The Loneliest Place on Earth

The Loneliest Place on Earth. Presque Isle Lighthouse. , “The loneliest place on earth” is how Charles Waldo, the first keeper of the Presque Isle Lighthouse, described his 7 year tenure at the station. , Waldo lived at the lighthouse with his family when, on July 12, 1873 he wrote: “This is a new station and a light will be exhibited for the first time tonight. There was one visitor”. , Early U.S. Lighthouse Service keepers were required to “keep the light burning” from sunset until sunrise during the shipping season, April through November. Keepers were paid a total of $520 per year for 365 days of service. , Until a road to the mainland was built in 1927 the keepers and their families were quite lonely, their isolation broken by the arrival of a supply tender several times each year. , Charles Waldo, the first lighthouse keeper, served at this lonely outpost from 1873 until 1880. His wife, Mary, gave birth to daughter Nellie in 1876, the first child known to be born at Presque Isle. , Foods, oil, and supplies were brought to the lighthouse several times each year by a supply boat that docked at a lakeside jetty. , U.S. Lighthouse Keepers: , . Charles Waldo 1873-1880 , . Orrin J. McAllister 1880-1880 (8 days) , . George E. Town 1880-1883 , . Clark McCole 1883-1886 , . Lewis Vanetta 1886-1891 , . Lewis Walrouse 1891-1892 , . Thomas L. Wilkens 1892-1901 , . Andrew Shaw 1901-1927 , . Frank Huntington 1927-1944 , Not listed are those from the U.S. Coast Guard who served as interim residents of the Lighthouse.