I was the Light Station Keeper here for 14 months during COVID- I dealt with running out of water & the submarine cable failing so no power for 2 months & weather destruction. Thank you for this episode! This Light Station is the great love of my life. I have so many little historic anecdotes that I'm screaming over here. The gangway leading from the Boat house to the Island was burned in that fire- the gravity hose would have used the Islands water supply up as well because there has never been plumbing from the Mainland to East Brother. Willards hands were burned up while he was trying to snuff out the fire as it crawled up the gangway & headed for the Island. Lucretia Edwards spearheaded the historic preservation status to protect it from being razed down & the current boat used to transport guests is named after her. The asbestos siding inadvertently acted as a shield to take the brunt of the weather deterioration & when removed, revealed the original gingerbread siding. On occasion we have had to pay for water to be barged & pumped into the Cistern. This happened while I was there. It was costly & complex. Both fog horns are active- but the smaller quieter one that shouts at West Brother is every 30 seconds & a nice part of the soundtrack of the terrain. The historic one is blown to delight the guests in the morning before they go back to the Mainland. Walter Fanning, his sister Emma & mother came to live at the Light Station with is grandparents during the Spanish Influenza "and so escaped the flu". The Stenmark era has so many fascinating stories & the road to the Harbor where you take a boat to the Island is named after them. The Keepers Quarters was once a schoolhouse for the Stenmark Children- 2 of which were born during their tenure at the Station. Captain Stenmark had to row to San Quentin to fetch a doctor as that was the closest doctor then. Imagine if it was dark & storming! The Bed & Breakfast getaway includes a 4 course gourmet meal- the Keepers are required to have gourmet cooking skills- there is no standard menu as each Keeper brings their own menu. In addition to a Game room, there is also a Horseshoe pit. A wedding is an extraordinary task & is up to the Keepers if they want to deal with the extra work. Only about 30 people. Big long process for hiring Keepers- I served on the Board for 10 years & the average turn over is 2 years but they can stay longer if they choose- the pay is UP TO $140k. The work is non-stop & the schedules are tight & quite subject to the weather & tides. I have endless pictures & history on my girl. If you ever do a follow up- I'd love to help.
Incredible! Yes, we would love to chat and hear more about your experience at EB and clue in on some more history! Please reach out to our email @ TheLighthouseLowdown@Gmail.com to connect. Thank you for listening! - Vince
I was the Light Station Keeper here for 14 months during COVID- I dealt with running out of water & the submarine cable failing so no power for 2 months & weather destruction. Thank you for this episode! This Light Station is the great love of my life. I have so many little historic anecdotes that I'm screaming over here. The gangway leading from the Boat house to the Island was burned in that fire- the gravity hose would have used the Islands water supply up as well because there has never been plumbing from the Mainland to East Brother. Willards hands were burned up while he was trying to snuff out the fire as it crawled up the gangway & headed for the Island. Lucretia Edwards spearheaded the historic preservation status to protect it from being razed down & the current boat used to transport guests is named after her. The asbestos siding inadvertently acted as a shield to take the brunt of the weather deterioration & when removed, revealed the original gingerbread siding. On occasion we have had to pay for water to be barged & pumped into the Cistern. This happened while I was there. It was costly & complex. Both fog horns are active- but the smaller quieter one that shouts at West Brother is every 30 seconds & a nice part of the soundtrack of the terrain. The historic one is blown to delight the guests in the morning before they go back to the Mainland. Walter Fanning, his sister Emma & mother came to live at the Light Station with is grandparents during the Spanish Influenza "and so escaped the flu". The Stenmark era has so many fascinating stories & the road to the Harbor where you take a boat to the Island is named after them. The Keepers Quarters was once a schoolhouse for the Stenmark Children- 2 of which were born during their tenure at the Station. Captain Stenmark had to row to San Quentin to fetch a doctor as that was the closest doctor then. Imagine if it was dark & storming! The Bed & Breakfast getaway includes a 4 course gourmet meal- the Keepers are required to have gourmet cooking skills- there is no standard menu as each Keeper brings their own menu. In addition to a Game room, there is also a Horseshoe pit. A wedding is an extraordinary task & is up to the Keepers if they want to deal with the extra work. Only about 30 people. Big long process for hiring Keepers- I served on the Board for 10 years & the average turn over is 2 years but they can stay longer if they choose- the pay is UP TO $140k. The work is non-stop & the schedules are tight & quite subject to the weather & tides. I have endless pictures & history on my girl. If you ever do a follow up- I'd love to help.
Incredible!
Yes, we would love to chat and hear more about your experience at EB and clue in on some more history! Please reach out to our email
@ TheLighthouseLowdown@Gmail.com to connect. Thank you for listening!
- Vince
No rent no electricity no water no fuel no food no bills 🤔
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A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906. By…. Simon Winchester. He had range lol
I am currently listening to the audio book The Map that Changed the World by Winchester. He is animated, to say the least!