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This year's logo honors the old Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, which has been lighting the way for ships entering the St. Clair River for over 170 years. This current structure is one of the oldest continuously operational lighthouses in the United States. Its humble beginnings were in early 1823 when the U.S. Congress appropriated $3,500 to construct "a lighthouse near Fort Gratiot in Michigan Territory". Requiring an additional $5,000 for construction, the original lighthouse was completed on August 8th, 1825. The original tower rose 32 feet above the ground, was 18 feet in diameter at the bottom, and was 9 ½ feet diameter at the top. It was the first lighthouse constructed on Michigan shores.
The original lighthouse was poorly constructed and by early 1828 large cracks began appearing in its walls. The damage was furthered by a violent storm in September 1828, and the structure collapsed entirely in late November. Immediate steps were taken by the U.S. Congress to build a new structure, with $8,000 being appropriated for that purpose in early 1829. The new lighthouse was completed in December 1829 - it was constructed of brick, was 74 feet high and 25 feet in diameter. In 1861, the height was increased to 82 feet and in 1874 a brick duplex was added for the keeper and his assistants to live in. The original 1829 lighthouse (with its later additions) is the structure that still stands and serves today.
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