Descriptive Summary | |
Repository: | Georgia Historical Society |
Creator: | United States. Lighthouse Service. |
Title: | Lighthouse Inspector letter |
Dates: | 1879 |
Extent: | 0.05 cubic feet (1 folder) |
Identification: | MS 1168 |
The United States Lighthouse Service formed in 1852, replacing the Bureau of Light-Houses. The United States was divided into 12 districts with a naval inspector appointed to each district; originally there were 8 districts, but this number grew to 19. The inspector performed a light inspection every three months. Lighthouse keepers were members of the military. In 1910, civilians began to run the lighthouses. In 1939, the Coast Guard absorbed the Lighthouse Service, reducing the number of districts to 10. Charleston (encompassing the Tybee Lighthouse in Savannah, Georgia) was the 6th district under the Lighthouse Service; it was combined into the 5th district in 1939.
This collection consists of a letter from the Office of the Light-House Inspector, 6th District to Patrick Egan, Principal Keeper of Tybee Lighthouse. Written from Charleston, South Carolina, in 1879, the letter reports on the drunkenness of the 1st Assistant Keeper and emphasizes the necessity for keeping the lights up. This is a photocopy of the original letter.
Preferred Citation
[item identification], Lighthouse Inspector letter, MS 1168, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.
Acquisition Information
Gift of John Duncan, 1969.
Collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.