Lens Saved
The 19th century lens from Ship Island Lighthouse that was shattered into 100 pieces when Hurricane Katrina knocked over a wall at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, MS has been repaired, as best it could. Joseph Cocking of the Lighthouse Lamp Shop, who used a special type of resin to put the fourth-order Fresnel lens back together, undertook the challenging task.

Lighthouses for Charity
The auction for the 28 six-foot lighthouse models that were part of the “A Light in the Harbor,” held in Sandusky, Ohio raised $30,000 for three charities. One of the lighthouses went to a man who was going to put it in his office and another, named the ‘Star Spangled Banner Lighthouse,’ is being donated for display at the Veterans Memorial Park in Sandusky, Ohio.

Doubling Point on Display
Maine’s Doubling Point Lighthouse is the focus of a special exhibit now at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine. The special exhibit will be on display until January 9. The exhibit includes the accomplishments of the Friends of Doubling Point Light and a history of the station with vintage images, some of which are quite dramatic.

Leading Lighthouse Leader Lost
Merle E. Wiggin, one of the nation’s leading lighthouse preservationists has passed away at the age of 78. Wiggin was founder of East End Lighthouses, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. He also played the pivotal role in the rebuilding of New York’s Long Beach Bar Lighthouse that had been destroyed by a fire cause by vandals. He was the author of several books, and served as a “Watchstander,” at Boston Lighthouse. A complete story about his life will be in the November print edition of Lighthouse Digest. Donations in his memory can be sent to East End Lighthouses, P.O. Box 21, Greenport, NY 11944.

Rare Clock Donated
A rare Seth Thomas clock that was once used at Maine’s defunct Cross Island Life Boat and Coast Guard Station has been donated to Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, Maine. The complete story with historic photos will be in the November print edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. To learn more about Little River Lighthouse visit www.LittleRiverLight.org.

Rare Photos Located
Recently, a large number of rare and never before published photos of lighthouses and lighthouse keepers and their families and some of their recorded memories have come into the possession of Lighthouse Digest. As these images and memories are researched watch for these to appear in upcoming issues of the print only version of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. To subscribe go to www.LighthouseDigest.net.

Lighthouse Gala Planned
The American Lighthouse Foundation is hosting its annual Lighthouse Gala Volunteer Awards Dinner on November 22 at the Hyatt Regency in Newport, Rhode Island, which is adjacent to the Newport Harbor Lighthouse that is more commonly known as Goat Island Lighthouse. Sponsorships are available to promote your business or lighthouse group. The lighthouse will also be open for a rare opportunity to view the inside of the tower. For more information, or to order tickets you can visit their web site at www.LighthouseFoundation.org or call them at 207-594-4174.

Thousands Attend Barnegat Light Celebration
INearly 7,000 people attended the 150th Birthday Celebration of New Jersey’s Barnegat Lighthouse. The 172-foot tall lighthouse, with 217 steps to the top of the tower, was decommissioned in 1944. A new lens installed in the tower will be lit on January 1, 2009, exactly 150 years to the day when it was originally lighted on January 1, 1859.

Pledge of Allegiance
It seems that certain words in the Pledge of Allegiance are always in the news. However, most people are unaware of the amazing celebration that was held at the Twin Lights of Navesink in Highlands, NJ, when the Pledge of Allegiance became official, a celebration that was recently recounted at the lighthouse. The interesting story will be in an upcoming issue of the print only edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. This proves once again that lighthouse history is truly amazing.

Lighthouses Every Month
A new beautiful lighthouse image every month is what awaits you with the 2009 Lighthouse Wall Calendars from Lighthouse Depot. Lighthouse calendars are great for home or business. You can also help promote interest in lighthouses by giving lighthouse calendars as gifts to friends, relatives and other people who may have a special place in your life, perhaps your church pastor or minister, the family doctor or a special teacher. Our lighthouse calendars are inexpensive and practical as gifts. You can also frame the photos after the month is over. Calendars are available for a number of regions, New England #13909, Pacific Coast #13911, Great Lakes #13914, Atlantic Coast #13917, New Jersey #13924 or the famous photography of Jean Guichard #13923. Also available is the weekly engagement calendar, #13907, which has a different lighthouse photo for each week of the month. Ordering is easy from our web site at www.LighthouseDepot.com or by phone to one of our friendly operators at 1-800-758-1444..

Little Houses at the LightHouses
This is the title of segment of lighthouse history that has rarely, if ever, been written about. But the “Little House at the Lighthouse,” or the “Necessary Room,” was a unique structure, especially at offshore lighthouses that were surrounded by water. The November issue of Lighthouse Digest Magazine has a unique story with numerous photos of this lost part of lighthouse history that also has its sense of humor. If you are not yet a subscriber to Lighthouse Digest Magazine, you can do so now at www.LighthouseDigest.net or call 1-800-668-7737. Be sure to ask to have your subscription begin with the November issue.

Trivia Questions

1. I traveled by lighthouse tender to many lighthouses and visited with the lighthouse keepers and their families to bring the gospel to them. As well as visiting with many of the lighthouse keepers, I corresponded with hundreds of them. I wrote a number of articles about lighthouse life and the life of the crews on the lighthouse tenders on the high seas. I would often assist lighthouse keepers who had suffered a financial hardship and I lobbied Congress for higher pay for lighthouse keepers. The newspapers gave me a nickname that I became known as, more in my retirement, than in my years of work. Although I loved New England, I spent my retirement years in Michigan. What is my name?
2. As a lighthouse keeper, I always wore a long dress. My claim to fame started when a reporter took a photograph of me in my long dress as I climbed the exterior ladder up to the first platform of the lighthouse where I became the keeper after my husband’s death. What is my name and what was the name of the Empire State lighthouse where I served?
3. As a young man, I loved the adventure of the high seas. I traveled with Commodore Mathew Perry on his 1853 expedition to Japan. Some historians say I was one of the first westerners to spend the night on Japanese soil. However, I eventually settled down to be a lighthouse keeper and served for nearly 20 years at one lighthouse where I thoroughly enjoyed my family life on land. What is my name and which New England lighthouse did I serve at?

Send your answers to one, two or all three of the trivia questions listed above to: editor@LighthouseDigest.com. One name from each of correct answers to each trivia question will be randomly drawn for a prize from Lighthouse Depot. The wining names and the answers to the above trivia questions will be published in next month’s Depot Dispatch. When submitting your answers, be sure to include your full name and mailing address so we can mail your prize to you should your name be drawn from among the correct answers. Please submit only one answer per person per trivia question. Multiple entries will not be accepted; only one answer per trivia question will be accepted. Since winning entries are drawn at random, one person could possibly win more than one prize. Have fun researching lighthouse history and good luck!

Fall Catalog
Don’t let the presidential elections distract you from the fast approaching Christmas season. The Lighthouse Depot fall catalog is packed with items for the upcoming Christmas season and holiday gift giving. Lighthouse Depot has holiday lighthouse clothing, Christmas ornaments, holiday flags, and a wide selection of lighthouse calendars for 2009, many which sell out early. There are many new items that will delight everyone on your gift list.

Stories and Photos To Share
Do you have a lighthouse story or photo to share? Perhaps you built a lighthouse replica on your lawn. Perhaps you had a wonderful experience visiting lighthouses that you’d like to share with others. Perhaps you know an interesting person who collects lighthouses. Do you have an ancestor that worked at a lighthouse or was a lighthouse keeper? Maybe you have a story to tell about why you love lighthouses, collect lighthouses or love lighthouse clothing. Whatever, the case, if you have a story to tell, email it to . Your story and photos may get published in Lighthouse Digest. Photos can also be emailed, but please one photo per email and send them at a high resolution.

Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival
Don’t forget, the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival will be held October 10,11,and 12 in Alpena, Michigan. This is the largest lighthouse festival in North America. Many activities start or take place at the Thunder Bay Recreation Center in Alpena. While there be sure to visit the Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival Lighthouse Museum, attend the Lighthouse Diner and Concert at the Holiday Inn and enjoy the Elk’s Lighthouse Benefit Breakfast. Many of the areas lighthouses will be open for tours and climbing.

Next month in the Lighthouse Depot Dispatch look for the return of Lighthouse Trivia for the winter months. You’ll be amazed at all the unusual facts about lighthouses and their history, plus you may win a prize.

Be sure to visit the Lighthouse Depot Clearance Central for an every changing array of discontinued and nearly sold out items.

We support the efforts of The American Lighthouse Foundation. You can too!

Lighthouse Depot
P.O. Box 427
Wells, ME 04090
1-800-758-1444