When Cindy Conway and Michael Donnelly went on vacation this summer, they spent their time in Marquette County. One of the highlights of their trip was a visit to the Marquette Lighthouse, which you can see in the first photo, surrounded by a bit of fog that day. They also toured the Marquette Maritime Museum nearby, where they found interesting history of the Great Lakes. One item especially piqued their interest, the Fresnel Lens from the Stannard Rock Lighthouse, the North American light station most distant from land, with Keweenaw Point 25 miles to the west and Marquette 42 miles south. It’s an impressive lens, standing 10 feet tall and is one of the five largest lenses used on the Great Lakes. It actually went missing for more than 30 years, after the light was automated in 1962. Discovered in the basement of the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut in 1998, it’s a mystery as to how it got there. Arrangements were made after finding it and volunteers returned the lens to Marquette by truck in 1999. It was reassembled and has been on display since.

We join WJMN TV with a clip about the Marquette Maritime Museum today. Enjoy the mini-tour!