Saginaw River Rear Range Light
Saginaw River Rear Range Light
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| Location | Bangor Township, Bay County, Michigan |
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| Coordinates | 43°38′7.8″N 83°51′2″W / 43.635500°N 83.85056°WCoordinates: 43°38′7.8″N 83°51′2″W / 43.635500°N 83.85056°W |
| Year first constructed | 1839 to 1841 |
| Year first lit | 1876 |
| Deactivated | 1960 |
| Foundation | Timber piles/concrete/steel sheeting |
| Construction | Cream City Brick covered with concrete |
| Tower shape | Square tapered |
| Markings / pattern | white/black trim |
| Height | Tower - 59 feet (18 m) |
| Focal height | Focal Plane - 77 feet (23 m) |
| Original lens | 4th order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 8.5 nautical miles (15.7 km; 9.8 mi) |
| ARLHS number | USA-717 |
| USCG number | |
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Saginaw River Light Station
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| Location | Coast Guard St., Bay City, Michigan |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architect | Major Godfrey Weitzel |
| MPS | U.S. Coast Guard Lighthouses and Light Stations on the Great Lakes TR |
| NRHP reference # | 84001373 |
| Added to NRHP | July 19, 1984 |
| Heritage | place listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
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The first Saginaw River lighthouse was constructed from 1839 to 1841, in a period when large quantities of lumber were being harvested and shipped from the heart of Michigan via river and the Great Lakes to the East Coast of the United States via the Erie Canal and Hudson River. This connection to major eastern markets was critical to the development of central Michigan.
In 1867 the United States Corps of Engineers dredged the Saginaw River to enable passage by larger ships upriver. This change required replacing the first light, and in 1876 a pair of lighthouses were constructed in range light configuration to provide improved navigation. The front one was located on the west bank of the river and the rear range lighthouse was located south of the river mouth. It contained living quarters. In 1915, the two lighthouses were converted to electricity.
Closed since the 1970s, the rear range lighthouse was listed in 1984 on the National Register of Historic Places. Dow Chemical Company, which owned the surrounding property, purchased the lighthouse and site in 1986 and boarded it up. Since the turn of the 21st century, the lighthouse and site are being renovated by the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society for heritage tourism.
European-American settlement along the Saginaw River began in the 1830s, which was critical to development in the region, as it was navigable inland. Construction of the Saginaw Bay Lighthouse, to mark the entrance to the river, was begun in July 1839 by Captain Stephen Wolverton. The project was completed under the direction of Levi Johnson of Cleveland, Ohio in the fall of 1841. In September 1841, the operations of the light were demonstrated. By this time, the lumber industry was growing rapidly, and much timber was shipped downriver and through the Great Lakes and New York state's Erie Canal to eastern markets.
In 1867, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers dredged the Saginaw River channel so that larger vessels could navigate the river. When they were finished, the light was no longer well-positioned to allow boats navigation of the entrance. Funding requests, negotiations for land, and contractual issues delayed work to replace the light until 1876. That year a pair of lighthouses were erected in a range light configuration.
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Wikipedia