Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse - Niagara County, New York

Built as a lighthouse to guide mariners around shoals on Lake Ontario, the Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse is located at Golden Hill State Park, just at the northeastern corner of Niagara County in the Town of Barker. Taking its name from being 30 miles east of the mouth of the Niagara River, the Thirthy Mile Point Lighthouse was commissioned in 1873 and constructed in 1875 and 1876. At the time when the lighthouse was built, the closest lighthouse east of the Niagara River was the Oak Orchard Lighthouse, but it was not much use as a means to assist in getting ships to the Welland Canal. Before the lighthouse was built, there were a number of shipwrecks that had sunk near Thirty Mile Point, most notably a shipwreck in 1678 for a ship belonging to the French explorer La Salle, and the HMS Ontario, a British schooner which lost all of its passengers when it sunk during a Halloween storm in 1780. Certainly the construction of the lighthouse was beneficial to shipping interests in the area.

By the time the calendar turned to the year 1958, the lighthouse became automated. Around the same time, New York State began to purchase land around the lighthouse and in 1962, Golden Hill State Park was opened. Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred from the United States Coast Guard to New York State in 1984. You can take tour inside the lighthouse from the middle of May to the middle of October or even spend the night inside the lighthouse as well. Also, as part of a way to celebrate the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes, the Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse was depicted on a postage stamp in 1995, as part of a series highlighting a lighthouse on the shores of each of the Great Lakes.


Heading to the lighthouse.


A view to the west of Lake Ontario on a very peaceful 4th of July afternoon.

A view of the beacon at the top of the lighthouse

Looking east from the lighthouse. Golden Hill State Park also has a lot of camping opportunities.

The lighthouse tower.

The front of the lighthouse.

Sources and Links:
Lighthouse Friends - Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse
Friends of Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse - The Lighthouse
New York State Parks - Golden Hill State Park

How to Get There:

Update Log:
February 3, 2018 - Posted original article to Unlocking New York.
September 8, 2021 - Transferred article from Unlocking New York to Gribblenation.

Comments

North Carolina Continues to Move Forward with Rail

2023 and the first half of 2024 have seen continued growth in North Carolina's passenger rail system. From increased daily trains from Raleigh to Charlotte, federal funds for studying additional corridors, and receiving a historic grant to begin the construction of high-speed rail between Raleigh and Richmond, the last 18 months have been a flurry of activity at NCDOT's Rail Division. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. As ridership and routes increase - the engine of North Carolina passenger rail trains will become a more common sight. (Adam Prince) Increased Passenger Train Service: On July 10, 2023, a fourth Piedmont round-trip rail service between Raleigh and Charlotte commenced. The four Piedmont trains plus the daily Carolinian (to Washington, DC, and New York) bring the total of trains serving the two cities daily to five. The current daily Piedmont and Carolinian schedule between Charlotte and Raleigh (NCDOT) The result was over 641,000 passengers utilized pa

US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway

The communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway can all be found along US Route 101 within southern Humboldt County. The former surface alignment of US Route 101 in Garberville and Redway once crossed the Garberville Bluffs along what is now Redwood Drive via a corridor constructed as part of the Redwood Highway during the 1910s. US Route 101 through Benbow, Garberville and Redway was modernized by 1935. US Route 101 would eventually be upgraded to freeway standards in Benbow, Garberville and Redway by extension of the Redwood Freeway during 1966-68. As the cover photo the original grade of US Route 101 and the Redwood Highway can be seen at the Garberville Bluffs during 1934. US Route 101 can be seen in the communities of Benbow, Garberville and Redway on the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Humboldt County . The history of US Route 101 in Benbow, Garberville and Redway Benbow, Garberville and Redway lie on the banks of the South Fork Eel River of southern Humboldt County. D

The Midway Palm and Pine of US Route 99

Along modern day California State Route 99 south of Avenue 11 just outside the City limits of Madera one can find the Midway Palm and Pine in the center median of the freeway. The Midway Palm and Pine denotes the halfway point between the Mexican Border and Oregon State Line on what was US Route 99. The Midway Palm is intended to represent Southern California whereas the Midway Pine is intended to represent Northern California. Pictured above the Midway Palm and Pine can be seen from the northbound lanes of the California State Route 99 Freeway. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page The history of the Midway Palm and Pine The true timeframe for when the Midway Palm and Pine (originally a Deadora Cedar Tree) were planted is unknown. In fact, the origin of the Midway Palm and Pine w

Gribblenation

Search This Blog