The Peninsula's First Roadway

The Peninsula's First Roadway (HM2EDC)

Location: Erie, PA 16507 Erie County
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Country: United States of America
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N 42° 9.951', W 80° 6.838'

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Inscription

Presque Isle Lighthouse

For more than fifty years a narrow pathway served as the keeper's primary link to civilization. Sand and dirt at first, and then paved in 1925, the current "sidewalk trail" led the keeper to his boathouse on Misery Bay for the second leg of an excursion to the city. This primitive trail, some 1.5 miles long, served as a link for lighthouse children to reach mainland schools. Wooden boards were added to make the walk easier, bridging the wet or muddy portions that were constantly threatened by changes in the water levels of the lake. Walking the trail, boating to the city, and then walking to school were a fact of life for children until the main road opened in 1927.
Today, walkers on the trail can only speculate on the mysteries and history that surround this unique site.
The city of Erie seemed a long distance away as keepers began their routine boat trip across the bay.
A simple boathouse on the shores of Misery Bay housed the small boat that keepers used to row to the mainland for supplies. The Lifesaving Service (later the U.S. Coast Guard) usually transported children to the mainland for school.
Lighthouse Timeline:
1870 · Commissioned by Lighthouse Service to replace Erie Land Lighthouse
1872 · Construction begins in September
1873 · In

service on July 12
1896 · 17 feet added to tower height
1921 · Presque Isle established as State Park
1925 · Sidewalk trail paved
1927 · Main road opened to lighthouse
1941 · Coast Guard assumes responsibility from Lighthouse Service
1957 · Indoor plumbing installed
1983 · Entered into National Register of Historic Places
1986 · State signs 25 year occupancy license agreement
1997 · Lighthouse exhibit construction begins

Details

HM Number	HM2EDC
Tags	Waterways and Vessels, Roads and Vehicles, Education
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Sunday, February 17th, 2019 at 1:01pm PST -08:00

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Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	17T E 573188 N 4668570
Decimal Degrees	42.16585000, -80.11396667
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 42° 9.951', W 80° 6.838'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	42° 9' 57.06" N, 80° 6' 50.28" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	814
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling West
Closest Postal Address	At or near Peninsula Dr, Erie PA 16507, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap