St. Helena, Michigan Harbour Lights Limited Edition #634 "Lighthouse Appreciation" What can be done for an old lighthouse about to lose its final battle against the war of time and neglect, vandals and thieves? As the saying goes, "Send in the troops!" For the St. Helena Lighthouse, located on a 240-acre uninhabited island in Lake Michigan, victory came in the form of a regiment of dedicated and industrious Boy Scouts. During 1989 and 1990, troops 4 and 61 of Ann Arbor and Troop 200 of Calumet/Laurium literally set up camp and spent more than 1400 hours cleaning, planting, scraping, building, and sanding. Working without electricity, telephone, or other modern conveniences, they toiled and they sweated, and they breathed nothing less than life back into the dying sentinel. Their example inspired others to donate time, skills and money to the St. Helena project. Our replica honors the Boy Scouts by depicting the lighthouse before restoration on one side, and after on the other. The St. Helena first came to life when its beacon was lit on September 20, 1873. President Ulysses S. Grant appropriated over $14,000 for the building, in order to help ships cross the grueling straits of Mackinaw. In1922, the light was automated. One of the last keepers, Joseph La Fountaine served at St. Helena for almost 20 years. It is said that after he left, he mourned so deeply for the place that he could never bring himself to return. In his place, bats set up their home in the attic and osprey nested in the abandoned lantern room. The restoration would force them out, but fortunately, unlike the keeper, they didn’t have to leave the beautiful island. Along with the Scouts’ many projects, they built and installed new houses and nesting platforms. Their efforts did not go unnoticed. Four of the Scouts earned their Eagle Scout Badges at St. Helena. Keep Michigan Beautiful, Inc. presented one of its top awards to the troops. And they were named both a state and national winner in the annual Take Pride In America awards program. But the biggest distinction can’t be hung on a wall or placed on a shelf. When they were finished, it was not just a lighthouse that was transformed. The boys themselves would never be the same. They learned, at an early age, that they could make a difference in this world. |
Captains Cove 851 W Harbor Drive C, San Diego California 92101 
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