Fourteen Foot Shoal Light, Steel lighthouse in Lake Huron near Cheboygan, United States
Fourteen Foot Shoal Light is a steel structure with concrete foundation rising 17 meters above Lake Huron, topped with a copper roof and featuring a conical cast-iron tower. This offshore lighthouse stands on a challenging site in open water and houses navigation equipment for passing vessels.
Built in 1929, the lighthouse marked a major shift in maritime navigation by operating without a resident keeper through remote control from Poe Reef Light. This automation represented an important step in modernizing coastal safety systems in the region.
The lighthouse's name comes from the water depth of about 14 feet at this location, reflecting how sailors and authorities understood and named the hazards they encountered. This naming practice reveals how mariners read and mapped the lake bottom for safe passage.
The lighthouse can be viewed from the North Huron Street area in Cheboygan, where a nearby park offers clear sightlines to the offshore structure. Since the tower stands far from shore, binoculars or a camera with zoom are helpful for a closer look.
The structure showcases early automation technology with a fourth-order Fresnel lens and 11,000 candlepower electrical light. It was among the first automated lighthouses on the Great Lakes to operate without permanent on-site staff.
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