Fall colors at Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Door County, September 27, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — For those who like historic maritime beacons mixed in with some fall colors, the annual Door County Fall Lighthouse Festival might be something to experience.
The event kicks off Friday, and at Eagle Bluff Light House in Fish Creek, preparations are underway.
For 155 years, the beacon inside a tower has been on duty.
“It is still a working lighthouse. It was built in 1868, and our light’s never gone out since then,” said Wendy Wagner, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse Site Manager.
Wendy Wagner says the story of those who resided here is impressive.
“We share the story of the Duclan family. The family that lived here the longest, for 35 years in the late 1800s, cared for the site,” she said.
Wagner says Julia Davenport Duclan and William Duclan had seven boys.
“There’s several rooms. Since most people lived in one-room cabins here. This is not like that. It’s a grand house. There’s a fancy parlor, a dining area, an upstairs. One room where all the boys slept. And a guest room up there, and office, that also doubles as a music room,” she said.
Wagner says living at the site included keeping the beacon lit atop the 44-foot tower.
“You can go up to the tower when you visit. You just cannot go into the gallery area, because that’s still owned and operated by the Coast Guard. We’re still a functioning lighthouse,” she said.
The lighthouse is located within Peninsula State Park, and serves the shoreline near Fish Creek. David Wright and his family are visiting from Iowa.
“In the bad weather, it provides you guidance, and gives you the ability to find out where you are. I’ve been caught out in weather with fog, and storms, and the lighthouse is that beacon of hope, that helps guide you in. So for me as a sailor, it’s just a really important navigation tool,” said David Wright, Des Moines, Iowa.
Wendy Wagner says as the weekend lighthouse festival approaches, some signs of fall are in the air.
“The colors up here are just starting. They’re beautiful. A lot of oranges on the maples up here. So it would be a good day for a drive up in Door County,” she said.
The three-day Door County Fall Lighthouse Festival runs Friday through Sunday.
The State of Wisconsin owns Eagle Bluff Lighthouse.
The Door County Historical Society manages and maintains the site.
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