( Ddieffen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons) Waugoshance Lighthouse is located in the northern end of the Lake Michigan.

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. John Herman probably the most infamous keeper at the Waugoshance light has been described as a heavy drinking prankster. 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. Stampler states the Seul Choix Point Lighthouse may be “regarded as one of Michigan’s most haunted lighthouses” with as many as five ghosts. 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. 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. 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. These events gave rise to a very serious breed of professionals with lifelong dedication, pretty much unparalleled. 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.

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. Paranormal speculation may surround 30 of the 129 iconic beacons dotted along our extended coast but the historical significance cannot be denied.

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.”

John herman lighthouse keeper