dave

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 01-31-99).]

[This message has been edited by Dave H (edited 02-03-99).]

I'll second the endorsement of the Penrose books on Great Lakes lighthouses. They've been very useful on our sojourns to Lake lights.

__
/im

Hey Jake,

Why don't we use the Map Room? I think your idea is a good one. I know that I am going to try to hit some lights on the Gulf coast Fl. Big Bend area in a few weeks. I wouldn't mind sharing the info on how to get to the houses.

I know if I didn't know anything about the area & was visiting there, I'd like to have some info to help me plan.

------------------
Harry R

I think it is a great idea and besides many of the lighthouses have web sites which could be listed by state.Being from New York I have put together a list of New York State Harbour Lights which can be found on the web.

Saugerties Lighthouse
http://www.saugertieslighthouse.com/
Jeffrey's Hook Lighthouse http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dpr/html/housesm_littlered.html
Buffalo Light: Guardian Of The Harbor
http://bhw.buffnet.net/light/
Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse
http://www.frontiernet.net/~mikemay/
The Selkirk Lighthouse Home Page
http://www.maine.com/lights/
Friends Of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse Home Page
http://members.aol.com/JimMonomoy/private/tmplhome.htm
Dunkirk Main (Point Gratiot) Light
http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/light/GL/DunkirkMain.html
Fort Niagara Lighthouse
http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/light/GL/FortNiagara.html
Sunken Rock Light
http://www.ipl.org/exhibit/light/GL/SunkenRock.html
Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society
http://www.516web.com/museum/filps/menu.htm
Montauk Lighthouse Welcome Page
http://www.montauklighthouse.com/
Blackwell Island Lighthouse
http://www.lighthousemuseum.org/Links/black.html
Old Field Light
http://members.aol.com/houselite/oldfield.htm
Execution Rock Lighthouse
http://promet12.cineca.it/htdx/dc3mf/execut.html

HORTON'S POINT LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM
Nautical museum featuring sea chests, paintings, scrimshaw and other artifacts.
Seventh Long Island lighthouse to be named in the
National Register of Historical Places.
Lighthouse road, Southhold
516-765-5500
Horton's Point Lighthouse
http://www.northfork.net/SOUTHOLD/graphics/Lhouse2.jpg

VERMONT
Colchester Reef Light
http://www.lighthouse.cc/colchester/

Thanks, its a great start!
Big jake

I agree Jake.
There's a lot more local knowledge out there besides the books and websites. If everyone had to follow the restrictions posted at most LH's, we would not have all the beautiful pictures that represent them.
There are many local knowledge facts that might help us gain access to certain LHs, and some us (not me in particular) know them.
My two recent trips to Old Field and Fire Island got me car access right up to the LHs.
Legal/illegal I don't know. Yes signs were posted to discourage access but nobody bothered me although many drove by while I was taking pictues. It is the winter and I certainly wouldn't expect the same access in the summer BUT info like this is helpful. Now I'm not entering Federal Military base or would attempt that but ...

I agree the Map Room is a good place to centralize this.

What say St John?