National Lighthouses Day August 7th
by Elmer Prather, guest blogger
My latest puzzle is a 1000-piece titled Lighthouses by P.D. Moreno. Before I spend the time putting a puzzle together, I must have a connection to it. My connection to this puzzle is my interest in lighthouses.
As I put this puzzle together, I did my research on lighthouses and learned a lot more about them. I learned that the first lighthouse built in America was in Boston Harbor in 1716. The first lighthouses were illuminated by wood, later whale oil was used to fuel some of the lighthouses. As time went on coal and kerosene was used then electricity became available and today in some locations solar panels are used as the energy source for the lighthouses.
As I have traveled the United States, I have visited and climbed to the top of many lighthouses. One of my favorites is the one on Tybee Island, Georgia. It is near Savannah and can still be climbed today. Another favorite of mine is displayed in the puzzle picture. It is in the top left circle of the picture. It is the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. I have visited this location several times but climbing this lighthouse is prohibited. I climbed to the top of some of the lighthouses on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and was amazed at what I was able to see along the coast from these elevated vantage points.
Lighthouses were constructed with living accommodations for the lighthouse keeper and their family. On many occasions when the male lightkeeper passed away, his wife would become the lighthouse keeper. This was when the male lightkeepers were paid $600.00 per year and female lighthouse keepers were paid $300.00 per year. A keeper’s job was not a 24-hour job, but it could be. Typically, the keeper’s day began before dawn and ended well past dusk. Although a keeper was responsible for making repairs as well as other routine duties, each also had to be prepared to respond to emergencies, including shipwrecks. The most obvious part of the keeper’s duties was to keep the light operating according to the daily schedule, which would vary from station to station, depending on geographic location, typical weather conditions, and other factors. In 1939 the American lighthouse administration was taken over by the US Coast Guard.
Lighthouses are a warning to marine vessels about reefs, dangerous rocks, and shallow waters. Over the years lighthouses have saved thousands of lives and millions of dollars by being able to alert ships nearing dangerous waters, keeping them safe. August 7th is recognized as National Lighthouse Day. Even with the advent of advanced navigational technology, many lighthouses still sparkle for sea farers.
Elmer Prather
Canton, Georgia
U S A.
Lighthouses 1000 piece puzzle by PD Moreno