On a very cold morning, the newly painted Marquette Harbor Light would stand out against the white snow. But with temperatures near -20 and -40 wind chills, I don’t venture out to the lighthouses in the winter time for a picture.

This lighthouse was constructed in 1866, after replacing the original light built in 1853, and a second story added in 1909. Until the opening of the major Minnesota mines in the 1890s, Marquette, Michigan, was the premier shipping port for iron ore on the Great Lakes and the lighthouse in the harbor was critical for the safe navigation.

Marquette Harbor Light