Juneau in Juneau Borough, Alaska — Northwest (North America)
Lincoln Rock, Fairway Island & Point Sherman
Inscription.
Widely spaced along Alaska's Inside Passage, these three lighthouses were among the first built, and the first discontinued.
The lighthouse on Lincoln Rock, near Ketchikan, was unusually difficult to build. The small, rocky pinnacle on which it stood is completely submerged at high tide. The builder lost his lumber, a small steamer, and a barge on his first attempt to reach the site. Six years after completion of the two-story wooden building, storms damaged it so badly that keepers had to evacuate. In 1911, the lighthouse was rebuilt on a larger island nearby.
On Fairway Island, near Sitka, a wooden light tower stood 40 feet from a small, wood-frame house for the keeper. The lighthouse featured a small acetylene lantern mounted on a six-foot, hexagonal. light tower. The keeper's house was torn down between 1917 and 1925, leaving the light untended.
Point Sherman, between Juneau and Skagway, was among the lighthouses hastily built in 1904 to mark hazards found during the gold rush. As at Fairway Island, there was a small light tower and separate keeper's dwelling. The house was destroyed in the 1940s when a gold mine caretaker set fire to it to attract a passing vessel.
At-a-glance box
Lincoln Rock
Location: west end of Clarence Strait 54 miles northwest of Ketchikan
First lighted: Dec. 1, 1903
Original Optics: fourth-order Fresnel lens
Disestablished: 1968
Fairway Island
Location: east entrance to Peril Strait, 29 miles northwest of Sitka
First lighted: Sept. 1, 1904
Original Optics: acetylene lantern
Disestablished: by 1925
Point Sherman
Location: Lynn Canal, 38 miles north of Juneau
First lighted: Oct. 18, 1904
Original Optics: acetylene lantern
Disestablished: before 1917
Captions
(Left) Above, the light station at low-lying Lincoln Rock. Below a boat outing for the keepers of Point Sherman lighthouse around 1910. (US Coast Guard Photos)
(Right) The lighthouse on Fairway Island. (US Coast Guard Photo)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 1, 1904.
Location. 58° 17.91′ N, 134° 24.321′ W. Marker is in Juneau, Alaska, in Juneau Borough. Marker can be reached from Marine
Way. Marker is on the Juneau Harbor boardwalk, south of Marine Park and across from the cruise ship berths. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 252 Marine Way, Juneau AK 99801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Point Retreat (here, next to this marker); Guard Islands (here, next to this marker); Cape Sarichef & Scotch Cap (here, next to this marker); Eldred Rock (here, next to this marker); Tree Point (here, next to this marker); Mary Island (here, next to this marker); Cape Hinchinbrook (here, next to this marker); Five Finger (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Juneau.
Also see . . .
1. Lincoln Rock, AK. Timeline and list of keepers at the station, by Lighthousefriends.com. (Submitted on September 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Fairway Island, AK. Short overview of the lighthouse's brief existence, by Lighthousefriends.com. (Submitted on September 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Point Sherman Lighthouse. Recap of the short-lived lighthouse, including how it got its name, by Lighthousefriends.com. (Submitted on September 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 158 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 12, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.