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The 12-foot structure is of 1/8 thick aluminum construction. Equipped with a rotating light, it flashes every three seconds. It is named Mercy Light and can be found on the shores of Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamqaugg, in Webster, Massachusetts.
The lake was a landmark for early settlers on the "Great Trail" from Boston to Hartford. The name comes from the Nipmuck Indians and means neutral fishing place near a boundry-meeting place shared by several tribes. The English translation of this jaw-breaking name is, "You fish on your side, I will fish on my side, and no one will fish in the middle." According to the Guinness Book of World Records, at 45 letters, it's the fifth-longest word in the world and the longest lake name anywhere.
This story appeared in the May 1998 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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