August 19, 2014 – Leelanau Peninsula and Grand Traverse Lighthouse

This afternoon, Debbie and I headed north along the eastern shore of the Leelanau Peninsula which extends about 30 miles from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. Leelanau County encompasses the entire peninsula. It is often referred to as the “little finger” of the mitten-shaped lower peninsula.

The steep terrain and large bodies of water produce a milder microclimate than the more temperate areas further inland. The Leelanau Peninsula AVA is known as one of the best Michigan wine regions and is an American Viticultural Area (AVA). The peninsula is also a productive fruit region growing apples and tart cherries.

Our first stop was in Greilickville, where we enjoyed lunch from a park near the unincorporated community’s jetty and lighthouse

Pier Lighthouse, Greilickville, MI - 2014-08-19and watched a two-masted schooner tack back-and-forth.
Schooner, (d) Traverse Bay East, MI - 2014-08-19Driving further up the peninsula, we noticed that the private docks were unusually long
Long Dock and Mooring Way Outand moored boats further off shore than we might have expected.
Water Colors Water Colors In Traverse Bay East, Greilickville,MI - 2014-08-19Then we noticed the color of the water and realized the obvious … the water was extremely shallow until one got well off shore.

Continuing we spotted one of the unique driveway markers residents use to make locating their home easier to locate
Driveway Sign, Greilickville, MI - 2014-08-19and a “patriotic” barn
Patriotic Barnbefore arriving in Sutton Bay, another tourist destination with

Suttons Bay Building, MI British Phone Booth, Suttons Bay Building, MIThe town is home to the county’s only movie theater, opened in 1946; its fare consisting of unique art house films, and occasionally the theater hosts plays and concerts. It also hosts a clothing store that has been owned by one family over four generations called “Bahles.” Suttons Bay is also home to one of the oldest continuously operated food establishments in the entire region. Since 1871, the restaurant has gone through several owners and is currently known as The V I Grill.

Next, we drove through the small WYSIWYG unincorporated communities of Pershawbestown
Peshawbestown_Michigan_Sign_Looking_North_M-22and Omena
Omena_Michigan_Sign_Looking_South_M-22before again crossing the 45th Parallel for the 5th time on this trip
Crossing the 45th Parallel, Just North of Suttons Bay, MI - 2014-08-19and finally arriving in the surprisingly busy town of Northport (population 526)
Northport_Michigan_Looking_East_M-201with several restaurants and quaint shops
Dog Ears Books, Northport, MI - 2014-08-19and where several homes were beautifully decorated with floral gardens.

Blue House with Flowers, Northport, MI - 2014-08-19 Yellow House with Flowers, Northport, MI - 2014-08-19From there, the road to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse was sparsely inhabited and, therefore, we were surprised to stumble upon Woolsey Airport, seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

Control Tower

Control Tower

Note the “high-tech” telephone communications system

Note the “high-tech” telephone communications system

North-South Runway

North-South Runway

East-West Runway

East-West Runway

And, of course …

the Rest Rooms

the Rest Rooms

The airport was named after Clinton F. Woolsey, a Northport native son born in 1894. He was considered one of the nation’s best pilots in the Army Air Corps in the 1920s. Woolsey died a hero when he and his co-pilot, John W. Benton, were killed in a 1927 mid-air collision near Buenos Aires during the first-ever U.S. international goodwill flight to 23 Central and South American countries. The 22,000-mile tour was to take two months with Buenos Aires was the halfway mark. Woolsey probably could have parachuted to safety but apparently chose to ride his amphibian biplane down in an attempt to land because Benton was on the wing, without his chute, attempting to lower the landing gear by hand.

Half-dozen miles further on, we arrived at the Leelanau State Park and the Grand Traverse Lighthouse.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2014-08-19The Grand Traverse Lighthouse … sometimes referred to as the “Cat’s Head Point Light” … is one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes, and has guided ships in the Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan for close to 150 years. In 1852, the first light was built; a round brick tower and separate keeper’s quarters. Just six years later in 1858, these structures were razed and the present light was constructed.

Like the majority of Great Lakes lighthouses, the Grand Traverse Lighthouse was equipped (in 1870) with a fourth-order Fresnel lens … weighing 600 pounds and visible for up to 17 miles … which remained in use until the lighthouse was decommissioned in and replaced by an automated system in 1972.

The lighthouse keepers lived on the northern side of the lighthouse, which included a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and a bath and a half … on one instance this included the keeper, his wife and their seven children! The assistant keeper and his family lived in the other side of the house in slightly smaller quarters.

Close by is the Fog Signal Building which was constructed in 1899.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse Fog Signal Building, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2014-08-19It was initially fitted with a 10-inch steam whistle.

This building has been converted into a museum a with artifacts from the lighthouse’s past
Grand Traverse Lighthouse Longboat, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2014-08-19as well as a pictorial and written history of the men and women who were its keepers. The first, David Moon, appointed in 1852 only to be replaced a year later. The reason for his short tenure remains shrouded until his son, David Moon, Jr., appeared on nearby Beaver Island. According to a newspaper account and journals of King Strang of Beaver Island, David, JR. and all of the other island natives were kicked off the island to the mainland when Strang and his Mormon followers took over the island. David, Jr’s wife, however, remained on the island and became part of King Strang’s family … to the dismay of David, Jr. Distraugh, David Jr. returned to Beaver Island and beat his wife with an axe … resulting in her demise. King Strang then retaliated against David, Jr. and murdered his father David Moon.

On the grounds of the lighthouse, there are two circular “crown” gardens,

Built in 1920

Built in 1920

Built in 1926

Built in 1926

a lighthouse keeper’s boat which has been converted into a planter

a lighthouse keeper’s boat which has been converted into a planter

A 26’ U.S. Coast Guard Cabin Motor Launch in use from 1945 through 1959 when it was turned over the toe State of Michigan

A 26’ U.S. Coast Guard Cabin Motor Launch in use from 1945 through 1959 when it was turned over the toe State of Michigan

and one lonely chipmunk

and one lonely chipmunk

Heading back “home” we first stopped at an “honor system” farm stand

Farm Stand, Route 629, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2014-08-19to purchase some oatmeal-cherry cookies and popcorn.  For those travelers thinking of avoiding payment, a clever sign was posted.

Farm Stand Memo, Route 629, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2014-08-19

The road wound past several small villages with stores and restaurants with clever names

Pedaling Beans Coffee Shop (a), Lake Leelanau, MI -2104-08-19past farms

Farm, Route 651, Leelanau Peninsula, MI - 2104-08-19where we saw cattle for the first time on the peninsula.

CattleThen, we stopped at a couple of wineries; the first of which has some great views of their vineyards …
Vineyard, Bluestone Vineyards, Lake Leelanau, MI -2104-08-19and at the second, Bel Lago Vineyard

Bel Lago Winery
we tasted several reds and whites before purchasing some for ourselves.

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9 Responses to August 19, 2014 – Leelanau Peninsula and Grand Traverse Lighthouse

  1. Good morning! I stumbled on your blog post late last night while researching lighthouse keeper David Moon. I'm wondering if you have any additional information about his death at the hands of King James Strang? I found a few other posts with similiar information but I'd love to dig more into this story in terms of newspaper articles, death records and such…and thought I'd check to see what you might be aware of? Thank you in advance for any information you might be able to share.

    • Dick says:

      Sorry for the delay in responding. Hope the following helps.

      In making their way between the Manitou Passage and the Straits of Mackinac, vessel masters made a turn off the northern tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. Also serving as a marker for vessels turning into Grand Traverse Bay, the point thus served as an important navigational marker, and 1849 saw the first recommendation to erect a light on Cat’s head point in 1849.
      Congress Responded with an appropriation of $4,000 for building the new lighthouse on September 28, 1850. Construction began in the spring of 1852, and was completed late that year. Built on low ground close to the water’s edge, the station structures were likely typical of Great Lakes lighthouses during the period, consisting of a squat rubble stone tower outfitted with an array of Lewis lamps, and a simple detached keepers dwelling. David Moon was appointed as the station’s first keeper, and with his name appearing on district payroll records for the first time on September 7, it is likely that he exhibited the new light for the first time soon thereafter.
      However, it would appear that Moon was ill-suited for the rigors of lighthouse keeping, as he resigned from lighthouse service before his second season at the light, to be replaced by the indomitable Philo Beers on April 15, 1853. Beer’s previous service as a US Deputy appears to have come in handy, as the lighthouse was reportedly raided on a number of occasions by Mormon Pirates. Followers of James Jesse Strang, the self-proclaimed King of Beaver Island, these pirates were reputed to consider themselves above common law, and as such felt free to avail themselves of anything they needed by raiding from area “Gentiles,” as were non-believers were known. On one occasion, it is reported that Beers managed to drive off a group of Mormons who attempted to remove the station’s Fresnel lens for installation on Beaver Island.

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