Wind Point's Fog Signals

In 1880 two matching wooden fog signal buildings, one slightly northeast of the tower and its’ twin slightly to the southeast of the tower, both situated eastward nearer Lake Michigan, bellowed out their steam powered audible warnings. In 1900, those were replaced with a single buff-brick building, containing duplicate compressed-air sirens. Two years later a pair of different sirens with their trademark trumpets pointing lake ward were installed. One of the original 1880 wooden fog buildings was relocated on the complex to the southwestern corner of the property and became a barn and woodshed. The other wooden original fog building remained in place but functioned as a workshop.

Coal would have been the first fuel used to power up the fog horns. Later an oil engine, and eventually diesel fuel and finally electricity powered the fog signal that could be heard roughly 10 miles out on Lake Michigan. Wind Point’s characteristic horn duration was changed in the early 1900s from a three-second blast separated by twenty-seven seconds of silence, to a three-second blast separated by fifty-seven seconds of silence.

When Wind Point was automated, the need for the fog horn disappeared and most of the machinery was removed.

For a look at the details of the Fog signal building and its apparatus, click here.