Light Hearted

Sally and Wayne Wheeler This is part two of a two part interview with Wayne and Sally Wheeler, recorded in Washington state in March 2024. Wayne is a former Coast Guard officer who founded the U.S. Lighthouse Society in San Francisco in 1984, and he is now the president emeritus of the Society. The idea for the formation of the Society blossomed when Wayne became the chief of the Aids to Navigation Branch for northern California. Most of the inquiries the Coast Guard’s public affairs staff was receiving involved lighthouses—and Wayne had the knowledge and the books to answer them. He developed a lecture about lighthouses, and one day he went home to his wife, Sally, and said, "Boy, there’s a lot of lighthouse enthusiasts out there. They ought to get organized.” And 40 years ago, the United States Lighthouse Society was born.

Wayne Wheeler in 1983 The name Wayne Wheeler has become synonymous with lighthouse preservation and education. He’s one of the pioneers of the lighthouse preservation movement and one of the foremost experts on lighthouse history in the U.S. A 1962 graduate of Syracuse University, Wayne spent 23 years in the Coast Guard in the aids to navigation field. In the early 1980s, when he was the chief of the Coast Guard’s aids to navigation branch in northern California, questions involving lighthouses were always being forwarded to him. As a result, the United States Lighthouse Society came into being in 1984. In March 2024, L to R: Henry Gonzalez, the new president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society; outgoing president Mike Vogel; founder Wayne Wheeler. Wayne received the Heritage Award from the Foundation of Coast Guard History for creating the United States Lighthouse Society, and the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee presented him with the H. Ross Holland Lifetime achievement Award in 2004. Today, Wayne is the president emeritus of the Society. Wayne's wife, Sally, also takes part in this interview, which was recorded in Washington state in March 2024. Also featured is a new segment on news from the lighthouses of southern New England, with Judianne Point.

Edward Peppitt is the southeast England representative for the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or ALK, and he produces and hosts a podcast called Keeping Watch. He’s also a fundraising ambassador for Shift MS, a charity aimed at keeping multiple sclerosis sufferers as active as possible. Ed Peppitt at Happisburgh Lighthouse in England. Ed has written a new book called The Beacon Bike. It tells the incredible story of his 3,500-mile bicycle ride to explore the lighthouses around the coast of England and Wales, proving that a diagnosis of MS doesn't mean giving up on a lifelong dream. Ed’s bike ride took him to 327 lighthouses over 100 days. Emily Straight, who is the regular co-host of the Lighthouse Lowdown podcast, co-hosts this episode.

Gene Davis with a fourth-order Fresnel lens from New Dungeness Lighthouse, Washington. The Coast Guard Museum Northwest, located on an active Coast Guard base on the waterfront in Seattle, Washington, opened in 1976. The museum serves as a showcase for some of the Coast Guard’s most important stories, lessons, and accomplishments, and the museum’s extensive archives are available to researchers. Inside the Coast Guard Museum Northwest. The guest in this episode, Gene Davis, was the planning officer for the Coast Guard district and helped launch the museum in 1976. Gene had also been instrumental in setting up Base Seattle when the Coast Guard took over the site from the Army. After retiring as a captain from the Coast Guard in 1978, he went to work at the museum. For the past 45 years, he has given tours and done research for countless numbers of people. In 2012, Gene Davis was awarded the Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award for his many years of dedication. Chad Kaiser, general manager of New Dungeness Light Station and a certified lampist, takes part in this interview.

Tony Ashdon (left) with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont. Photo by John Lopez The guest in this episode, Tony Ashdon, spent 22 years in the Coast Guard including some time as a lighthouse keeper. Tony spent some years on an aids to navigation team that serviced lighthouses and other aids in District One, in the northeastern U.S. He was also part of an inspection team for a while. He spent a few years as the keeper of the old Deer Island Light in Boston Harbor, a spark plug type lighthouse that no longer stands, and also some time at Plymouth, or Gurnet Light, in Massachusetts. Tony is also an accomplished model boat builder. This interview was facilitated by John Lopez of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. John also takes part in the interview, which was conducted at Tony Ashdon's home in Rockport, Massachusetts. Right: This painting of Deer Island Lighthouse in Boston Harbor was done by Tony Ashdon's wife, Margo.

The podcast "The Lighthouse Lowdown" was launched in 2022 by two residents of Kansas City, Missouri, Emily Straight and Vince Bailey. To date they have published almost 50 episodes, covering history, spooky stories, and all the "things that make lighthouses cooler than your average tower." Emily Straight and Vince Bailey at Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in North Carolina Emily is a nautical-loving, lighthouse enthusiast who is excited to spread the word of wicked sea sentinel stories. She is a chemical engineer, and a stained glass artist on the side. Vince is a mechanical engineer and Emily's partner in crime. In this wide ranging conversation with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont, topics include the appeal of coastal culture to two people in the middle of the country, past and future visits to historic lighthouses, and how we can get young people interested in the subject. Left: Emily podcasting from Currituck Beach Lighthouse in North Carolina.

Harbor Beach Lighthouse, Michigan (USLHS archives) The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance (MLA), founded in 2003, encompasses more than 50 preservation groups and lighthouse stakeholders from around the state of Michigan. The purpose of the Alliance is to advocate for the preservation of the historic aids to navigation on the Great Lakes. The MLA holds a conference every two years, and this year’s will be April 21st to 23rd in Port Huron, Michigan. Buzz Hoerr Our guest in this episode, Buzz Hoerr, is the president and co-founder of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance. Buzz is also the founder and chair for the Harbor Beach Lighthouse Preservation Society, which has worked to preserve an 1885 lighthouse on the shore of Lake Huron. In 2015, Buzz received the Richard L. Moehl Award for Excellence in Volunteerism from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.

This is an edited version of an interview that was featured in Light Hearted episode 44 in January 2020. Joseph Smith has been a theatrical performer based in New York City since 1995. His passion is to create excitement and curiosity about history by giving voice to stories that celebrate the human spirit. He has written and performed a portrayal of Augustin Fresnel, the inventor of the Fresnel lens that revolutionized lighthouse lighting. It is a portrayal of one man’s fascination with “finding the solution to the many questions in the inexhaustible range of science.” He has performed the program at the National Lighthouse Museum and many other venues.

Hereford Inlet Lighthouse (courtesy photo) Hereford Inlet, a break in the barrier islands along the east side of Cape May, New Jersey, was used by whalers as far back as the 17th century. Shifting sands and a strong current made the inlet dangerous for mariners. As coastal shipping and the use of the inlet increased, funds for a lighthouse were appropriated in 1872. A wood frame combined keeper’s house and lighthouse began service in 1874. The beautiful Victorian design was the work of the Lighthouse Board’s chief draftsman, architect Paul J. Pelz. W, Scott Jett and USCG Lt. PA Felipe DeFreitas, guest speaker at a National Lighthouse Day event in 2019. After automation, the building was neglected and boarded up for nearly 20 years. Then, in 1982, the lighthouse property was leased to the City of North Wildwood, and it was restored in the years that followed. Today the lighthouse is managed by the City of North Wildwood’s Historical Commission. Our guest today, W. Scott Jett, is the city historian and the city clerk for the city of North Wildwood, and he’s the chairman of the Historical Commission.

We've produced almost 300 episodes of the podcast Light Hearted in the past five years. Most of the interviews we’ve done have been a half hour to an hour. We realize that listening to an hour-long podcast is not something everyone wants to do, so we’re introducing something we call Light Hearted Lite. In this new series, some favorite interviews from the past five years have been edited down to around 10 to 20 minutes. We’ll still keep posting the longer episodes as well. For this first edition of Light Hearted Lite, we’re going back to episode one from June 2019. The person interviewed is the award winning writer and illustrator of children’s books Sophie Blackall. Her books have won many awards, and her children’s book Hello Lighthouse, which she wrote and illustrated, won the 2019 Caldecott medal.

Dani and Guin doing what they love There are three segments in this episode. First, 11-year-old Guinevere Porter and her best friend Dani, Kentucky residents, talk about their visits to some beautiful and very tall lighthouses in Georgia, Florida, and elsewhere. As they correctly point out, we need kids to get interested in lighthouses. They will be the ones caring for them in the future, and also, visiting and climbing them is fun! A U.S. Lighthouse Service Chelsea clock In the second segment, we speak with Patrick Mont, a clockmaker for the famous Chelsea Clock company of Massachusetts. Starting in the early 1900s, Chelsea clocks were used to keep the time at many light stations, lightships, and lighthouse tenders. The company is also famous for its ship's bell clocks. Lighthouse Service clocks made by Chelsea Clock are now highly prized antiques. In this interview, Patrick talks about what makes the clocks so special. Guin (L), mom Heather, and Dani Guin Porter returns for the third segment. She interviews Light Hearted co-hosts Michelle Jewell Shaw and Cindy Johnson, along with host Jeremy D'Entremont. The subject is Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Hampshire, a place that is near and dear to all three of them. Included in the discussion is the damage sustained in recent storms.

The seas off the northern California coast are notoriously rough, and no area is more treacherous than St. George Reef, which is the tip of a submerged volcanic mountain about six miles offshore. Construction of a lighthouse on the reef began in 1883. It took nine years to complete the massive 90-foot-tall granite tower on top of a 50-foot-tall base. A powerful first-order Fresnel lens was installed, and the lighthouse began service on October 20, 1892. St. George Reef Lighthouse, California. Courtesy of the St. George Reef Preservation Society. Jen Lewis and John Zimmerman at St. George Reef Lighthouse. Courtesy of Jen Lewis. After a large navigational buoy was positioned nearby in 1975, the light station was discontinued, and the crew was removed. The St. George Reef Preservation Society was formed in 1988 for the purpose of restoring and maintaining the lighthouse. The organization has also provided public tours via helicopter. Interviewed in this episode is John Zimmerman, president of the St. George Reef Preservation Society. Also taking part in the interview is Jen Lewis, outreach manager for the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. Jen also cohosts the episode.

Whale Rock Lighthouse (U.S. Coast Guard) Walter Eberle with his wife Agnes Whale Rock Light, a typical cast-iron “spark plug” type lighthouse, was constructed at the entrance to the west passage of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay in 1882 to help mariners past a treacherous reef. Isolated Whale Rock was not a desirable location for keepers, and 16 different men served as head keeper between 1882 and 1909. A 1924 storm sent waves over the top of the tower and did some damage to the structure, but that storm was nothing compared to what was to come in 1938. Walter Barge Eberle, assistant keeper at Whale Rock Light in 1938, was the father of six children. On September 21, 1938, with practically no advance warning, a devastating hurricane was bearing down on New England’s south facing coast. At about 5:30 the next morning, Keeper Daniel Sullivan phoned the Eberle family in Newport. His words were to the point: “The light is gone.” The lighthouse tower was completely gone, and Walter Eberle was never found. He was 40 years old. The base of Whale Rock Lighthouse after the hurricane of1938 David Robinson examining the remains of Whale Rock Lighthouse in 2005. Courtesy of David Robinson. There are two interviews in this episode. The first, recorded in 2001, is with the surviving children of Walter Eberle. The woman who did most of the talking in the interview was Dorothy Roach, Eberle's oldest daughter. Also featured is David Robinson, the State Underwater Archaeologist for the state of Massachusetts and Director of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources. When he was based in Rhode Island, he was the first person to study the underwater remains of Whale Rock Lighthouse.

The area in Southern California known as San Pedro saw Spanish use dating back to the 1540s. Once a separate township, it’s now part of Los Angeles. After the Mexican-American War, San Pedro’s harbor was expanded and improved. Congress appropriated funds for a lighthouse at Point Fermin, San Pedro’s southernmost point, in 1854. The light began service on December 15, 1874. Point Fermin Lighthouse, California. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Kristin Heather and Jeanette Rodriguez Point Fermin had the distinction of having two women --sisters Mary and Ella Smith -- serve as the first keeper and assistant. The light was converted to electricity in 1924. The City of Los Angeles took over the property, with a city employee living in the lighthouse as caretaker. The light was darkened after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and it was never reactivated as an aid to navigation. The lighthouse is now the centerpiece of 37-acre Point Fermin Park. The facility is managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks for the City of Los Angeles. The Point Fermin Lighthouse Society serves to assist with fundraising, tours, events, and volunteers. There are two guests in this episode. Kristen Heather is the historic site curator, and Jeanette Rodriquez is a museum guide at the lighthouse. A view from Point Fermin. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Mukilteo Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont On the east side of Washington’s Puget Sound, Mukilteo grew as a port in the late 1800s, with salmon canning and lumber as leading industries. Funds were appropriated by Congress for a lighthouse at Mukilteo in 1903, and construction began in 1905. A 30-foot tower was built, attached to a fog signal building, with two large, separate dwellings for the keepers and their families. The station began service on March 1, 1906. The light and fog signal were automated in 1979. Jerry Arnold and Joanne Mulloy The Mukilteo Historical Society now manages the light station. The grounds are open all year, while the lighthouse is typically open on weekends and holidays, from the end of April to the end of September. There are two guests in this episode. Joanne Mulloy is the president of the Mukilteo Historical Society, and Jerry Arnold is on the Society’s board of directors.

Old Point Loma Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Congress authorized lighthouses at several California locations in 1850, including San Diego. Construction began in 1854 on a lighthouse on a high bluff at the end of Point Loma, more than 400 feet above the sea. The lighthouse began service in November 1855. Its active life was fairly short, as it turned out. The great height of the light station was a handicap when low clouds and fog surrounded the bluff, so a new lighthouse was built on the low tip of the peninsula. Darkened for good on March 23, 1891, the original lighthouse ultimately became known as the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Fresnel lens display at the Cabrillo National Monument, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Old Point Loma Lighthouse is now a popular attraction within the National Park Service’s Cabrillo National Monument. There are three guests in this episode. Amanda Gossard is program manager for the Cabrillo National Monument. Karen Scanlon and Kim Fahlen are longtime volunteers for the Cabrillo National Monument, and they’re also the co-authors of the book Lighthouses of San Diego. Kim and Karen also happen to be identical twin sisters. Jen Lewis of Point Cabrillo Lighthouse in northern California cohosts this episode. The 1891 Point Loma Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Cornelia Cesari Maine's Baker Island is about four miles southeast of the much larger Mount Desert Island. A lighthouse was established on the highest point of the island in 1828. The early history of the light station is very much tied into the history of the family of William and Hannah Gilley. The Gilleys had taken possession of the island in the early 1800s, and William was appointed as the island’s first lighthouse keeper. The original tower was replaced in 1855 by the 43-foot-tall cylindrical brick tower that still stands today. The keeper's house has been unoccupied since the light was automated in 1957. Baker Island Light Station. Photo by Howie Motenko, courtesy of Keepers of Baker Island Baker Island Light Station is now owned by the National Park Service as part of Acadia National Park, while the Coast Guard maintains the navigational light. There are Acadia National Park ranger-led tours of the island from Bar Harbor in the summer. Keepers of Baker Island is a nonprofit that was formed to support the National Park Service with the care and upkeep of the island’s natural and cultural landscape. Cornelia Cesari, our guest in this episode, is an island resident and the president of the board of directors of Keepers of Baker Island. Cornelia is also the author of the book Baker Island, released in 2018 by Arcadia Publishing.

Julie Barrow at Pigeon Point Light Station, California. Courtesy of Julie Barrow. California’s iconic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, located on the central coast between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Today, the historic light station is managed by California State Parks, and the former keepers’ housing serves as a youth hostel. The lighthouse has been closed to climbing since December 2001, after the collapse of some of the brickwork from near the top of the tower. California State Parks recently announced an upcoming $16 million restoration of the lighthouse, which will begin early this year. During the rehabilitation, contractors will refurbish or replace all the ironwork throughout the tower, and masonry elements will also be repaired or replaced as needed. Today's guest, Julie Barrow, is the special projects coordinator at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park. Pigeon Point Light Station in 2015. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Pigeon Point's first-order Fresnel lens is on display in the fog signal building. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Also included in this episode is one of our occasional "Be a Lighthouse" segments. This past Christmas Day, a very special dinner was served by the fire department in Ogunquit, Maine. Many of the guests were people who would otherwise be alone for Christmas. The Ogunquit Fire Department has also been helping firefighters in Ukraine. Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont spoke with Ogunquit Fire Chief Russell Osgood about these initiatives. Please note: Near the end of the episode, there is a promotion for an upcoming USLHS virtual Zoom event featuring Ford Reiche, owner of Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Maine. In the podcast, it's said that the event is at 7 p.m EST on January 20, but the correct time is 4 p.m. EST. Click here for more details and to register to attend the event.

Harry Duvall and Dan May. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Harry Duvall enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1960s and trained as an electronics technician. After graduating from college, he returned to the Coast Guard as a civilian employee based at the district engineering office in Boston. For well over 30 years, he coordinated all the lighthouse automation and modernization projects for the First Coast Guard District. Harry Duvall, left. and RADM Dan May in the lantern room at Point Judith Lighthouse in Rhode Island, in the 1990s. Courtesy of RADM Dan May, USCG ret. Matinicus Rock, Maine, is one of the many light stations automated by Harry Duvall. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. This interview looks back at Harry's fascinating career, with lots of "stories behind the stories" for his many lighthouse projects. Harry's expertise, resilience, and good humor shine through. Joining in the discussion is retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral Dan May. As an ocean engineer for the Coast Guard, Dan worked with Harry on many lighthouse projects in the Northeast. The interview was recorded at Harry Duvall's home in Falmouth, Maine, in December 2023.

A day beacon (or daybeacon) is defined simply as an unlighted nautical sea mark, serving to aid navigation during the day. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains many modern day beacons around the country, but the subject of this episode is the historic day beacons of New England. Some of them date back more than 200 years, and they have fascinating stories to tell -- tales of shipwrecks, pirates, and more. Joining host Jeremy D'Entremont is Bob Trapani Jr., who is the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation and a lighthouse technician, as well as an aficionado of all kinds of aids to navigation. Nix's Mate Day Beacon, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Bowditch Ledge Beacon, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Bucks Ledge Day Beacon, Maine. Photo by Bob Trapani Jr. Stage Island Monument, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Fiddler's Ledge Beacon, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont. Drunkards Ledge Day Beacon, MainePhoto by Bob Trapani Jr. Among the Maine daybeacons discussed are the stone marker at Fiddlers Ledge near North Haven; the tripod marker at Shag Rock near Owls Head (destroyed in a recent storm); and the Stage Island Monument near Biddeford Pool. Several Massachusetts beacons are also discussed, including the well known conical marker at Nix's Mate in Boston Harbor; the familiar pyramidal marker known as Ben Butler's Toothpick in Salisbury; and the (recently collapsed) Bowditch Ledge Beacon near Salem.