The waters off St. Joseph and Benton Harbor have long served as an active and frequently dangerous avenue of maritime trade. High winds and hazardous waves made shipwrecks a common occurrence.
To assist mariners, a U.S. Life Saving Service Station was established at St. Joseph in 1877—one of the first on the Great Lakes. The government commissioned buildings, boats, rescue equipment, and a lifesaving crew. The Station's skilled "surfmen" performed many daring rescues.
In 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed the duties of the Life Saving Service. St. Joseph's Coast Guard Station works to secure the safety of maritime activity for a nearly 900-square-mile district along the lakeshore.
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19th Century view of the U.S. Life Saving Crew at St. Joseph
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
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Although the buildings have been changed, the U.S. Coast Guard still operates from the same site as the 1877 U.S. Life Saving Service Station, shown here in 2008.
Photo: Alden J. Ho Photography
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U.S. Coast Guard crew and 47-foot motor lifeboat at St. Joseph, 2007
Photo: Alden J. Ho Photograph
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Surfmen practice a drill at St. Joseph, 1890s
Photo: The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center
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