![]() ![]() Coast Guard in 1939.Īlthough electricity, automations and other technological advancements did away with the need to tend to the lights as diligently as in the past, lighthouse keepers are still needed in some areas to ensure ship safety. As for the care of individual lighthouses, that responsibility was given to the Bureau of Lighthouses in 1910 and then the U.S. In 1896, lighthouse keepers officially became civil service employees. The Lighthouse Service provided keepers with additional guidance in the 19th century, notably with its "Instructions to Employees of the United States Lighthouse Service." The hefty handbook "included instructions for keeping the lighthouse in working order and emergency response, but also instructions about matters of daily life, including standards of conduct and the required use of the official Lighthouse Service uniform." Their duties included completing routine maintenance work, like making repairs preparing to respond to emergencies, like shipwrecks and keeping the light operating, which varied based on geographic location, weather conditions, and other factors. Lighthouse keepers often worked long hours, usually beginning their day before dawn and ending it well past dusk. Their duties also expanded as the job become more professionalized. were employees of the United States Lighthouse Service, which was the first Public Works Act of the first United States Congress. In certain instances, duties were passed from husband to wife, usually when the former died or was incapable of maintaining their position.ĭuring the 18th century, most lighthouse keepers in the U.S. That also meant duties were often passed down from generation to generation, as seen in "Slumberland" when Nemo asks her father why she has to learn math if she's going to take over his role and care for the lighthouse. Before electricity, that meant maintaining the oil lamps (such as trimming the wicks, which inspired the nickname "wickies") and the clockwork mechanisms.īecause of the remoteness and dedication required, lighthouse keepers often lived on location. ![]() Historically, lighthouse keepers were essential to keeping the lights on so that ships would have visibility and not wreck. Here's a closer look at the origin of the job and how it has changed: Over the years, lighthouse keepers have been heavily romanticized in Hollywood, despite it being regarded as an isolating profession. Do people still live in lighthouses? Are their duties the same now that technology has taken over? We had questions.
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