Date of Service: 1914 – 1925
1885: Born on June 12th in Accomack County, VA.
1914: Served as First Assistant at Point No Point Lighthouse, MD. His annual salary was $480.
1917: Served as First Assistant at Tangier Sound Lighthouse, VA. His annual salary was $480.
1917 – 1925: Promoted to Principal Keeper at Tangier Sound Lighthouse, VA. His beginning salary was $900/year, and his ending salary was $1,200/year.
1917: Keeper Malachi Swain & First Assistant George M. Wible tow a disabled boat to the lighthouse and repair the engine.
1917/1918: Dangerous ice floes in the winter cause damage to the wrought-iron piles supporting the lighthouse. To strengthen the piles and prevent further damage from moving ice, a concrete caisson was constructed below the structure encasing the damaged piles in solid concrete. In addition, 1,000 tons of riprap stones are placed to protect the structure from further erosion and ice damage.
1918: Keeper George Wible gives assistance to a grounded barge.
1923: During a snowstorm, Keeper Wible risks his life to save six men drifting in a small boat, while battling the rough seas.
1925: George M. Wible died while still serving as Keeper in Crisfield, MD. He is buried at Crisfield Cemetery.
Sources: USLHS J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog https://archives.uslhs.org/ Chesapeake Chapter of the USLHS Keeper Database, 1940 U.S. Census; Lighting The Bay: Tales of Chesapeake Lighthouses, Pat Vojtech, 1996
