Mackinaw Township in Mackinaw City in Cheboygan County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Radio Beacon 1937/1938
Photographed by Sandra Hughes Tidwell, May 18, 2023
1. Radio Beacon 1937/1938 Marker
Radio technology improved Old Mackinac Point's role as a beacon for sailors. The lighthouse Service installed a radio beacon at the station in late 1937. The beacon which entered service in 1938, automatically transmitted a unique radio signal (three dashed in Morse code) via a 132-foot tall tower. This allowed sailors using radio direction-finding equipment to identify their position in the Strait of Mackinac. Keepers maintained the radio beacon and fog signal all year, guiding the icebreaking railroad ferries across the straits during the winter months.
Radio equipment associated with the beacon was housed in the fog signal building. In bad weather, the fog horns and radio beacon were used simultaneously. By measuring the time between the receipt of the radio signal and the moment they heard the fog horns. sailors could determine their distance form Old Mackinac Point.
The entire tower served as an antenna to broadcast Old Mackinac Point's radio signal.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Communications. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. 45° 47.241′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula, on the Straits of Mackinac, and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Michilimackinac State Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Fog Signal Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Lighthouses of the Mackinac Straits (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Michilimackinac State Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Shipwrecks in the Straits (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Michilimackinac State Park (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Crossroads of the Great Lakes (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mackinaw City.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Crossroads of the Great Lakes (was about 300 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2023, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 304 times since then and 17 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on July 17, 2023, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and the surrounding area together in context. • Can you help?
