5 Haunted LIghthouses in MIchigan: Ghost Stories, Legends & History

Haunted lighthouses in Michigan are surrounded by ghost stories involving phantom footsteps, mysterious figures, tragic deaths, and former lighthouse keepers.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, and many have developed legends over the years. But how much truth is behind these stories? This article explores five of Michigan’s most famous haunted lighthouses, comparing their ghostly legends with the historical record.

 

Haunted Lighthouses At A Glance

• Featured lighthouses: Waugoshance, Point aux Barques, New Presque Isle, White River, and Seul Choix
• Great Lakes represented: Lake Michigan and Lake Huron
• Reported phenomena: Apparitions, phantom footsteps, unexplained noises, moving objects, mysterious smells, and other strange occurrences
• Historical evidence: Varies considerably from one lighthouse to another
• Best for: Anyone interested in Michigan lighthouse history, Great Lakes folklore, and allegedly haunted places

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Waugoshance Lighthouse: One of the Oldest Lights on the Great Lakes

Waugoshance Lighthouse sits on the northeastern end of Lake Michigan and has one of the oldest lighthouse histories on the Great Lakes. The light began as a lightship in 1832 before becoming an actual lighthouse in 1851.

According to maritime historian Wes Oleszewski, the ghost story associated with Waugoshance is one of the first tales usually told to lighthouse enthusiasts and historians.

One of the lighthouse keepers was John Herman, a man described as a drinker and a "funny man." Herman began his career as an assistant lightkeeper in 1887 and became the keeper in charge in 1892.

According to the legend, Herman was drunk one night when he decided to play a practical joke on one of his fellow keepers. He locked the man inside the lamp room and wandered away from the lighthouse, apparently pleased with his prank.

Herman then disappeared into the night.

His fellow keeper eventually managed to get out and searched for him, but Herman was never found.

The Ghost of Waugoshance

After Herman's disappearance, strange things supposedly began happening around the lighthouse.

If a keeper fell asleep while on duty, his chair might suddenly be kicked out from underneath him. Ordinary chores were also said to take care of themselves. Coal buckets were reportedly filled without anyone claiming responsibility, among other unexplained occurrences.

According to the legend, the strange activity became so troublesome that the lighthouse became increasingly difficult to staff. A new lighthouse was eventually constructed at White Shoal, and Waugoshance was abandoned to its resident ghost.

It's a great ghost story.

But is it true?

 

Is the Waugoshance Haunting Real?

"Considering that so much of lighthouse history has been lost, sometimes all that we have is legend," maritime author Wes Oleszewski writes in Lighthouse Adventures.

Waugoshance is one of the oldest lights on the Great Lakes, and relatively few historical records survive. However, Oleszewski's research doesn't support the idea that the lighthouse became difficult to staff because of paranormal activity.

In fact, the turnover of keepers following John Herman's long tenure appears to have been about the same as it was before him. Oleszewski also points out that high turnover was common at offshore lights, particularly remote locations like Waugoshance.

The story that another lighthouse was built specifically to escape the ghost also doesn't hold up particularly well. Waugoshance was outdated, and a replacement lighthouse was genuinely needed.

There also doesn't appear to be historical evidence that John Herman died at the lighthouse.

The only keeper known to have drowned there was Thomas Marshall, who died on May 28, 1886.

The story about Herman appears to have surfaced in a newspaper article published in Petoskey sometime during the 1930s. After the lighthouse was abandoned, it acquired the nickname "Wobble Shanks."

And Waugoshance didn't lose all of its ghosts.

Frederick Stonehouse, a prolific author of Great Lakes ghost stories, writes that two ghosts are said to inhabit "Wobble Shanks." One legend claims that a worker was killed during construction of the lighthouse and that his cries can sometimes still be heard.

 

How to See Waugoshance Lighthouse

Waugoshance Lighthouse is not open to the public, but visitors can see it from the water.

Shepler's Ferry Service out of Mackinaw City offers lighthouse cruises during the summer season. Its Westward Tour passes White Shoal, Grays Reef, Waugoshance, and St. Helena Island.

For current tour information, check with the ferry service before planning your trip.

Point aux Barques Lighthouse | Photo Source Wikipedia

Point aux Barques Lighthouse: The Ghostly Lady

The secluded Point aux Barques Lighthouse was built in 1847 near the tip of Michigan's Thumb along Lake Huron.

Author Wes Oleszewski describes a strange experience he had while photographing the lighthouse. As he took pictures of the living quarters, he believed he captured a ghostly figure pulling back a curtain.

The experience startled him, particularly because he considered himself a fairly scientific-minded person.

But the photograph wasn't the only strange story associated with Point aux Barques.

The Ghost of the Cleaning Lady

For years, people have reported seeing the ghost of a woman who is said to have worked as a cleaning lady during the 1930s.

According to the story, the apparition has been seen by several people over the years.

Oleszewski became curious about the identity of the woman and investigated whether a person matching the description could be found in historical records. His research eventually took him to the National Archives.

He found no evidence of a woman who matched the description of the apparition.

That doesn't necessarily explain what people claim to have seen, but it does leave the identity of the "ghostly lady" firmly in the realm of mystery.

Today, Point aux Barques Lighthouse operates as a museum and is open to the public.

Learn More

• Point aux Barques Lighthouse Society

New Presque Isle Lighthouse: Michigan's "Shining" Lighthouse

Located near Alpena, the New Presque Isle Lighthouse stands 113 feet tall, making it one of the tallest lighthouses on the Great Lakes. It was built in 1870.

Isolation and loneliness are common themes in lighthouse ghost stories, and New Presque Isle has its own version of the idea. In fact, the story sounds a little like a Michigan version of The Shining.

The most famous legend claims that the lighthouse keeper became mentally unstable from the isolation and locked his wife inside a tunnel on the property.

Another version of the story is even darker.

According to this version, the keeper had a lover and wanted his wife out of the way while he pursued the affair. He supposedly imprisoned his wife in the tunnel and eventually killed her.

It's a memorable story—but there is a problem.

Is the New Presque Isle Murder Story True?

There is no historical evidence to suggest that either version of the story actually happened.

Over the years, however, the stories became attached to New Presque Isle Lighthouse and eventually became part of its ghostly folklore.

This is a good example of why it's important to separate Michigan's ghost stories from Michigan's documented history. A legend can be fascinating without being historically verified.

The New Presque Isle Lighthouse and the nearby Old Presque Isle Lighthouse are both wonderful places to visit during the summer.

For current museum hours and visitor information, check the official Presque Isle Lighthouses website before visiting.

White River Light Station: The Ghost of William Robinson

Lighthouse keepers took their jobs seriously. Their responsibility was to keep the light burning and guide ships safely through dangerous waters. A keeper's failure could have serious consequences.

Perhaps that's one reason so many lighthouse ghost stories involve former keepers who supposedly refuse to leave their posts.

At Michigan's White River Light Station, the ghost said to linger behind is that of William Robinson, the lighthouse's first keeper.

The White River Light Station is particularly special to me because it graces the cover of my first book, Ghosts & Legends of Michigan's West Coast.

The White River Light Station was built in 1876, and William Robinson devoted 47 years of his life to the light. Eventually, age forced him out of his position.

His oldest grandson took over the job, keeping the position within the family. William, however, was not allowed to continue living at the lighthouse. Only his son and immediate family were permitted to remain there.

According to Frederick Stonehouse in Haunted Lakes, William told his grandson, "I am not going to leave the building."

He died on the very day he was supposed to leave.

Another version of the story suggests that William and his grandson simply did not get along. William believed he was still capable of doing his job, but his grandson, William Bush, was now in charge. In 1919, the Lighthouse Service ordered Robinson to move on.

William became depressed and died soon afterward.

Whether or not the details of the story have been embellished over the years, the timing certainly made for a compelling ghost story.

The Ghost of Captain William Robinson

Today, the second floor of the White River Light Station is said to be the primary stomping ground of its resident ghost.

Visitors and former staff have reported phantom footsteps, particularly on the second floor and in the stairwell. Other reports include seeing a brief flash of a couple looking out from the top-story window, a strange blinking light in the tower, and the feeling that William Robinson and his wife, Sarah, are still present.

Karen McDonnell, who served as curator of the White River Light Station Museum for more than 20 years, has spoken about the unusual reports.

Importantly, she never claimed that the lighthouse was filled with ghosts or that something paranormal was happening around every corner.

What she did acknowledge were the reports of phantom footsteps and other unexplained occurrences.

And perhaps that's what makes White River such an interesting haunted location. There is a real historical person at the center of the story, a documented connection to the lighthouse, and decades of reports from people who believe they have experienced something unusual there.

A Note From the Author

If you happen to pick up a copy of my book Ghosts & Legends of Michigan's West Coast, I have to confess something.

I put the wrong photograph of Captain William Robinson's grave in the book.

It took seven years for someone to point it out to me. I had photographed an older tombstone, but William's grave is actually marked by a smaller, more unassuming and newer stone just to the right. The next time I'm at his grave, I'll have to take a new photograph.

It was my first book.

Go easy on me. 🙂

Seul Choix Lighthouse: The Ghost of "Willy" Townshend

Let's get one thing out of the way first: Seul Choix is not pronounced the way most people initially think it is.

While reading Weird Michigan, author Linda Godfrey wrote about locals giving her a dirty look when she asked for directions to the "sool choy" lighthouse.

The name is pronounced more like "Sish Schwah" and comes from the French phrase meaning "only choice."

Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula near Gulliver, Seul Choix Lighthouse was built in 1895.

And, naturally, it has a ghost.

The Ghost of Willy Townshend

The lighthouse is said to be haunted by Joseph William "Willy" Townshend, a former sea captain who became keeper of the light in 1901.

In 1910, Townshend died in his bedroom at the lighthouse.

According to reports, visitors and volunteers have encountered his ghost in mirrors, seen him looking out of windows, and even spotted him in the woods surrounding the lighthouse.

Other strange occurrences have also been reported, including the smell of cigar smoke when nobody was smoking and objects apparently moving on their own.

Unlike some lighthouse legends, the historical person at the center of this story really did exist, and his death at the lighthouse is documented.

The question is whether something of Willy Townshend remained behind.

That's where the story becomes folklore.

Why Are Michigan Lighthouses So Often Said to Be Haunted?

Michigan's lighthouses are perfect settings for ghost stories.

Many were built in isolated locations where keepers and their families could spend long periods separated from the outside world. Keepers worked in dangerous conditions, storms could leave them stranded, and the Great Lakes claimed countless lives.

Some keepers spent decades tending the same light. Others died while still serving there.

Over generations, stories about those people became woven into the history of the buildings themselves.

That doesn't mean every lighthouse in Michigan is haunted, or that every ghost story is historically accurate.

In fact, some of the most interesting stories are the ones where the historical record doesn't quite match the legend.

That's part of what makes Michigan's haunted lighthouses so fascinating. The ghosts may be questionable. The history is not.

Michigan's Haunted Lighthouses: Legend vs. History

If there's one thing I've learned from researching Michigan's strange stories, it's that the truth is often more interesting than the legend.

A ghost story might begin with a real lighthouse keeper, a documented death, or an actual tragedy. Over time, details can change, disappear, or become more dramatic as the story is passed from one person to another. That's why it's worth looking beyond the ghost story itself. Who actually lived there? What happened to them? What does the historical record say?And when does documented history end and folklore begin?

Those questions don't make the stories less interesting.

They make them better.

Sources and Further Reading

• Godfrey, Linda S. Weird Michigan: Your Travel Guide to Michigan's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. Sterling Publishing Co., 2006.

• Oleszewski, Wes. Lighthouse Adventures: Heroes, Haunts & Havoc on the Great Lakes. Gwinn, MI: Avery Color Studios, 1999.

• Stampfler, Diane. Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses. Arcadia Publishing, 2023.
• Stonehouse, Frederick. Great Lakes Lighthouse Tales. Gwinn, MI: Avery Color Studios, 1998.
• Stonehouse, Frederick. Haunted Lakes. Avery Color Studios, 2001.