Volume 4, Issue 4 - April 2026

President's Letter

Dear Friends,

April in Chicago is a season of reawakening.

The harbors begin to stir as recreational boats return to the water. The Chicago Harbor Locks reopen, linking Lake Michigan once again to the Chicago River after their winter shutdown. And then, almost on cue, Opening Day arrives—when the Cubs and White Sox take the field, and the city begins to awaken from its winter hibernation.

You can feel it all around you. In the crack of the bat on a chilly afternoon. In the first lines cast from a dock. In the movement of boats returning to their slips. In the energy of a city stretching, breathing, and coming back to life.

For those of us who love the water—and love the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse—April feels like possibility.

It reminds us that long winters do not last forever. That patient work, steady faith, and a clear vision can bring us to the edge of something new. After years of dreaming, planning, advocating, and building support, we are drawing closer to the moment when the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse begins its next chapter.

April brings us one month closer.

One month closer to ownership. One month closer to the day when this grassroots vision—born from a love of Chicago, a respect for our maritime history, and the belief that preservation can inspire future generations—becomes reality.

This month also gives us a special anniversary to celebrate.

On April 9, 2003, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was officially designated a Chicago Landmark. That recognition affirmed what so many of us already knew in our hearts: this is not simply a structure offshore. It is part of Chicago’s story. It is part of our skyline, our maritime heritage, and our civic identity.

A landmark is more than something old. It is something worth carrying forward.

That is the work before us now.

On March 9th, we took another important step forward by convening our Phase 1 Workshop with our Construction Working Group. Together, we began the detailed work of sequencing the projects required to make the lighthouse safe and accessible once ownership is transferred. This is the heavy lifting of preservation—careful planning, practical decisions, and the disciplined work required to turn vision into reality.

Phase 1 represents a $1.3 million investment focused on life safety and public access. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters, we anticipate being nearly one-third of the way toward that goal on day one. That is worth celebrating. But it is also a reminder that there is still important work ahead—in fundraising, planning, and preparation.

The path is becoming clearer, and the dream is becoming more tangible with each passing month.

This month’s newsletter reflects both the spirit of the season and the momentum of the mission. We begin by reflecting on why lighthouses still matter—not simply as structures of steel, brick, and glass, but as symbols of guidance, endurance, and hope.

You will also read “Keeping the Lighthouse and Crew Supplied,” where Steve Clements offers a glimpse into the practical demands and enduring reality of sustaining a lighthouse operation. Mary Ann O’Rourke shares the story of FOCHL volunteers Anne and Katye Michaud, whose family history reflects the deep roots of Great Lakes heritage and reminds us that preservation is deeply personal.

And because April is tax season, we include “Turning Tax Season into Impact,” a look at RMDs and QCDs and how these tools can help supporters strengthen our mission to preserve, restore, and celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

Each story in this issue points to the same truth: we are in a season of renewal.

As Chief Dreamer, I often say that the lighthouse is more than a destination. It is a symbol. It reminds us that even in uncertain waters, there are fixed points that help guide us. Places that endure. Places that call us to think bigger, work harder, and believe that some things are still worth saving simply because they matter.

This April, as the city reawakens, may we do the same.

May we celebrate the fact that this lighthouse was recognized as a Chicago Landmark on April 9th. May we honor those who helped protect it before us. And may we continue the work of ensuring that one day soon, this beloved beacon will not only stand watch over Chicago, but welcome people inside as a place of learning, inspiration, and civic pride—a true Classroom on the Lakefront.

Thank you for believing in this dream and helping us carry its light forward.

Please consider making a donation today at give.savethelighthouse.org.

Together, we are not simply preserving a lighthouse. We are lighting the way forward for Chicago.

Be Safe and Be Well!

Regards,

Kurt Lentsch

Chief Dreamer and President

A Chicago Landmark, A Chicago Light

Each year on April 9th, we pause to honor a meaningful moment in the life of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. On that day in 2003, the lighthouse was officially designated a Chicago Landmark—a recognition of what so many Chicagoans have long known: this lighthouse is more than a structure offshore. It is a part of our city’s heart.

Built in 1893 and relocated to its current home in 1917, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse has stood watch over Chicago Harbor for generations—welcoming mariners, weathering storms, and remaining a steady presence along the city’s skyline.

For more than a century, it has been a quiet witness to Chicago’s story. It has stood through changing seasons, changing shorelines, and changing generations. It has guided those arriving by water and inspired those who look out and see in it something enduring, hopeful, and deeply tied to this city we love.

Its landmark designation was more than an honor. It was a promise—that this place matters, that its story should not be lost, and that its future is worth fighting for.

That is the work before us now.

At the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, we believe this beloved beacon deserves more than admiration from afar. It deserves restoration. It deserves care. It deserves a future where it can inspire children, families, boaters, history lovers, and all who love Chicago.

That future depends on people who believe in this mission.

As we mark the anniversary of the lighthouse becoming a Chicago Landmark, we invite you to honor that legacy with a gift to help preserve, restore, and celebrate this treasured icon. Your donation will help ensure that this landmark remains not just a symbol of Chicago’s past, but a light for its future. Help us Celebrate at give.savethelighthouse.org.

Why Lighthouses Still Matter

Still Standing Watch: Chicago’s Last Active Lighthouse

Out on the edge of Chicago’s skyline, where the lake meets the harbor, the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse continues to do exactly what it was built to do—guide, warn, and protect.

More than a historic landmark, it remains an active aid to navigation, serving mariners on Lake Michigan just as it has for well over a century.

Originally established in 1893 during the World’s Columbian Exposition, the lighthouse was relocated to its current site in 1917, where it has stood ever since—marking the entrance to Chicago Harbor. Through changing technologies, evolving vessels, and a growing city skyline, its purpose has remained constant.

Today, the lighthouse is still fully operational. Its light continues to flash, an established characteristic—Fl R 5s, a red flash every five seconds—visible for miles across the lake, with a range of approximately 15 miles. In periods of low visibility, the fog signal still sounds—two blasts every 30 seconds—cutting through the mist and reminding all who hear it that they are approaching one of the busiest harbors on the Great Lakes.

For those on the water—whether commercial captains, recreational boaters, or the Coast Guard—these signals are not symbolic. They are functional, relied upon, and part of an active navigation system that keeps people safe.

And that is what makes the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse so unique.

It is the only remaining active lighthouse on Lake Michigan in Illinois.

Lighthouse Facts

Name: Chicago Harbor Light

USCG Light No.: 19960

Location: Lake Michigan, east of Navy Pier

Established: 1893

Current Location: 1917

Light Characteristic: Fl R 5s (red flash every 5 seconds)

Range: 15 miles

Structure: White conical tower

Fog Signal: Two blasts every 30 seconds

Why Preservation Matters

Across the country, many historic lighthouses have been decommissioned, and their lights extinguished as modern navigation systems have taken over. While those structures remain important pieces of history, they no longer serve their original purpose.

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is different.

It is both a working piece of infrastructure and a historic treasure.

Preserving it means more than maintaining a building—it means protecting a living part of our maritime system. It means ensuring that the light continues to shine, the foghorn continues to sound, and the lighthouse continues to serve those who depend on it.

At the same time, there is a growing movement across the Great Lakes to preserve these iconic structures. Communities, nonprofits, and volunteers are stepping forward to save and restore lighthouses that once defined the shoreline.

Leading the way is Michigan, home to 129 lighthouses, the most of any state in the nation, where restoration and public access efforts have become a model for what is possible.

Chicago now has the opportunity to be part of that story.

By preserving the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, we are not only protecting a vital working aid to navigation—we are joining a broader Great Lakes legacy of stewardship, ensuring that these beacons of safety, history, and identity continue to stand for generations to come.

There are very few opportunities like this—to care for something that is not only historic, but is still doing the job it was designed to do.

The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is still standing watch.

And with your support, it always will.

Be Part of the Story

We invite you to help preserve, restore, and celebrate this iconic Chicago landmark. Your support ensures that the light continues to shine for generations to come.

Make your gift today at: give.savethelighthouse.org

Photo Credit: Barry Butler

Keeping the Lighthouse and Crew Supplied

By: Steve Clements

Milwaukee’s 12th District Depot, the Tenders Hyacinth and Sumac, and Chicago Harbor Lighthouse’s Supply Chain

From shore, Chicago Harbor Lighthouse looks self-contained; an iron-and-brick machine planted on a crib, doing one job every night: marking the harbor entrance. But in the late 1920s and early 1930s, that reliability depended on a supply system that worked like clockwork: requisitions, inventories, depot warehouses, and two hardworking steam tenders that served as floating logistics platforms.

By this era, Lake Michigan stations were supported through the United States Lighthouse Service (USLHS) Twelfth Lighthouse District, headquartered in Milwaukee. The district headquarters had moved there from Chicago in 1913, reflecting Milwaukee’s more central position on Lake Michigan. As a leading commercial port, Milwaukee was considered the logical location for the district’s principal depot—ideally suited to support dozens of lights, fog signals, and buoy stations operating on a tightly managed seasonal schedule.

US Lighthouse Service12th District General Depot, Milwaukee, WI

The Milwaukee depot: more than a warehouse

A Lighthouse Service depot was not a simple storeroom. In Lighthouse Service language, the depot’s day-to-day mission was to hold stock and fill approved requisitions; the backbone of the whole district supply chain. In practice, that meant the Milwaukee depot functioned as a combined warehouse, staging yard, and service base supporting all types of supplies needed to service lighthouses and other aids to navigation within the district.

These included consumables (oils, lubricants, paint, rope, fittings); replacement parts (lantern components, hardware, machinery spares); buoy gear (chains, moorings, gas-buoy hardware); and all other tools and materials needed for station repairs and seasonal projects. A district depot usually consisted of a repair shop, lampist shop, buoy storage, coal storage, berths for lighthouse and buoy tenders, and berths for lightships. A district depot would always have an assigned depot keeper.

Even earlier Lighthouse Board planning for Milwaukee reveals how the government approached the site as an industrial depot. Proposals called for a storehouse, wharves and revetments, buoy platforms, pavements and walkways, an oil house with transfer equipment, and even keeper housing, with a total estimated cost of approximately $250,000—about $200,000 net after the anticipated sale of the previous depot.

The same records note a very practical concern: the depot was surrounded by coal yards, and coal dust was considered harmful to stored machinery and equipment—another reminder that this was a working industrial facility, not a scenic outpost.

Located along the Kinnickinnic River near the outlet to Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee depot became the principal supply and repair hub for the Twelfth Lighthouse District in the mid-1910s and remained a key operational center for Great Lakes lighthouse logistics well into the Coast Guard era. One source noted that it operated through 1967.

Two tenders as the district’s “delivery trucks”: Hyacinth and Sumac

If Milwaukee was the warehouse, the tenders were the delivery fleet—able to carry people, cargo, and heavy gear to offshore stations like Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

USLHS tender Hyacinth, pictured here calling on the Michigan City East Pierhead light.

(ca early twentieth century)

USLHS tender Hyacinth (commissioned 1903)

Hyacinth entered service in 1903 and was based out of Milwaukee early in her career, working as an engineering tender. Her key published specs from the U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office:

Length: 160 ft 6 in
Beam: 14 ft
Draft: 14 ft
Displacement: 950 tons
Machinery: compound fore-and-aft express steam engine; 2 Scotch-type boilers; single propeller; 878 SHP
Crew: 23 (noted for 1907)
Notable later change: converted from coal to diesel in the mid-1930s

That’s a lot of ship for lighthouse work—and that’s the point. A tender like Hyacinth could haul heavy station materials, handle buoy work, and move equipment that a small harbor craft calling on a lighthouse could never manage safely offshore.

USLHS tender Sumac (commissioned 1903; transferred to the 12th in 1925)

Sumac is especially relevant for our 1920 – 1930 supply-chain discussion here because she was explicitly transferred to the Twelfth Lighthouse District in 1925 and used as a “bay and sound tender,” and she was based out of Milwaukee in earlier assignments. Her published specs:

Builder: Burlee Dry Dock Company, Port Richmond, NY
Length: 168 ft 10 in
Beam: 30 ft
Draft: 14 ft 11 in
Displacement: 875 tons
Machinery: 2 vertical inverted fore-and-aft compound steam engines; 2 Scotch-type coal-fired boilers; 700 IHP
Complement: 24 (noted for 1907)
Decommissioned: July 1937

Together, Hyacinth and Sumac represent the working reality behind “district support” during the 1920s and 1930s: these weren’t ceremonial boats. They were industrial service platforms designed to move freight, handle gear, and keep schedules across a lake that could shut down without warning.

Chicago’s local node: the Chicago Lighthouse Depot

Milwaukee was the district hub, but Chicago had its own local infrastructure. One small but telling detail: sources describing Chicago’s harbor lights note that two double dwellings were built at the “Chicago Lighthouse Depot” for the keepers of Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. That single line does a lot of work for interpretation: it implies a local depot presence substantial enough to support personnel housing and, by extension, local staging of supplies and equipment for the harbor’s primary aids.

For an offshore station like Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, that local node matters. Many supplies could be centrally procured and shipped to Milwaukee, but the last mile—into Chicago’s harbor environment—often depended on a smaller set of near-harbor capabilities: storage, handling, and coordination with keepers and service crews. While we have a few photos and architectural drawings from the Chicago Depot, its exact location remains a bit of a mystery, though it is believed to have been located on at the water’s edge on Illinois Street, with dockage on either the Chicago River or what is now known as Ogden Slip.

What the tenders carried to keep Chicago Harbor Lighthouse running

Even as electrification advanced, Chicago Harbor Lighthouse still required a steady stream of materials. Think of the station as a machine with recurring needs:

Consumables: lubricants, cleaning supplies, paint, fasteners
Optics and lantern support: glazing materials, hardware, replacement lamps (and later, electrical spares)
Fog-signal support: engine/air-system upkeep items, fuel logistics, parts and fittings
Structural maintenance: corrosion control materials and repair hardware suitable for a wave- and ice-exposed crib
Equipment for planned upgrades: In 1928, the first radio beacon was established at Chicago Harbor Lighthouse to assist mariners using new radio direction-finding technology. That heavy and expensive equipment almost certainly was delivered to the lighthouse by either the Hyacinth or the Sumac.

The Milwaukee depot’s job was to keep those items in stock and fill requisitions; the tenders’ job was to deliver them on the navigation season’s timetable.

The Lake Michigan constraint: seasonality drives everything

The supply chain was shaped by Lake Michigan itself. From spring through late fall, tenders could make planned rounds: delivering, repairing, swapping gear, and staging winter readiness. But once ice and storms arrived, offshore access could become a high-risk problem.

That’s why district logistics looked “overbuilt” on paper. Big tenders, big depots, and disciplined requisitions weren’t bureaucratic excess—they were how the Lighthouse Service reduced the odds that a station like Chicago Harbor Lighthouse would go short on essentials during the worst months of the year.

The System Behind the Light

For FOCHL supporters, the takeaway is clear: Chicago Harbor Lighthouse was far more than a beacon. It was the final link in a regional supply network—Milwaukee serving as the warehouse and repair hub, Chicago as the local staging point, and the tenders Hyacinth and Sumac as the vessels that connected it all.

When we interpret the lighthouse today, we’re preserving more than a structure. We’re bringing back into view the larger system that sustained it—the people, the vessels, the inventories, and the careful seasonal planning that ensured the light remained steady and reliable.

From a Family of Great Lakes Advocates, Two Sailing Sisters Help Preserve the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse

By Mary Ann O’Rourke

This coming July, when sisters Katye and Anne Michaud sail pass the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse on their 11^th and 12^th (respectively) races to Mackinac Island, they’ll be even more proud of Chicago’s most visible maritime icon -- not for how it appears today, but for the behind-the-scenes work that’s gone into early-stage efforts to restore the Lighthouse.

As key volunteers for Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, the Michauds have contributed their event planning skills, Katye’s restoration knowledge, and their numerous contacts within Chicago’s boating community. They were part of the team for last year’s fundraiser which netted $180,000 from a three-hour Wendella cruise.

Katye and Anne have admired the lighthouse for years and even considered offering the services of a friend who paints Great Lakes lighthouses, to add a fresh coat to the City of Chicago’s lighthouse.

But it wasn’t until a conversation with fellow boaters in the summer of 2021 on Burnham Harbor’s P dock that the sisters became part of the movement to save the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

The conversation was led by FOCHL founder and power boat owner Kurt Lentsch and grew from small talk on the harbor to a full-fledged consortium of Chicago boaters, who joined Kurt’s quest to preserve, restore and celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

“I was so thrilled to learn that Katye and Anne were all-in from day one,” says Kurt.

“Between their expertise, enthusiasm and numerous friends in Great Lakes boating community, I knew we had a good shot at organizing this effort.”

Born in Northern Maine, they often traveled to visit their mother’s family in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Michauds (who are one and a half years apart) moved to Milwaukee in their tween years. Anne and Katye were both in their twenties when their mother bought a boat on Lake Superior. The sisters knew it was time to learn to sail. So, they began lessons – Anne at Milwaukee Sailing Club and Katye at Chicago Sailing. When their careers led them both to Chicago, they continued sailing with Chicago Sailing Club and Third Coast Cruising.

In 2012, Anne had an inkling that she might be ready to sail a Mac race after she helped a friend deliver a J35 from Toledo to Chicago.

“It was April, so weather monitoring was a constant issue,” says Anne. “We also had to deal with engine issues while underway. But it was that first long-distance trip that gave me the confidence I needed to sail the Mac.”

It was on that same boat, Alpha Puppy, that Anne sailed her first Mac in 2012. Katye joined her sister a couple years later on a J105 named Esprit d’Ecosse, owned by their friends from a sailing club, Ross and Judith McLean.

“At first, I simply enjoyed sailing, but I had no aspiration to compete,” says Katye. “When I joined the Esprit crew, I learned the intricacies of maximizing speed and totally enjoyed the challenge.”

Even before they sailed their first Mac race, the sisters enjoyed deep ancestral ties to the Great Lakes.

Their grandfather, T.D Vinette, was one of the first commercial divers in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He built his first dive helmet out of a hot water tank, based on directions from a 1932 Popular Mechanics article.

In 1936, he was contracted to search for the lost gold cargo of a French barque, which sank in 1887 near Poverty Island in Green Bay. Though the gold was never found, Vinette located wreckage and artifacts from the vessel.

During World War II, Vinette completed hundreds of underwater salvage and demolition missions and was awarded the Navy Cross for his role in the secret rescue of 36 crewmen of the submarine USS Pickerel.

After the war, he returned home to Escanaba and founded the T. D. Vinette Shipbuilding Company in 1947.

A small but respected Great Lakes boatbuilder, the company was known for building rugged workboats from the mid-20th century through the early 2000s. Their vessels were typically steel-hulled and custom-built, which made them popular for work in harsh lake conditions.

Although the company is no longer operating, Vinette boats still appear around the Great Lakes and inland waterways, particularly as converted trawler-style cruising boats. Others include working tugs, research vessels, charter vessels and passenger tour boats.

Indeed, over the last few years, after the Mac Race, the Michaud sisters and the crew of Esprit enjoy an annual Sip n’s Sail sunset cruise around Mackinac Island in a 1962 Vinette-built tour boat, Isle Royale Queen III.

“It’s like we come full circle with my grandfather on that tour,” says Anne. “He meant a lot to us. He was a legendary Great Lakes storyteller. In one of our favorite tales, he told us how, as a teen, he helped the notorious pirate Roaring Dan Seavy with errands around the Escanaba docks.”

The Michaud’s mother, Joan Vinette, continued the family legacy of advocating for the Great Lakes. At Michigan State University Extension, she founded the program Life of Lake Superior to help encourage young people to explore careers, recreation and restoration of the largest Great Lake.

Now a resident of Munising, Michigan, Joan’s home on Lake Superior is lovingly referred to as the “Munising Yacht Club” by family and the many friends who visit the area.

“Advocating for the Great Lakes is in our blood,” says Anne, a licensed captain. “We love that we get to carry on that legacy by helping to restore Chicago’s beautiful lighthouse.”

“For me,” says Katye, “the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is an icon on the city’s skyline from the water and represents a safe haven. When I’m returning the boat from Mackinac, other races or deliveries, navigating the gap and seeing that flashing light, I know I’m finally home. And now I get to return the favor by helping restore my favorite Great Lakes lighthouse.”

Turning Tax Season into Impact: A Smarter Way to Give

April has a way of focusing our attention on taxes, planning, and financial decisions. For many, it’s also the time of year when Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts begin to come into play. While these distributions are required, how they are used can make a meaningful difference—not only in your tax situation, but in the impact you choose to have.

For those age 70½ and older, there is a powerful and often underutilized giving option known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD. This allows you to direct funds from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) straight to a qualified nonprofit, such as the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. When done correctly, the distribution is excluded from your taxable income, which can help reduce your overall tax liability while still satisfying your annual RMD requirement.

In simple terms, instead of taking your distribution, paying taxes on it, and then making a charitable gift, a QCD allows you to give directly—before the funds are ever counted as income. Even for those who take the standard deduction and do not itemize, this approach can offer real tax advantages.

Did You Know?

You can direct up to $108,000 annually from your IRA to qualified charities
QCDs count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
The distribution is excluded from your taxable income
You do not need to itemize deductions to benefit
Must be age 70½ or older and made directly from your IRA

“This tax season, your required distribution can do more than fulfill an obligation—it can help preserve a Chicago icon and light the way for future generations.”

Beyond the financial benefits, there is something especially meaningful about using required distributions to support a mission you believe in. At the Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, we are standing at a pivotal moment.

With the anticipated transfer of ownership on the horizon, we are preparing to begin the work of making the lighthouse safe, accessible, and ready to serve as a place of education, history, and connection for the public.

Gifts made through a QCD directly support these efforts—from advancing life-safety improvements and access planning to laying the groundwork for restoration and future programming. It is a way to turn a routine financial requirement into something lasting—helping ensure that this historic beacon continues to stand watch over Chicago for generations to come.

While QCDs must be made directly from an IRA (and not a 401(k), unless those funds are first rolled into an IRA), the process is straightforward and can typically be coordinated with your financial advisor or IRA custodian. Many donors find it to be one of the most efficient and impactful ways to give.

As you navigate this tax season, we invite you to consider how your required distributions might do more. By choosing to support the preservation and future of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, you are not only making a thoughtful financial decision—you are helping to light the way forward for an irreplaceable part of our city’s history.

For more information or assistance in making a Qualified Charitable Distribution, please visit www.SaveTheLighthouse.org or email our Board Treasurer, Nick Naber at nicknaber@savethelighthouse.org. We would be honored to be part of your charitable planning.

DONATE NOW

We’re proud to share that Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse has again earned the 2026 Candid Gold Seal of Transparency.

This recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to openness, accountability, and responsible stewardship. It is important to us that our donors, supporters, and community know we hold ourselves to the highest standards as we work to preserve, restore, and celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.

To learn more about Candid and the Gold Seal of Transparency, visit Candid.org.

If you are part of an organization that has an interest in financially supporting our efforts to Preserve, Restore, and Celebrate the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, please reach out to Nick Naber (nicknaber@savethelighthouse.org), our Board Treasurer and a member of our fundraising working group.

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