Millcreek Township near Erie in Erie County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Peninsula's First Roadway

Presque Isle Lighthouse

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2013

1. The Peninsula's First Roadway Marker

Inscription. For more than fifty years a narrow pathway served as the keeper’s primary link to civilization. Sand and dirt at first, and then paved in 1925, the current “sidewalk trail” led the keeper to his boathouse on Misery Bay for the second leg of an excursion to the city. This primitive trail, some 1.5 miles long, served as a link for lighthouse children to reach mainland schools. Wooden boards were added to make the walk easier, bridging the wet or muddy portions that were constantly threatened by changes in the water levels of the lake. Walking the trail, boating to the city, and then walking to school were a fact of life for children until the main road opened in 1927.

Today, walkers on the trail can only speculate on the mysteries and history that surround this unique site.

The city of Erie seemed a long distance away as keepers began their routine boat trip across the bay.

A simple boathouse on the shores of Misery Bay housed the small boat that keepers used to row to the mainland for supplies. The Lifesaving Service (later the U.S. Coast Guard) usually transported children to the mainland for school.

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Timeline:
1870 • Commissioned by Lighthouse Service to replace Erie Land Lighthouse
1872 • Construction begins in September
1873 • In service on July 12
1896 • 17 feet added to tower height
1921 • Presque Isle established as State Park
1925 • Sidewalk trail paved
1927 • Main road opened to lighthouse
1941 • Coast Guard assumes responsibility from Lighthouse Service
1957 • Indoor plumbing installed
1983 • Entered into National Register of Historic Places
1986 • State signs 25 year occupancy license agreement
1997 • Lighthouse exhibit construction begins

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Roads & Vehicles • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 12, 1925.

Location. 42° 9.951′ N, 80° 6.838′ W. Marker is near Erie, Pennsylvania, in Erie County. It is in Millcreek Township. It can be reached from Peninsula Drive 0.6 miles Fisher Drive, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located along the walkway on the north side of Peninsula Drive, inside the courtyard on the west side of the

The Peninsula's First Roadway Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2013

2. The Peninsula's First Roadway Marker (wide view)

Presque Isle Lighthouse parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie PA 16507, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northwestern Pennsylvania.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Flashlight (here, next to this marker); Five Courses Thick (here, next to this marker); The Loneliest Place on Earth (here, next to this marker); The Perry Monument (approx. 1.4 miles away); Budny Beach (approx. 1.4 miles away); A Climate For War (approx. 1.4 miles away); Preparing For Battle (approx. 1.4 miles away); And the Misery begins… (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a

The Peninsula's First Roadway Marker (<i>wide view; marker mounted on pedestal in courtyard</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2013

3. The Peninsula's First Roadway Marker (wide view; marker mounted on pedestal in courtyard)

list and map of all markers in Erie.

More about this marker. Marker is a framed, composite plaque, mounted horizontally, at waist-level, on a concrete slab atop a brick pedestal.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Presque Isle Lighthouse

Presque Isle Lighthouse (<i>1/10 mile northwest of marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 26, 2013

4. Presque Isle Lighthouse (1/10 mile northwest of marker)

National Register of Historic Places #83002242 (1983)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 15, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 320 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 16, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.