St. Clair Flats Ship Canal Upper Entrance Lighthouse
Location & Light Range
About St. Clair Flats Ship Canal Upper Entrance Lighthouse
Erected in 1871, the St. Clair Flats Ship Canal Upper Entrance light stood at the northern extremity of an engineered channel. This waterway offered a main passage between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, assisting vessels in traversing the shallow St. Clair Flats. The light aided safe movement for cargo ships and passenger vessels over numerous decades. Its period of service ended around the 1930s, at which point the structure was dismantled. No physical remnants of the light remain at the present time.
Why it matters: This light served as a navigation aid for the St. Clair Flats Ship Canal, an engineered channel offering a deep-water route through the St. Clair Flats. It supported the considerable maritime commerce moving between Lake Huron and Lake Erie.
Tower & Structure
Structure: The St. Clair Flats Ship Canal Upper Entrance lighthouse once guided mariners through a vital waterway in St. Clair County. Situated at the northern end of the St. Clair Flats Ship Canal, it marked the critical passage for vessels traversing between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, navigating the notoriously shallow and expansive St. Clair Flats. This canal, an engineering marvel of its time, allowed larger ships to bypass treacherous shoals and maintain a steady course. The lighthouse began its service in 1871, a period of intense Great Lakes shipping activity, ensuring safe transit for countless freighters and passenger vessels. For several decades, it stood as a reliable aid to navigation, witnessing the ebb and flow of commerce across the lakes. However, its operational life concluded sometime in the 1930s, after which it was ultimately demolished. Today, no physical trace of the lighthouse remains, and visitors cannot experience its presence firsthand, but its historical role in facilitating safe passage through the St. Clair Flats is remembered.
Location
- City
- Sherman Township
- Country
- 🇺🇸United States
- Region
- Michigan
- Sea Region
- St. Clair Flats Ship Canal Upper Entrance, St. Clair County
- Latitude
- 43.7096°
- Longitude
- -82.6105°
Nearby Vessels
Construction & History
- Year Built
- 1871
Significant events: demolished
References & Identifiers
- Nearest Port
- Harbor Beach(8.5 km)
- ARLHS No.
- USA-1334
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