The History of the Portage River Lighthouse

The Portage River Lighthouse in Jacobsville, Michigan, was established in 1856 on Keweenaw Bay of Lake Superior; its current tower dates to 1869 to 1870. It guided ships into the mouth of the Portage River for sixty-four years, was retired in 1920, and has been privately owned since 1958. We bought it in 2022 and are restoring it.

​

Why a light here

In the early 1850s the copper country was booming, and ships needed a safe way into the Portage River, the water route into the heart of the Keweenaw. On February 17, 1853, Ransom Shelden and others petitioned Senator Alpheus Felch for a lighthouse at the mouth of the Portage River. Congress set aside $5,000 on March 3, 1853.

​

The contract went to Alanson Sweet, Luzerne Ransom and Morgan Shinn on July 17, 1854. Most of the work was done in 1855.

​

The first tower, 1856

The first light was a round tower of rubblestone, eight feet across and thirty-nine feet tall, with an eight-sided cast-iron lantern on top. Inside sat a fifth-order Fresnel lens made by Henry-Lepaute of Paris. Michael W. Lyons became the first keeper in September 1856, and the light went into service that season even though the builders and the government engineer were still arguing over the work.

​

It did not hold up. An inspector in 1868 found damp walls, rotting wooden stairs, and a lantern room only four feet across inside, barely room for a keeper to tend the lens.

​

The rebuild, 1869 to 1870

On March 3, 1869, Congress provided $12,000 to replace the tower and the keeper's house. The station that stands today came out of that money:

​

• The tower: Jacobsville sandstone, the red stone quarried along this shore, finished with a white lime-based coating. 51 feet tall, 14 feet across at the base, narrowing to 12 feet at the lantern. A cast-iron spiral stair of 61 steps climbs to a ten-sided cast-iron lantern. An iron door in the tower still carries its maker's stamp: Detroit Locomotive Works.

• The keeper's dwelling: two stories of brick, eight rooms plus a kitchen.

• The passage: a short enclosed passage joins tower to house, with "1869" cut above its entrance.

​

The Fresnel lens moved into the new lantern. On a clear night it could be seen for about eighteen miles.

​

Keeping the light, 1870 to 1920

Nine head keepers served here between 1856 and 1920. One of them, George Craig, is tied to the stone this village is known for: Lighthousefriends credits him with finding the sandstone near Portage Entry in 1861, years before he took charge of the light in 1878.

​

The station grew around them. The land was surveyed in 1879 and bought outright in the spring of 1883 for $700. The county road that ran across it was removed in 1889. On August 15, 1891, the red flash was quickened from every two minutes to every minute. A seawall and an oil house were added in 1907.

​

Retired, 1920

On August 1, 1920, a new light went into service at the outer end of the breakwater at the Keweenaw Waterway's lower entrance, and the Portage River light was no longer needed. Franklin W. Witz, keeper since 1902, was its last. (That breakwater light is a different structure. People mix the two up often enough that we wrote a page about it.)

​

Owners after the keepers

• 1932: transferred to the State of Michigan on August 10.

• 1948: returned to the Coast Guard on October 29.

• 1958: turned over to the General Services Administration and sold at auction on November 25 for $18,251. The keeper's dwelling was enlarged and became a family home.

• 2004 to 2019: operated as a bed and breakfast, the Jacobsville Lighthouse Inn.

• 2022: bought by Susan and Chris Harbourt, who are restoring it.

​

Restoration today

When we arrived, the tower's outer casing was coming apart and years of deferred maintenance showed everywhere. So far we have buried the electric service, added a generator, worked on the carriage shed, and started bringing back historically accurate six-pane double-hung windows on the keeper's dwelling, salvaging matching brick wherever we can. We are also applying to have the light recognized as an aid to navigation again, so that after more than a century of darkness it can do its job on Keweenaw Bay. Follow along in the Keeper's Log.

​

Where dates disagree

You will see different dates for this light in different places, and it is worth saying why.

​

• 1853 or 1856? 1853 is the petition and the money. 1855 is the construction. 1856 is the first keeper and the first season the light was lit. We use established 1856.

• 1869 or 1870? The money came in March 1869, and "1869" is carved over the passage. Some sources date the finished tower to 1870. We say 1869 to 1870.

• 1919 or 1920? A few older accounts say 1919. The Lighthouse Board record gives August 1, 1920.

​

 

Frequently asked questions

When was the Portage River Lighthouse built?

The first tower was built in 1855 and lit in 1856. The tower standing today was built in 1869 to 1870.

​

Is the Portage River Lighthouse the same as the Jacobsville Lighthouse?

Yes. Portage River Lighthouse is the official name; Jacobsville is the village it stands in. (one light, several names)

​

Is the lighthouse still active?

Not as an aid to navigation. It was discontinued on August 1, 1920. Today a small antique lamp in the lantern room glows for atmosphere only. The owners are applying to have it recognized as an aid to navigation again.

​

What is the tower made of?

Jacobsville sandstone, the red stone quarried along this stretch of Keweenaw Bay. It wears a white lime-based coating, which is why the red stone doesn't show.

​

Who owns the Portage River Lighthouse?

It has been privately owned since 1958. Susan and Chris Harbourt bought it in 2022 and are restoring it.

​

Can I visit?

It is private property and an active restoration site. You can view it from the designated area, and we open it on scheduled open house days. (visiting)

​

Where is the original lens?

We don't know yet, and we are looking. (the lost lens)

​

 

Sources

• Annual Reports of the Lighthouse Board, various years, as compiled by Lighthousefriends.com, "Portage River (Jacobsville) Lighthouse."

• U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office, "Portage River Light."

• History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (1883).

​

Last reviewed: November 2026