Or How The Path To The Lighthouse Just Got Shorter
There are no pictures to accompany this blog, just a story. Yet, this is not just any story. No, it is a story for everyone who is involved in the preservation of history, especially lighthouses and their keepers. This is the story of fate.
I live far away from the inland seas now, as far away as one can get without actually falling into another body of water-the Gulf of Mexico. I live in Texas, the land of lone stars and longhorns, armadillos and horny toads. I live in San Antonio.
When I first began researching this whole lighthouse keeper project I soon learned things happen beyond our wildest imaginings and expectations. "Things" have a way of happening on our little mountain of life, which are beyond our control. And when these things happen, that is the strange and unusual, it makes me step back to ponder. Sometimes the unusual makes me want to flee to a cave in the desert to sit among the ancient desert fathers and mothers and holy people. Just so I too can sit and ponder the wonder of it all and explore its meaning in the greater picture of my life. Alas, although we do have caves here in San Antonio, there are no deserts close by to flee. So my story begins. I will leave the pondering to history.
I began to sort the piles and piles of information gleaned from the National Archives and the Lakeside Heritage Society this past fall. In doing so I realized Keeper Charles Hunter and Keeper Edward Herman must have had a rather unique relationship. After all, they kept the light going as a team for almost 25 years. Prior to Edward's arrival, Charles seemed to have difficulty "keeping" assistants. I believe Edward was number four in less then ten years. Some resigned rather quickly-the longest stayed maybe six years.
When Edward arrived on the rocky shores of Marblehead he stepped into an already rich history and the life of Keeper Charles Hunter. They were the exact opposite in personalities. Keeper Hunter was remembered as a colorful story teller, loud, brash, a self taught artist and seemed to embody the salty old man of the inland seas. He was what the public wanted-the colorful lighthouse keeper. Edward on the other hand, was remembered as quiet, a good story teller, and somewhat prudish. He was not the perception of what the public sought in a lighthouse keeper.
Yet, the two shared a similar background. Both had sailed the Great Lakes on a variety of ships. Both came from families long connected to the inland seas and ships. And, they both came from the ranks of the Lighthouse Service. Edward also came from a military background which probably helped the assistant keeper position. In other words, Edward already knew the ropes.
Keeper Hunter married late in life and the only records to survive were written by stepsons and a step grandson. The history of his life was not remembered very accurately and I wanted to tell his story too. So I began to dig into the archives of this man's life. What I found would make any lighthouse historian run for the desert.
I began my search on Ancestry.com and was able to trace Charles' family a good way back and forward. It seems his father was a ship captain on the Great Lakes. Charles was one of many brothers and they all shared a love of the water. Charles had sailed with his brother and possibly his father on the Lakes. In the meantime, I began to work with Walter Lewis of the Great Lakes Maritime History web site. I was sharing postcards from the Keeper Herman collection.
While doing this I accidentally stumbled across an article on his web site (and I mean accidentally & stumble) from the Erie Daily newspaper. The article mentioned a Captain James Hunter and two ships he co-owned with a Captain Ormsby. I wondered if this was the very same James Hunter, the father of Keeper Charles? More research led me to the conclusion they were one and the same. Charles, it seemed from the lighthouse logbooks was close to his older brother Silas. Silas was an engineer on the Great Lakes and often visited Charles at the lighthouse. I wondered about the other people in Charles' life-the brothers, their children, and their children's children. I wondered if any from those past generations still existed. Or, had they succumbed to familial extinction?
A month ago I went back to Ancestry.com to further research Charles Hunter for the web site. It had been awhile since I last logged onto the site. It had been even longer since I looked up information on Charles Hunter. When I did a search for Charles Hunter something very interesting turned up-a profile for a James Hunter. It seemed someone else was searching information on the family of James Hunter. Could this be the same James who was the father of Keeper Charles?
I sent a message and waited for an answer. When it came, I realized what a profound thing is this concept of fate. I am forever grateful to the Greeks and their pondering on its meaning. My question was answered.
"Yes, yes, I am related to a Charles Hunter who was the lighthouse keeper. My great grandfather was his brother, Silas Hunter!"
Really now! I mentioned living in Texas. It was a long way from the inland seas making it difficult to do research in person. I made a joke to my husband. " The way things are going with this research, I will be really, really freaked if he emails back saying he lives in Texas."
"Where in Texas do you live?" This was the first sentence of his email. He would love to get together if it wasn't too far away. Why you ask? The rest of his email; " I also live in Texas. I live in San Antonio. Do you live anywhere near San Antonio?"
I read that email over and over again. When fate knocks at your own front door it is difficult not to hear the pounding of your heart. Yes, yes of course I live in San Antonio I emailed back.
We will meet after Easter. To share and talk and explore our two great uncles, the lighthouse keepers. That day when I once again opened up an email that changed the face of my mountain, I realized the path to the lighthouse just got shorter. This time there were no rainbows. However, I knew once again that Charles and Edward were very, very pleased with a great nephew and a great niece.
And didn't I tell you the best chapters in history are not yet written? Now, go ponder.
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