A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-06-03....The Lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI

dansangel ^

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear, Aquamarine ~

The Lighthouse at
Old Presque Isle, MI

A year or so ago, .45MAN and I happened to catch a series on PBS highlighting various lighthouses around the United States. The most fascinating, to me, was the vignette about the lighthouse at Old Presque Isle, MI. The following story tells why.



From: "Haunted? You Decide!":

Keeper George Parris and his wife, Lorraine, moved into the Old Presque Isle Lighthouse and Museum in 1977. The lighthouse had been built in 1840. In 1870 the lighthouse was decommissioned when the taller New Presque Isle Lighthouse was built. The old lighthouse suffered from neglect until the Stebbins family bought it from the U.S. government in the early 1900s. The family rebuilt the keeper's dwelling and used it as a summer home. They opened the restored keeper's dwelling and lighthouse to tourists. After their children were grown, the Stebbins family decided to give the property to the tourists. George and Lorraine became the caretakers, moving into the keeper's dwelling in mid-May.

George enjoyed the visitors to the lighthouse, especially the children. He enjoyed taking the visitors to the lighthouse on a tour of the buildings and grounds and telling them about the hard life and heroic deeds of the Keepers and their families. He also enjoyed playing harmless pranks on the light station visitors - the grownups as well as the children - by giving them a "muscle test" with the foghorn. The blast of the foghorn invariably knocked the visitors off their feet! In spite of his tricks, the visitors loved George and would return year after year to visit the lighthouse and to see what new tricks he had decided to play on them.



On January 2, 1992, George died of a massive heart attack. The following May, Lorraine didn't want to go back to the cottage alone, but her kids talked her into it. One evening when Lorraine was driving along Grand Lake Road on her way back to the light station, she felt her eyes drawn to the tower - and to her utter amazement she saw a light shining in the lantern room! Lorraine knew that this was impossible as George had disconnected the electricity to the tower so the light wouldn't accidentally be turned on. The Coast Guard said it was illegal to display a light in the tower as mariners might confuse it with the New Presque Lighthouse. To be doubly certain that no accidental lighting would occur, the Coast Guard had removed the gears so the lens could no longer rotate.

4th Order Fresnel Lens

As Lorraine approached the house, she could no longer see the light. The next day she climbed to the tower to reassure herself that someone had not reconnected the power lines and restored the gears. The lantern room was empty.

Lorraine didn't say anything to anybody about what she had seen as she didn't want to be ridiculed ... but she continued to see the light whenever she drove along the stretch of Grand Lake Road that looks out over Presque Isle Harbor.



Soon people began reporting the light in the old tower. The light appeared to have a yellowish cast, as if from an old oil lamp. National Guard pilots reported seeing it when they flew night missions over the peninsula. The Coast Guard being taking notice of it too!

On July 4, 1992, a little girl reported seeing a man at the top of the stairs leading to the lantern room. The little girl described a tall man with snow-white hair and a beard, and wearing glasses. When shown a picture of George, she said it was the man in the tower but he had been "brighter white" when she saw him than he was in the pictures. This child had never met George when he was alive.

These are but a few of the strange happenings at Old Presque Isle Lighthouse. People have reported that George's light had guided them safely to shore on dark, stormy, foggy nights. People have reported playful pranks by unseen hands while visiting the lighthouse. To this day, the light still comes on at dusk and goes off at daylight. The U.S. Coast Guard has classified it as an "unidentified" light.

There isn't much more I can add to that touching story other than to say it is truly a legend that speaks of love and devotion. The light still mysteriously shines to this day as George sends his undying love to his beloved wife Lorraine and the lighthouse that brightened up his life.

If you wish to learn more about lighthouses, the following Website is a gateway to the many sites available on the Internet offering photos and descriptions:

The Lighthouse Depot Explorer

Enjoy!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-04-03 Military Monday 08-05-03 Texas, MY Texas

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

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God Bless Our Military

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son The Mayor........................niece LadyX.........................grandson fawn796.....................nephew ValerieUSA................2 sons Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................activve duty LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover......son, nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort..2 daughters,son-in-law Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn...............2 sons homeschoolmama.......nephew kneezles.................son

[dansangel]

I have an Aunt that lives in Dover-Foxcroft....and .45MAN was born in Portland!

It's cool that Dover-Foxcroft is on the map because it is such a small community. She has an RR# for an address!

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', everybody ! Happy Wednesday !!

I survived my Lake adventure yesterday. It was fun !!

[dansangel]

(((((((((Meekie))))))))

I'm glad you survived! Now, I'll have to go back and read yesterday's thread to see what "adventure" that was....LOL!!

[dansangel]

OK....back to w-o-r-k (ugh!) again....

See y'all in a little bit.

[Diver Dave]

Mornin' proof-readers.

I left a typo in the thread *just for you* Skinny Dude.

Oh good. Dansy's got her own version of "Where's Waldo."

Could this be the one?

The Coast Guard being taking notice of it too!

[Aquamarine]

This gif of Weinie is so cute! The post works well with your song that's still playing in the background too!

[dansangel]

((((((((Diver Dave)))))))))

You found it! :-)

The bad news is....unlike Freezie's contests....I have no prize for you.

:-(

[FreeTheHostages]

cheapskate!

[Aquamarine]

It's good to have more than one working on illustrating John's essay if it works out that way. Dutchess helped me out last week, she sent me a great pic of Gephardt and Rangel that I wanted to use but it was too big. I was able to use a Bob Hope pic that she sent me.

As Dansy says...gotta go back to work! :(

[Aquamarine]

Almost missed you two!

Thanks for the reassuring post Lady, it was special!

Glad you're still in one piece Meekie! :)

[The Thin Man]

The Coast Guard being taking notice of it too!

That's it? Actually, I thought that was one of her more coherent sentences. LOL!

[Diver Dave]

Thank you for the beautiful reminder that Our Lord is *The* Light.

I think it is the "spirituality" that surrounds lighthouses that draws us to them. They are a reminder of our One and Eternal Light.

A few years ago, the Ministerial Association here put together a program for the community. The had a graphic of a lighthouse printed and distributed it through some of the local churches.

Church members placed the lighthouse in the front windows of their homes as a sign that people would find a safe haven therein in the event of trouble.

You are the light of the world.
A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

[LadyX]

"LOL, come to think of it, it's pretty series-ly funny that I thought this post was about Presque Isle Maine. If there were a lighthouse there, it would be a *long* way from the Ocean shore!"

Not only 'SERIES' - it is 'HUGH' !!!

This is more than phunny, FreeTheSausages..:))

The Thin Man - her honesty is kinda endearing, is it not?
And Calpernia is swinging around to truly liking you!

What more could you ask on this Phine Wednesday in August?!

(I know - Billie could be sweet to you EVERY day..:))!!!

[LadyX]

Have been remiss in not having related Sistah Nan gave me as her Christmas in July present a replica of the lighthouse in a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Her choice was the one in
A Light in the Storm - -

It now occurs to me I was deliberately refrained from that,
so it could be placed here on this particular thread!

We have learned since why this one - thank you, dear Sistah Nan,
for the permanent reminder of His Provisions before our needs...:))

[dansangel]

cheapskate!

You're right. I need to talk to Billie-Boss about a raise! :-)

[jwfiv]

I'm late thru the doors, but I've been lookin' thru the window all morning and watching the light shine on everyone...a very cool, kinda goosebumpy thread today...thank you, MIss Dansy.

I like the butterflies...)

Good afternoon to all our Hostessess and the Finest...extra good coffee today.

[dansangel]

Actually, I thought that was one of her more coherent sentences. LOL!

That's more like it Slender Dude. Now I am reassured that you still *like* me!

:-)

[dansangel]

What a wonderful community gesture. Can't you just imagine what a beautiful co-existence that we would all have if *ALL* communities participated in such a project?

Then, I hear that the same court in CA that wanted to banish God from the pledge is now declaring the Boy Scouts a "religious group" so that they cannot have any functions in government-owned parks.

This is why the world I described in the first paragraph will never exist. It's very sad.

[dansangel]

That's a beautiful painting from your Sistah Nan.

Thomas Kincade uses "light" as the theme in all of his works. It makes them so unique and warm.

We have a "throw" on the living room sofa that is a replica of one of his lighthouse paintings.

[dansangel]

((((((((jwfiv)))))))

No time constraints here.

You are most welcome whenever you have the time to drop by! Thank you for the kind compliments.

:-)