There's just as much history as there is beauty in Eagle Harbor
Read more: Local, Tourism, Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, Peter Van Pelt, Larry Molloy, Liz Ward, Keweenaw Peninsula
EAGLE HARBOR -- Situated in the heart of the Keweenaw, you could take the majestic Eagle Harbor Lighthouse at face value and admire its beauty, but the Keweenaw Historical Society reminds us that for all its physical charm, there's much more to the lighthouse than meets the eye--its rich history.
"It's just a magnificent collection of natural beauty and historic events that have occurred in the area," said Historical Society volunteer, Larry Molloy.
Eagle Harbor is one of only two navigable harbors on the north shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula, making it a shipping staple in copper mining history.
"They would bring supplies such as gunpowder, food, and clothing to the copper miners that worked in the area," Molloy said. "They would offload the supplies at one of the three docks in the town, and then when they left, they would take barrels of copper or huge chunks of copper."
Tours of the lighthouse and its complex are offered seven days a week for four dollars, but on Sunday, the exhibit was free to the public at its open house. Those who attended were treated to baked goods and a look into the fashion of the Copper Country in the late 1800s.
In addition to the lighthouse, three other museums on its complex reveal Eagle Harbor's abundant past, including the maritime, commercial fishing, and history museums.
"It gives you a real sense of what life was like for the lighthouse keepers," said visitor, Liz Ward of San Antonio, Texas.
"As a boy I lived in the house right adjacent to the lighthouse property on the west side," said visitor, Peter Van Pelt. "So that's where I spent all my childhood summers, and it looks very much like it did in those days. The feeling is totally the same."
Tours are open until October 15.
