He was alarmed to find this underwater mountain so far from shore in waters thought to free of hazards.
As maritime traffic increased, the potential danger of the reef grew.
In 1868, a temporary day beacon was constructed to test the stability of the rock.
It was a stone crib 12 foot in diameter topped by a 20-foot high and 6-foot diameter iron marker.
Location of Stannard Rock Lighthouse in Lake Superior.
It took five long and difficult years to build the lighthouse.
At times the men bemoaned that they did more repairing than building.
During summer, storms often suspended work slowing down construction.
The tower was eventually completed and lighted for the first time in 1882.
Life in this remote outpost was lonely and harsh.
The keepers were not allowed to have wives, girlfriends and families, which increased homesickness.
The men spent time playing cribbage and ate whatever came out of the can.
Often, they went days without speaking to each other.
To combat the terrible isolation, the men were rotated off the Rock, typically after three weeks.
One keeper threatened to swim ashore if a boat did not come immediately to get him.
Another oneas the legend goesbecame deranged and had to carried off the Rock in a straitjacket.
When they did, they would find the lighthouse heaped over by a thick layer of ice.
The men would take sledgehammers and pickaxes to clear away the ice so that gain entry.
Then they hacked away ice from the lantern and the foghorns.
The trip to the lighthouse itself was no easy matter.
One year there was so much ice on the Lake that keepers didnt reach Stannard Rock until July.
Removing keepers at the end of the shipping season was equally perilous.
In 1913 the entire tower was encased in 12 feet of ice by a vicious storm.
It took a 12-man team a week to rescue the keepers.
Injured, but alive, the three men hoped for an early rescue.
The following year, the lighthouse was automated.
It is closed to the public now and can only be viewed from a boat or an airplane.
