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Keeper Bio: Yeatman, William
Date of Service: 1904-1939 1872: Born on July 26 to parents William M. and Anna Yeatman, in St. Mary’s County, MD. 1900: His occupation is listed as a blacksmith in the U.S. Census. Early 1900s: Marries Julia Courtney. 1903: Wife Julia gives birth to a daughter, Mary on December 10. Neither mother or daughter survive. …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-william-yeatman-jr/
Keeper Bio: Yeatman, William M.
Date of Service: 1871-1908 1830: Born on October 1 in Richmond County, VA. 1862: Marries Anna Maria Lamb on May 12 in St. Mary’s County, MD. They go on to have 12 children. 1871: Appointed Keeper at Point Lookout Lighthouse, MD on September 22. His beginning salary was $520/year. 1874: A Novia Scotian schooner, Etta, …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-william-m-yeatman/
Keeper Bio: Wilkins, Francis E.
Date of Service: 1884-1918 1852/1853: Born in Virginia to parents G.W. & Mary Wilkins. 1884: Served as First Assistant at Watts Island Lighthouse, VA. His salary was $420/year. 1890: Appointed Keeper at Tangier Sound Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $575/year. 1892: Marries his wife, Lida, on June 12 in Northumberland, VA. They …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-francis-e-wilkins-2/
Keeper Bio: Gray, Benjamin Nathaniel
Date of Service: 1882-1907 1851: Born in Maryland 1885: Marries his wife, Sarah. 1882: Served as First Assistant at Cove Point Lighthouse in MD. His salary was $420/year. 1883: Served as the first Keeper at Drum Point Lighthouse in MD. His starting salary was $540/year and ending salary of $575/year. 1890: Served as Keeper at …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-benjamin-nathaniel-gray/
Keeper Bio: Somers, James T.
Date of Service: 1919 – 1958 1892: Born on November 18 to parents Tobey & Matilda, Somerset County, MD. 1919: Served as First Assistant at Cove Point Lighthouse in MD. His annual salary was $1,115/year. 1919-1920: Served as First Assistant at Point No Point Lighthouse in MD. His salary was $1,182/year. 1923: Served as First …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-james-t-somers/
Timeline: Clay Island Lighthouse
1828: Congress appropriates $6,500 to construct a lighthouse on Clay Island, at the northernmost part of Tangier Sound on May 23. 1831: Congress appropriates $5,900 for the project as the previous appropriation had been carried to the surplus fund. The land is purchased for the site of the lighthouse at a price of $500 – …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-clay-island-lighthouse/
Timeline: Bodkin Point Lighthouse
1819: Congress appropriates $9,000 on March 3 to construct a lighthouse at Bodkin Point and two on North Point at the mouth of the Patapsco River, Maryland. 1820: Six acres of land are purchased in August from Richard Caton for $600. 1821: The contract to construct the lighthouse is awarded to Thomas Evans and William …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-bodkin-point-lighthouse/
Timeline: Hog Island Lighthouse
1837: On March 3, Congress appropriates $5,000 to construct a lighthouse on the south end of Hog Island, Virginia. 1837: In a letter dated April 18, Commander Alexander Claxton wrote a letter to Commodore John Rodgers, President of the Board of Navy Commissioners. In the letter, he recommended that the money appropriated by Congress was …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-hog-island-lighthouse/
Timeline: Lambert Point Lighthouse
1870: A request of $15,000 is made to construct a square lighthouse at Lambert’s Point on the east side of the Elizabeth River to mark a shoal just off the point. 1871: Congress appropriates $15,000 on March 3 to construct the square lighthouse on five piles with a fifth-order red light. 1873: The west side …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-lambert-point-lighthouse/
Timeline: Pungoteague Creek Lighthouse
1852: On August 31, Congress appropriates $10,000 to build a lighthouse at Pungoteague Creek, Va. 1853: The site for the lighthouse is selected and approved plans and estimates are provided by Major Hartman Bache. 1854: The entire structure, foundation, superstructure, and ironwork is completed in Philadelphia, Pa. On April 23, materials were shipped to the …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-pungoteague-creek-lighthouse/
Keepers Mascot: Montauk
Mascot # 117, Montauk, lives with Lauren and Paula. They provided this bio: People who know us well know that we are lighthouse and hamster people. In June 2018 our beloved hamster, Fenwick, “Crossed the Bar”. About a week later, we knew it was time to get another hamster because they bring us so much …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keepers-mascot-montauk/
Timeline: Tangier Sound Lighthouse
1887: The lighthouse board requests $25,000 to construct a screwpile lighthouse at the Tangier Island Shoal, at the entrance to Tangier Sound in the Chesapeake Bay. 1888: Congress appropriates $25,000 to construct a lighthouse at Tangier Island Shoal on October 2. 1889: Plans & specifications are prepared, and proposals were opened on March 16 for …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-tangier-sound-lighthouse/
Timeline: York Spit Lighthouse
1837: A request is made to the Secretary of the Treasury to provide a contract for construction of a light vessel on York River Spit, or a lighthouse in Virginia on March 3 for $10,000. 1853: A request is made to the Lighthouse Board from the Custom House Office in Yorktown, Virginia to provide a …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-york-spit-lighthouse/
Timeline: Tue Marshes Lighthouse
1874: Congress appropriates $15,000 on June 23 to construct a lighthouse at Too’s Marshes, near the mouth of the York River, Virginia. 1875: Construction begins on the lighthouse on May 24th. It is to be a square screwpile cottage structure on iron piles. It is equipped with a sixth-order Fresnel lens first exhibited on August …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-tue-marshes-lighthouse/
Timeline: Watts Island Lighthouse
1828: Congress appropriates $6,500 to construct a lighthouse on Little Watts Island on May 23. 1831: Congress appropriates $6,400 for a lighthouse on Little Watts Island. 1833: John Donahoo builds a 48-foot tower equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens and keepers house at a price of $4,775. 1838: The keeper’s house is noted as being …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-watts-island-lighthouse/
Timeline: White Shoal Lighthouse
1850: The U. S. Lighthouse Board authorizes $3,500 for preliminary work in the engineering & design for four lighthouses on the James River. 1852: Congress appropriates $1,000 for a beacon on White Shoal, August 31, 1852. 1854: Construction of a square cottage supported by five, five-inch diameter wooden piles covered with a cast-iron screw sleeve, …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-white-shoal-lighthouse/
Keeper Bio: Collison, David W.
Date of Service: 1907 – 1917 1873: Born on July 30 to Robert & Mary Collison, Maryland. 1907-1909: Served as the First Assistant at Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse in MD. His starting salary was $420/year and his ending salary was $480/year. Early 1900s: Married his wife Ellen and raised six children. 1909-1912: …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-david-collison/
Keeper Bio: Austin, Julian Haywood
Date of Service: 1921 – 1948 1898: Born on February 20 to John Lotson Austin & Markey Poyner Austin, in Frisco, NC 1916-1917: Joins the U.S. Lighthouse Service and was stationed on three lightships, including LV71. 1918-1921: Worked on multiple “oilers” for the U.S. Army. 1921: Returned to the U.S. Lighthouse …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-julian-haywood-austin/
Keeper Bio: Freeman, Josephine McWilliams
Date of Service: 1876 – 1912 1843: Born on January 14 to parents Dr. Joseph & Eliza McWilliams in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. 1850: Dr. Joseph L. McWilliams, the father of Josephine, sells 2.75 acres on the southwest corner of Blackistone Lighthouse at a price of $300 to the U.S. government as a …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-josephine-freeman/
Keeper Bio: Nuthall, Martha
Date of Service: 1850 – 1861 1803: Birth of Martha McClelland in Maryland. 1843: John W. Nuthall age 40, widower, married Martha McClelland age 40 on January 3, 1843. 1849: John W. Nuthall listed as Keeper at Piney Point Lighthouse. His annual salary is listed as $350/year. 1850: In the 1850 …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-martha-nuthall/
Keeper Bio: Nuthall, John W.
Date of Service: 1849 – 1850 1803: Birth of John W. Nuthall to Charles Nuthall and Anne McClelland. 1826: John W. Nuthall age 23, married Maria Norris on January 31, 1826, in St. Mary’s County, Md. 1843: John W. Nuthall age 40, widower, married Martha McClelland age 40 on January 3, 1843. …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-john-nuthall-2/
Keepers Mascot: Chief and Hydrant
Mascot #115 is Chief, who lives with mascot #116, Hydrant. Thank you, Judy, for sharing their story: “Chief is a rescue I acquired from the Dalmatian Rescue of Southwest Virginia in September 2015. I retired in July and felt I could handle another pet. Chief is very loving and loves to play. He also enjoys …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keepers-mascot-chief-and-hydrant/
Keepers Mascot: Poppy
Mascot #114 is Poppy, who lives with mascot #113, Augie. Thank you Jeff for sharing her story: “Our first glimpse of little Poppy was her as a kitten running out of a room chasing a crinkle ball. She is a Siamese and very loving and playful. At first our older cat Miss Marple had to …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keepers-mascot-poppy/
Keepers Mascot: Augie
Mascot #113 is Augie, who lives with mascot #114, Poppy. Thank you Jeff for sharing his story: “At 8 weeks old, we picked up tiny Augie from his birth parents and brought him directly to a lighthouse – Point No Point. His very first life experience was running on the beautiful beach, in the park …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keepers-mascot-augie/
Keepers Mascot: Granby, Nadia, and Meyja
Mascots 107, 108, and 109 are Granby, Nadia, and Meyja, respectively. Owner Courtney provided this info: “Granby is our first long-haired cat with gray and white hair. We adopted him when he was 9 years old because someone brought him into our veterinarian’s office for a checkup and they never returned for him. Thankfully he …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keepers-mascot-granby-nadia-meyja/
Keeper Bio: Sutton, Claudius Foster
Date of Service: 1897-1931 1869: Born in Craven County, North Carolina on December 11, 1869. 1897: Works as a cook at Smith Point Lighthouse in Virginia for $30. 1898-1901: Works as First Assistant at Pages Rock Lighthouse in Virginia. His annual salary was $420. 1901: Marries his wife Virginia Mildred Oliver on October 9, in …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/keeper-bio-claudius-foster-sutton/
Point of Shoals Lighthouse
Point of Shoals Lighthouse had two lighthouses. The first was built in 1855 in Burwell’s Bay on the shallow southern shoreline of the James River. It was a small, twenty-foot square, four-room white dwelling with a red tin roof and black lantern supported by five wrought-iron piles. It was equipped with a large-sized pressed glass …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/point-of-shoals-lighthouse/
Timeline: Point of Shoals Lighthouse
1837: A request is made by Beverly Kennon, Captain of the United States Navy, to construct a lighthouse at three locations along the James River in Virginia; Day’s Point, Point of Shoals and Deep Water & Lyon’s Creek Shoals. 1850: The U. S. Lighthouse Board authorizes $3,500 for preliminary work in the engineering & design …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-point-of-shoals-lighthouse/
Pages Rock Lighthouse
Due to increased river traffic along the York River, Congress appropriated $25,000 on March 3, 1891, to construct a lighthouse on a shoal which jutted out from Blundering Point, about 5 miles north of Yorktown, Virginia. After borings were made, it was determined that the river bottom was not firm enough to support a lighthouse …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/pages-rock-lighthouse/
Timeline: Pages Rock Lighthouse
1883: The U. S. Lighthouse Board recommends that a lighthouse be constructed at Pages Rock, in the York River, approximately five miles from Yorktown, Virginia at a cost of $25,000. The combination of railroads at West Point and the increasing commerce on the York River are the reason for the request. This request is repeated …
Permanent link to this article: https://cheslights.org/template-timeline-pages-rock-lighthouse/
