Tramway & Tramway Cart

Tramway and Tramway Cart. . , Like many lighthouses, the Presque Isle lights were in a remote area that was inaccessible by road. The U.S. Lighthouse Establishment operated boats, called lighthouse tenders, to bring materials and supplies to these remote outposts. , The New Presque Isle Lighthouse is situated farther back from the water than some other lighthouses. In 1890, a plank dock with log cribs and a 2.240-foot-long tramway were built to move supplies from the tender to where they were needed. The track connected the dock and fog signal building on the north, the light tower in the center, and the boathouse to the west. , Coal, oil, food and general supplies were transported from the lighthouse tenders to the lighthouse grounds on a tramway cart, which could be pushed manually or pulled by a horse. , In 1940, the tramway rails were replaced by the gravel roads, leading north to the fog signal and west to the boathouse, that we use today.