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St. Joseph in Berrien County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

United States Life Saving Service

 
 
United States Life Saving Service Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
1. United States Life Saving Service Marker
Inscription. The waters off St. Joseph and Benton Harbor have long served as an active and frequently dangerous avenue of maritime trade. High winds and hazardous waves made shipwrecks a common occurrence.

To assist mariners, a U.S. Life Saving Service Station was established at St. Joseph in 1877—one of the first on the Great Lakes. The government commissioned buildings, boats, rescue equipment, and a lifesaving crew. The Station's skilled "surfmen" performed many daring rescues.

In 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed the duties of the Life Saving Service. St. Joseph's Coast Guard Station works to secure the safety of maritime activity for a nearly 900-square-mile district along the lakeshore.

(Upper Left Photo Caption)
19th Century view of the U.S. Life Saving Crew at St. Joseph
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center

(Upper Right Photo Caption)
Although the buildings have been changed, the U.S. Coast Guard still operates from the same site as the 1877 U.S. Life Saving Service Station, shown here in 2008.
Photo: Alden J. Ho Photography

(Lower Right Photo Caption)
U.S. Coast Guard crew and 47-foot motor lifeboat at St. Joseph, 2007
Photo: Alden J. Ho Photograph

(Lower Left Photo Caption)
Surfmen practice a drill
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at St. Joseph, 1890s
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
 
Erected by City of St. Joseph, The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center, and the Public History Program at Western Michigan University.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
 
Location. 42° 6.601′ N, 86° 28.987′ W. Marker is in St. Joseph, Michigan, in Berrien County. Marker is at the intersection of Lake Boulevard and Pleasant Street, on the left when traveling north on Lake Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Joseph MI 49085, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Miami (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Silver Beach Amusement Park (about 400 feet away); Eleven Inch Dahlgren (about 400 feet away); Lighthouses on the Bluff (about 500 feet away); La Salle Memorial (about 500 feet away); St. Joseph's Firemen (about 600 feet away); Creating a Harbor (about 600 feet away); Commercial Fishing (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Joseph.
 
More about this marker. The marker is the fourth of 12 interpretive signs along the St. Joseph Maritime Heritage Trail.
 
Related markers. Click here
United States Life Saving Service Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
2. United States Life Saving Service Marker
for a list of markers that are related to this marker. These are the markers of the St. Joseph Maritime Heritage Trail. To study the markers in their order along the trail, read each marker in the order shown.
 
U.S. Life Saving Service Crew at St. Joseph image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
3. U.S. Life Saving Service Crew at St. Joseph
Close-up of Image on Marker
U.S. Coast Guard Station, 2008 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
4. U.S. Coast Guard Station, 2008
Close-up of Image on Marker
U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat, 2007 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
5. U.S. Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat, 2007
Close-up of Image on Marker
Surfmen at St. Joseph, 1890s image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane Hall, April 26, 2013
6. Surfmen at St. Joseph, 1890s
Close-up of Image on Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 585 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 29, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.

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Mar. 29, 2024