Thunder Bay Island sits four miles offshore from North Point in Alpena County at the northern edge of Thunder Bay. The Island is the outermost island in a group of islands connected to the north point of Thunder Bay by a shallow bank of numerous rocks, most of which are submerged. This 215-acre Island is composed of limestone bedrock and is covered with large boulders and gravel. A thin layer of soil supports a wide variety of plants and the absence of deer allows vegetation to grow without being browsed. The island is an important nesting site for a variety of bird species. Free from major carnivores, except the raccoon, large colonies of ring-billed gulls, common terns, herring gulls, and caspian terns can be found raising their young on the island.
One of the oldest light stations on Lake Huron is located on Thunder Bay Island. The light tower was first constructed in 1832 and was built to warn mariners of the dangerous reefs extending from the island. The lighthouse was built on the SE tip of the island with a tower of stucco-covered brick, and a spiral staircase. In 1857 it was raised 10 feet and a fog signal was added. The light keepers' quarters are attached. From 1832 to 1939 the Station was run by the U. S. Lighthouse Service, thereafter the U. S. Coast Guard manned it until it was automated in 1983. The facility is currently undergoing restoration by the Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Squatters were attracted to the federally-owned island and by 1845, a large fishing community thrived there. One hundred and sixty people lived on the island with thirty-one fishing boats harvesting twelve thousand barrels of fish each year. Faced with government action to remove them from the island, the trespassers picked up their belongings and relocated to nearby Sugar Island, where they stayed for years. At the present time, the most immediate concern for the Island is the rehabilitation of the lighthouse. Repairs are needed to keep the structure sound and restoration would be needed prior to public viewing. The Charter Township of Alpena received a land patent for the Bureau of Land Management in October of 2014 for the southern 43.08 acres containing all of the remaining structures including the light tower, keepers’ quarters, fog signal building, and oil building (storage).
Contact the preservation society at (989) 356-6743.