Lights - Page: 11 of 54

The small lakeshore community of Algoma wasn't always known by that particular name. In fact, Algoma is a relatively new name for the city. Discovered in 1834 by Joseph McCormick of Manitowoc, the first settlement, established in 1851 by Irish and English pioneers was called Wolf River. This was a loose translation from the Indian An-Ne-Pe which meant "land of the great gray wolf" a legendary animal in stories told by local Indians. Those early settlers had a friendly relationship with their Native American neighbors, the Potawatomi, who passed on the legend through word of mouth storytelling. In 1879, the city was formally renamed Algoma, another Indian name, this one meaning "park of flowers". By that time, the commercial fishing fleet located in Algoma was the largest on Lake Michigan and the city's ties with the water were irrevocably made.

The Algoma Pierhead Lighthouse was first established in 1893 as a set of range lights. It was rebuilt in 1908 at which time it was a conical tower built of 5/16 inch steel plate, 8 feet in diameter at the base and 7 feet in diameter at the parapet. It stood 26 feet high. In 1932 it was modified again and the entire structure was raised to a height of 42 feet by placing the older tower on a new steel base 12 feet in diameter. The original lens has been replaced by a plastic lens. It is called Algoma Light and listed as number 20975 in USCG light lists.