By Wayne Thomas
Grand Rapids Ghost Hunters
Dianna Higgs Stampler blends historical facts with insightful stories of haunted beacons in her book, “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses.” According to Stampler, Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state and “nearly one-fifth of all the lights in the state, past and present, have a ghostly story.”
Paranormal speculation may surround 30 of the 129 iconic beacons dotted along our extended coast but the historical significance cannot be denied. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum estimates these treacherous unpredictable waters have resulted in around 30,000 deaths with more than 25,000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes.
The need and importance of lighthouses with their fog horns, bells, and cannons was most evident during the late 1800s as Michigan emerged as the leading lumber producing state in the nation. These events gave rise to a very serious breed of professionals with lifelong dedication, pretty much unparalleled. The lighthouse keeper, lightkeeper, or “wickies” as they were called in the early days became a family business, often passed down from generation to generation. While the lightkeeper might have been considered a man’s job, at least 19 women were appointed to keep the beacons burning, usually assuming the responsibilities of head keeper following the death of their husbands.
It’s rumored the dedication to duties has extended beyond death for former keepers Captain Townshend at Seul Choix Point and John Herman at Waugoshance Shoal near Mackinaw City. Stampler states the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse may be “regarded as one of Michigan’s most haunted lighthouses” with as many as five ghosts. Stampler claims Willie Townshend’s cigar smoke still lingers throughout the structure as his presence seems to be the most active spirit at Seul Choix. John Herman probably the most infamous keeper at the Waugoshance light has been described as a heavy drinking prankster. After locking his assistant in the lighthouse lantern room late one night, John Herman was never seen again but the lightkeepers that followed claimed the pranks continued.
Stampler attributes these hauntings to former lightkeepers as well as the spirits of shipwrecked sailors seeking the safety and solace of the light. Stampler goes on to say that among the many ghosts that haunt our state’s lighthouses a handful are children, “most often girls dressed in period clothing.” To help explain why ghosts haunt, Stampler points to a common belief that spirits are often at unrest due to a tragic untimely death or dedication to service. Some hauntings indicate residual energy that is somehow recorded and replayed but other hauntings suggest an intelligent spirit interacting with the living. Evidence of Michigan’s haunted lighthouses includes: photos, recorded EVP ghost voices, icy cold spots, footsteps, smell of tobacco burning, laughter, hearing voices, seeing apparitions, beacon lights being seen even though there was no electricity to power it, and more. Here in Michigan we are surrounded by these mysterious structures and most of the lighthouses and attached museums are open to visitors.
