Seul Choix Point Light

Background Information…

Seul Choix (pronounced Sis-shwa) Point Light marks a small harbor on Lake Michigan located on the south shore of the Upper Peninsula, some sixty miles west of the Straits of Mackinac. The name meaning, “only choice”, was given by French fur traders, who found that it was the only harbor of refuge as they traveled in canoes across the rough waters of Lake Michigan.

During the mid-1800’s Seul Choix Point was the center of a thriving fishing community, but today, only the lighthouse complex is still in existence. The light still operates, but with an automated replacement for its original lens. The light was placed into service in 1892, but the tower had to be rebuilt and the station was not entirely completed until September, 1895. The conical brick light tower rests on an ashlar foundation 12 feet high, with 5 feet below grade, and has a diameter of 18 feet at the base of the brickwork, and 12 feet, 8 inches at the parapet. The tower is surmounted by a 10-sided cast iron lantern that originally held a Third Order Fresnel lens manufactured by Le Paute of Paris. The lantern is now fitted with a modern airport beacon lens. Overall, the tower is 78 feet, 9 inches tall, measured to the top of the ventilator ball, producing a lens focal plane 80 feet above the mean low water level of Lake Michigan. The lighthouse exhibited a fixed red light, varied by a red flash every fifteen seconds, and its beacon was visible for thirteen miles. The station, also operated a fog signal which was a 10-inch steam whistle.

The two-story house, easily large enough to accommodate two families, is finished in red brick, including several rooms that have been added onto the original structure. Matching brick archways support the roof of a porch that is deeply recessed into the front of the house. White trim around the windows and eaves contrasts with the deep color of the brick. The interior rooms of the living quarters have been completely restored and decorated as they would have appeared in the 1900’s-1930’s. The tower is attached to the house by a small, enclosed corridor of red brick.

On the grounds nearby are a boat launch, restrooms, picnic areas and barbecue pits. A short trail leads to the shore, and after you walk it, you’ll quickly understand the need for this lighthouse. A huge limestone shoal reaches out from beneath your feet and cuts through the clear water to almost 100 yards from shore. There, waves are breaking, their white foam outlining the shallowest parts of the reef. The shoal plus the land mass of the point itself, which slopes down into the waters of Lake Michigan for nearly three miles, add up to a very dangerous area for navigators.

The lighthouse grounds are well maintained, with long expanses of grass stretching out to meet the neatly trimmed cedars and pines that dot the lawn. An old wood dryer for fish nets has retired to near the house. All of the original outbuildings are also still standing, including explosives storehouses and the fog signal building, which now houses a gift shop and small museum. The museum is open from Memorial Day through mid October, seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are fascinating items in the museum, including a well preserved dugout canoe, one of the rarest finds to be uncovered in the midwest. The Seul Choix Point Lighthouse is a Michigan Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark. It is operated by the Gulliver Historical Society in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources.

Getting There…

From the junction of US-2 and County Road 432 in Gulliver, about 11 miles east of Manistique, go south on County Road 432 (Point Inland Rd.) about 4 miles to County Road 431. Turn right (west) onto County Road 431, which is a gravel road, and go approximately 4 miles to the lighthouse.

Clues…

From the boat launch drive, begin walking in an easterly direction along the edge of the grassy clearing next to the water. Find an opening between two clumps of cedar trees at the second grill. Take 10 paces down onto the rocks toward the water to a place where a large, flat-surfaced stone ledge is on your left. Over your right shoulder, at 130 degrees, see the root face of a fallen cedar tree. Find the box hidden behind the roots in a small pile of rocks. Watch for poison ivy!