The Saginaw River Rear Range Lighthouse in 1904 and 2001. (National Archives and Saginaw River Marine Historical Society photos.)
Saginaw Bay Lighthouse, established in 1841, was the first lighthouse in what is now known the as the Bay City, Michigan area (more specifically, Bangor Township of Bay County) and was located on Saginaw Bay just west of the mouth of the Saginaw River. It was replaced by the nearby Saginaw River (Front and Rear) Range Lights, which were established in 1876 (the same year the telephone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell*).
The Saginaw River Range Station was comprised of the keeper's dwelling, the Saginaw River Range Rear Range Light (the tower for the Rear Range Light was attached to the northwest corner of the keeper's dwelling), and the no longer existing Saginaw River Range Front Range Light. An assistant keepers dwelling (located near the Front Range Light) was built in the early 1900s. Over the years there were at least a few buildings (so far it is known there were 2 different garages--on approximately the same spot, an outbuilding, a mechanical building, mobile buildings for housing Guard Guard personnel) near the keeper's dwelling/Rear Range Light.
The keeper's dwelling served a Coast Guard Station from 1939 to 1980, however, the Front and Rear Range Lights were decommissioned in the 1960s, replaced by the Saginaw Bay Channel Range Lights.
The Saginaw River Marine Historical Society (SRMHS) is the organization involved with the preservation of the Saginaw River Rear Range Lighthouse in cooperation with the owner of the building, The Dow Chemical Company.
PLEASE NOTE: The lighthouse and surrounding land are private property and are currently only open to SRMHS members during scheduled work sessions. If you would like to join the SRMHS and help with the preservation of this lighthouse, you can print out a Membership Form.
(* = There is controversy regarding the invention of the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the telephone but Antonio Meucc and Elisha Gray played important roles in its development. More about this.)
Click Here to see the to see the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society's Web pages on Boatnerd.com
The Saginaw River Marine Historical Society is Preserving the History of the Saginaw River.
Keywords: Saginaw Bay Lighthouse, Saginaw Bay Light Station, Saginaw River Range Lighthouse, Saginaw River Range Light Station, Saginaw River Front and Rear Range Lights. The Saginaw River Rear Range Lighthouse is located in Bangor Township of Bay County Michigan (just north of Bay City), about 2/3 mile from the mouth of the Saginaw River (on the west side of the river) and the Saginaw Bay [Lake Huron, one of North America's five (5) Great Lakes].
The Saginaw River Rear Range Lighthouse in 1904 and 2001. (National Archives and Saginaw River Marine Historical Society photos.)
