Question 1: The St. Joseph Pier Inner and Outer Lights are found on which Great Lake?
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Superior
- Lake Erie
Correct Answer: Lake Michigan
Fact: The lighthouses mark where Lake Michigan meets the St. Joseph River. The outer lighthouse is a 35-foot-tall cast iron cylinder; the inner lighthouse is a 57-foot-tall octagonal tower atop a main structure. A two-story-high catwalk connects both lighthouses above the pier to the shore.
Question 2: Which US state has the most lighthouses?
- Michigan
- Florida
- Maine
Correct Answer: Michigan
Fact: While Maine may be known as the Lighthouse State, Michigan is surrounded on three sides by the Great Lakes and is home to the nation’s longest freshwater coastline at 3,288 miles. There have been over 150 lighthouses in the state, past and present, although the current count is 129. Maine has 65.
Question 3: What was the original light source used for coastal navigation?
- Oil
- Wood
- Coal
Correct Answer: Wood
Fact: The origin of lighthouses stretches back in antiquity to beacon fires on hilltops, the first of which were documented in the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey.’ Wood was used as the illumination source, which continued until 1800. While coal, oils, and gases were used, all were eventually replaced by electric lamps in the early 20th century.