Wind howls around us. It whips off Lake Michigan and buffets the Calumet Harbor Breakwater South End. This stout sentinel stands firm. Let me tell you about this place.
The Calumet Harbor Breakwater South End marks the end of a 6714-foot breakwater. This breakwater creates an artificial harbor at the entrance to the Calumet River. Construction of the breakwater began in 1899. By 1905, work started on a new metal lighthouse and fog signal building. This would mark the breakwater’s end.
The new light and compressed-air fog signal began operation on July 20, 1906. Exactly a year later, a fog bell replaced the old pierhead steam whistle.
Imagine a stout rectangular structure. It has two full stories and a pitched roof. A cylindrical tower extends above one end of the roof. This was the original Calumet Harbor Breakwater South End lighthouse.
Early one morning in 1921, a surfman noticed a distress signal at the outer breakwater lighthouse. A gale was blowing. Seas were high. The temperature hovered just above freezing. The lifesaving station’s lifeboat was out of commission. A rescue team requested the M.B. Mary tow their surfboat to the lighthouse. Accompanied by two pierhead lighthouse keepers, the crew rowed to the lee side of the breakwater lighthouse.
The lifesaving keeper recorded the lighthouse’s condition. Windows were broken. Floors were flooded. The building had shifted about two feet. The breakwater was falling apart around it. Yet, the keepers refused to leave. They did request that the lighthouse superintendent be informed. The superintendent gave permission to remove the keepers if their lives were endangered. The lifesaving keeper judged their situation grave. They were brought ashore with a tugboat’s help. During the storm, the tower shook so badly that the lens could not revolve.
In 1922, funds were provided to reconstruct the unsafe building. The worn-out fog signal machinery was replaced. A modern electric motor-driven air compressor air diaphone and electric light were installed. The outer end of the breakwater was rebuilt in concrete. The old steel lighthouse was raised. A deck slab and a basement with reinforced concrete walls were built beneath it. The new diaphone fog signal began operation on July 1, 1924.
The old frame second story was later removed. The cast-iron pierhead tower was installed on top of the shortened pier. It was equipped with an electric type “C” diaphone. It went into operation on September 10, 1924. The pierhead lighthouse was controlled remotely from the breakwater light. Its two keepers were no longer needed.
Due to nearby steel mills’ smoke, the Calumet foghorn operated often. It was typically in operation 260 hours a month. This was usually more than any other fog signal on Lake Michigan.
The breakwater lighthouse was located just east of the Illinois-Indiana State Line. It was exposed to the full force of northern storms. It was damaged on several occasions. In 1930, over 12000 tons of rip rap were placed along the breakwater. This provided better protection for the station.
In 1934, a new dwelling was built ashore for the station’s keepers. Plans began for two new lights for the detached breakwater. A light and fog signal tower from Holland Harbor was transported to Calumet. It was placed at the southeast end of the detached breakwater. The new light and fog signal were remotely controlled from the breakwater lighthouse. They were placed in commission on June 4, 1937.
A radiobeacon was established at the old breakwater lighthouse in 1927. In 1940, it was synchronized with the station’s fog signal for distance finding. By counting the seconds between the radio signal and the fog signal, a ship’s crew could determine their distance from the lighthouse.
The Calumet Harbor Light was automated on November 11, 1966. The last three crew members left the lighthouse. They transferred to Calumet Harbor Lifeboat Station.
In 1995, the two-story breakwater lighthouse was demolished. In its place stands a white cylindrical tower marked with a red band. It continues to guide ships safely into Calumet Harbor. The Calumet Harbor Breakwater South End remains a vital landmark. It stands as a testament to maritime history and engineering.