Second in a Series
Fond du Lac Lighthouse, Lake Winnebago
By Ken and Barb Wardius
In its long and storied maritime history, Wisconsin shorelines have been graced by forty-eight lighthouses. From Lake Superior to Lake Michigan and inland Lake Winnebago, lighthouses are an integral part of our heritage. No symbol is more synonymous with the Great Lakes’ rich nautical past than the lighthouse. For more than a century, they provided a measure of safety for mariners plying these inland seas. The Badger State has the second highest number of lighthouses on the Great Lakes, behind Michigan, which reigns as the champion with well over one hundred beacons.
Like most lighthouses throughout the world, those in Wisconsin were built primarily to guide ships to specific cities or towns, while others identified hazardous shoals, reefs and shallows. These historic beacons have saved countless sailors, ships and cargo.
The tales of these structures are less about the dates they were constructed or their heights, but more about the innumerable years of service provided by dedicated lighthouse keepers and their families. Great Lakes mariners relied on these folks “keeping the light” to afford them safe harbor. Wisconsin’s lighthouses blazed a trail through the darkness and played a tremendous role in shaping our diverse state. Wisconsin attracted European settlers and the maritime trade that became the backbone of local economies. Water-borne commerce, the thread that weaves through the entire Great Lakes region, was the lifeblood of early Wisconsin. Lighthouses were essential in this process.
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Lake Winnebago is Wisconsin’s largest inland lake, encompassing 215 square miles, 85 miles of coastline, and a maximum depth of 21 feet. Despite this shallowness, the lake can be dangerous in bad weather. From Appleton on the north to the western shore which includes Neenah, Menasha, and Oshkosh, with Fond du Lac on the south, the lake was a workhorse waterway. Part of the Fox and Wolf River systems, Lake Winnebago played a vital role commercially in Wisconsin. Lumbering, ice harvesting, and other ventures were principal activities here.
The first lighthouse was located at Menasha. Built in 1855, it had a short life of four years and no longer exists. The four surviving Lake Winnebago lighthouses (Kimberly Point in Neenah, Asylum Bay and Rockwell Lights in Oshkosh and the Fond du Lac Lighthouse) are some of the newest beacons in the state, dating from 1909 to 1945.
Photo: Fond du Lac Lighthouse, Lake Winnebago. Credit: Ken and Barb Wardius
Ken and Barb Wardius talk about lighthouses on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Ken and Barb Wardius are the authors of Wisconsin Lighthouses, A Photographic & Historical Guide. They have also written books on the Cana Island Lighthouse, the Wind Point Lighthouse and the North Point Milwaukee Lighthouse. They live in Glendale, Wisconsin, and are members of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society. Their website is www.gowisconsinlighthouses.com
