Including Historial Backgrounder and Pictorial
This year marks the 7th annual Summer Lighthouse celebration, and the 126th anniversary of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse. The celebration began in 1995 when the U. S. Postal service chose Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse to represent the lighthouses of Lake Ontario. It was the beginning for the Friends of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse, a not for profit group formed to restore the lighthouse to it’s former glory. A free-to-public open house is scheduled for Sunday, July 14, 2002.
Much
has been accomplished, from the first structural study, to restoration of a functioning
light within the tower in 1998 to replace the one removed 40 years prior. The interior has
been restored, photos reproduced and displays assembled. The upstairs has been renovated,
and as of 2001, can be rented by the week.
This year the Friends of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse will provide new entertainment by City Fiddle. City Fiddle is Phil Banaszak, and Steve Pevo, playing fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and concertina. They have been playing their unique blend of acoustic Traditional, Celtic, Bluegrass and original music in the Buffalo area for nearly 20 years. They can be regularly heard in area coffeehouses, at contradances throughout the region; and at living history events at Old Fort Niagara. City Fiddle often performs for Civil War re-enactors’ gatherings and has been featured at the Genesee Country Museum’s annual Fiddler’s Fair in Mumford every year since its inception. Phil is a former New York State Fiddling Champion and has been nominated for induction into the Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame in Osceola, NY. He also teaches fiddle, violin, and mandolin at the Community Music School in Buffalo.
Mike Baron, well known in this area, will once again delight audiences with his sleight of hand. He appeared at the Lighthouse a couple years ago and we look forward to his magic once again.
Bless the Beasts wildlife rehabilitation center will bring program animals and a display to this year’s celebration. Wendi Pencille, along with Houston and Janine Crum, have saved countless wildlife and have much to show and share about their work.
The Barker Lions Club will cook their "secret recipe" chicken that has become a well-known favorite. Home baked goodies will be for sale at the members’ bake sale tent.
For history buffs, Revolutionary War re-enactors will set up their display and shoot their cannon over the lake.
Antique and classic cars will also be on hand for the automobile aficionados. The second annual yacht "Race to Thirty Mile Point" will also be held.
Tours of the lighthouse will be continuous throughout the day, and gifts with a lighthouse or nautical theme will be offered.
The Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse
is a popular minature collectible.
One such example is pictured in our Lockport Area Collectibles Section
Written by Lorraine G. Wayner
Town of Somerset/ Village of Barker Historian
The sun is shining, a perfect day to be outside, to get away from it all. Niagara County is rich with places to go, to see, and to do. Let me tell you about just such a place in Somerset.
For those that don't know, Somerset is a rural area on the shores of Lake Ontario, surrounded by the Towns of Newfane, Hartland, and Yates. It is a drive in the country with farmland and fruit trees.
Golden Hill State Park, with 378 acres of parkland, was acquired by New York State in 1962. A former Ransomville resident, Tom Harris, is the Park Manager. Tom and his staff keep the grounds in pristine condition. The lawns and flowers are beautiful.
Golden Hill, where did the name originate? There are two stories. One: "As a local farmer was herding his cattle, near the mouth of Golden Hill Creek, he observed a ship anchored near the lake shore. Men had come ashore, shovels in hand, and were very busy extracting an object, like a chest, which they carried to their boat. They rowed back to their schooner and sailed away. It was presumed that the box contained a treasure of gold from a shipwreck (I will relate some shipwreck stories later). Digging was done for a while along the creek bank by treasure hunters in hopes of a fortune. Thus perhaps the name Golden Hill."
Story number two: "An acre of ground once existed at the mouth of Golden Hill Creek. During the summer this was covered with goldenrod. blossoms. The island with its golden appearance, now long gone, may have, suggested the name."
During the late 1950s and early 1960s New York State started purchasing farms and properties on the Lower Lake Road. As I stated before, it was in 1962 when it officially became known as Golden Hill State Park. The lighthouse was still owned by the United States Coast Guard. It wasn't until October 1984 when Commissioner Orin Lehman, of N. Y. S. Parks, signed the deed for Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse, and the land surrounding it.
Golden Hill State Park has recreational and historic value. There are fifty campsites, electric and non-electric, with more forthcoming. Hot showers are available. There are swings, slides, hiking trails, a recreation hall, and the list goes on. When visiting the park you will see Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse, - "Somerset's Sturdy Silent Sentinel," standing tall and proud, ready for your visit. This unique structure was built in 1875 to alert ships of dangerous shoals and a sand bar that extended out into the lake.
At least four ships Were lost due to hidden dangers at this point. An interesting mystery Is that of the H. M. S. Ontario. This ship and all its crew were lost in 1780. I would like to go back a bit and tell you about a person that was on board.
With 275 years of history, Fort Niagara has had French, English, and American commanders. The years of the English commander Lt. Colonel Bolton, from 1777 to the fall of 1780, are very spectacular. Despite the isolation of the fort from Revolutionary War battlefields, Colonel Bolton experienced problems arising from the war. When he took command of Fort Niagara he found 2,800 Indians camped around the fort getting food, clothing, rum, and tobacco from the fort's commissary.
He received word in the fall of 1777 that George Washington had been killed. He did not receive word until the spring of 1778 that this was not true. He learned that Washington was preparing to send troops through the Genesee Valley under the command of General Sullivan, to punish the Indians for their raids on American settlements. The English Colonel was really upset. He expected these troops would continue to the Niagara Frontier. He had very few soldiers fit for battle.
The Indians were becoming more arrogant and demanded more and better supplies. Raiding parties sent out from the fort brought back scalps and captives. Colonel Bolton had to record this in his reports. The cruelty of the Indians and the scenes of torture of the captives at the gates of the fort were unbearable. His problems did not end. Bookkeeping records were complicated. News came that General Sullivan was in the Genesee Valley, driving through and burning Indian villages. Frightened and hungry Indians arrived at the fort demanding protection. Soon there were 5,000 camped around the fort. Winter closed in, and he was confronted with constant desertion from his troops, among various other problems. By October 1780, his health was broken and he was finally relieved of his command.
Meanwhile, during the summer of 1780, a schooner, designed for lake travel, was being built across from Fort Niagara. Lake-wise soldiers told the builder that the hull was not built properly and that in a storm the boat would founder (sink). He laughed at them. The H. M. S. Ontario was launched, scheduled for Montreal, in October 1780. Colonel Bolton, other British soldiers and passengers (totaling 88 people), supplies, military gear, and an estimated $15,000 army payroll were on board. The Ontario cleared Niagara in a blinding snowstorm never to be seen again.
It is believed the Ontario met her fate on Halloween night, October 31, 1780. Wreckage from the ship was found the next morning along the south shore of Lake Ontario. Among the debris were hatch gratings and British army caps. No bodies were ever found. People have tried to locate the ship for two centuries, and there are those that say it has been found. In 1954 an anchor was recovered off Thirty Mile Point. Marine experts that examined the anchor believe that it came from the lost Ontario. The mystery still remains. Someday it will be solved.
Another ship that was lost at the point was the French explorer Sieur de La Salle's vessel. His was lost in 1678. Another French vessel was lost in 1688. Mary, loaded with merchandise for the Niagara region, was lost in 1817.
I would very much like to tell you a little bit about Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse. There is so much to tell that it is hard to know just where to start. I will write about only a few things, because space and reading time are both limited.
In December 1873, the United States of America purchased two acres of land from Austin B. Hathaway for the sum of $300. In April 1875, the first light beamed from the tower of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse.
Time passed. The kerosene light was replaced by a coal-steam generator. Accommodations were made for two families. The foghorn building was built. The U. S. Coast Guard took over operation from the Lighthouse Service. A steel tower with automatic revolving light was built, so the manned lighthouse was no longer needed; The lighthouse closed in 1958. In 1973, Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse was chosen as the symbol for Somerset's Sesquicentennial celebration. It was in 1981 when the federal government declared the lighthouse "surplus property." Then in 1984, the lighthouse became the property of New York State and it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Improvements
and celebrations were held over the years, but when Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse was
chosen by the U. S. Postal Service to represent Lake Ontario on a series of Great Lakes
postage stamps in 1995, it had a huge impact on its future. Since that time, the New York
State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has made major improvements
to the lighthouse and park.
With the successful postage stamp celebration of 1995, an organization was formed. "Friends of Thirty Mile Point" has been an asset to the lighthouse. Through hard work, securing grants, and good planning, the group has achieved many further successes.
A highlight was in July of 1998. Hours of hard work and patience brought "a biggy" to fruition. A celebration was held, dedicated to relighting the tower with a new beacon, exactly forty years after the U. S. Coast Guard extinguished the light in the lighthouse due to a new steel tower they had built nearby. The new light is fully automated but the Friends clean the glass and lens once a week. Besides the tower restoration, the Friends helped restore the kitchen and worked in other rooms downstairs as well as upstairs. The group conducts tours of the lighthouse, sponsors two celebrations each year, supplies merchandise for the gift shop--a busy group to say the least. It is a cooperative venture between Tom Harris, his staff, and the Friends group. It has worked well.
Let me tell you about something new as of this summer (2001). The former keepers' quarters on the second floor can be rented. It is available year round. The "Lighthouse Cottage" as it is called, consists of three bedrooms, full bath, kitchen (with a microwave, coffee maker, dishes, etc.), a beautiful living room, and of course, a private entrance for your convenience. A beautiful view of Lake Ontario and the park awaits you from the many second floor windows. If fishing or boating is a hobby, the dock and boat launch is just a short distance away. For your pleasure there are picnic facilities at the marina, also.
The lighthouse is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays from 2:00-4:00. Special tours can be arranged. Call the campsite office at 716- 795-3885 or 716-795-3117 with any questions. A cheerful voice will be glad to help you.
In closing, I would like to share some lighthouse memories of a man that lived at the lighthouse as a child, David Elmer.
Looking North
At Winter & 30-Mile Point
I talked to David Elmer by phone, as he lives in Sterling, NY. He had been working on his lawn most of the day but Dave was never too tired to reminisce about the lighthouse. He said something that had lingered in his memory over the years---how fantastic the four seasons were when he lived at Thirty Mile Point:
"Storms---the lake could get so strong and powerful." In the winter the ice would freeze and form huge cone-shaped icebergs. He said that the ice would also form what looked like round pies---pie-shaped ice-that floated around. The outside looked like meringue as water foamed up around them. In the spring, lake storms would be different. He remarked that it was sad when the light was turned on for navigation. The birds, so many were killed. Birds migrate at night. So many mornings they would find such beautiful small birds that were attracted by the light and were killed when they hit the glass on the tower that surrounded the lenses. Then it was summer. More people would be around. He liked seeing people, the beautiful lake, fishing, and swiming. Fall-the lake would be churning up. The force of the wind off the lake would be powerful. "The sunsets---the beautiful sunsets!" I was never sorry I called Dave that night. He loved his lighthouse.
Others have shared their memories of growing up at Thirty Mile Point. Each one expressed how lonesome it was at times, but they all agreed it was an experience they wouldn't trade for anything in the world.