lighthouse keepers

The Legacy of Captain William Dodge: Civil War Hero and Lighthouse Keeper

/ sandramervillehart

By Susan G Mathis

Welcome back to friend and fellow author, Susan G. Mathis! She’s sharing a bit of background for her newest release, Julia’s Joy.

In the annals of maritime history, few figures shine as brightly as Captain William Dodge, the first keeper of the Sister Island Lighthouse in the Thousand Islands, NY. This man was not just a guardian of the St. Lawrence River and his ships but also a hero of the Civil War and a remarkable man.

Before stepping into the role of lighthouse keeper, Dodge was a captain—a hero forged in the crucible of the Civil War. He fought with the New York volunteers, but not without his share of scars. His left foot was badly wounded in battle, so he limped the rest of his life.

But he wasn’t just a hero and a keeper of the light. He was a craftsman too. Before the lighthouse, he was a man of many trades—a cabinetmaker, a tax collector, a census enumerator. A life woven with diverse endeavors, each one contributing to the rich testimony of his existence.

In 1870, following his appointment as the first keeper of Sister Island Lighthouse, he served faithfully and cheerfully. For twenty-three years, he tended to this tower, the keeper of both the light and its stories. As he worked, he prepared his son to take his place as the second lightkeeper. Known as a stalwart guardian of the river, guiding ships through stormy nights, he taught his son well.

Through the story of Captain William Dodge, we discover a man who not only illuminated the paths of ships but also shaped the lives of those around him. His legacy endures, a beacon of resilience and craftsmanship, woven into the very fabric of Sister Island and the hearts of those who remember him.

About Julia’s Joy:

She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious scarred lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans.

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her wealthy grandmother’s will, she is intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life, and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents’ deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning.

But just as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, the second in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, two Golden Scroll Awards, and a Selah Award. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Northern Virginia and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Where can people find you online?

Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Julia’s Joy book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7XLUohjrA

Lighthouses in the Great Lakes

/ sandramervillehart / 9 Comments

Today’s post was written by fellow writer, editor, and friend, Pegg Thomas. Welcome back to Historical Nibbles, Pegg! 

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection was my baby from the start. I wanted to offer Barbour Publishing a collection that showcased our beautiful Great Lakes and honored the memory of the men and women who pioneered this area.

Lighthouses—and the men and women who manned them—were essential to both bringing people and supplies into this vast wilderness and shipping valuable resources out to a growing nation. The Great Lakes are awe-inspiring in many ways, inland seas of fresh water teeming with fish and surrounded by dazzling sand dunes and towering forests. They were also treacherous. Violent storms, hidden shoals, and thick fogs made travel by boat dangerous. The lighthouses, often situated in remote, isolated areas, were literally the saving grace for many a crew.

Lighthouse keepers and their families had to be self-sufficient and hardy people. Often days of travel away from the nearest town, they had to raise, hunt, or catch much of their own food. Most did not winter at the lighthouse, but some did. Those also had to preserve enough to see them through the long, dark months of the year.

Aside from keeping the lights burning, lighthouse keepers also assisted in rescue missions, with or without the help of a life-saving station. Many heroic stories have survived through the years of men and women who risked their own lives to save those wrecked on the lakes.

The rest of the growing nation desperately needed the raw materials of iron, copper, and other metals of this area. Steel mills back east needed it to turn out hundreds of thousands of rails the country needed for the railway system that was spanning from coast to coast. The lumber was needed for building cities and homes. The area I currently live in was lumbered off in 1871 and 1872 to rebuild Chicago after the great fire.

I’m proud to be a part of this collection that shares these historical romances inspired by the people who pioneered our northern shores.

-Pegg Thomas

Amazon

Blurb:

Anna’s dream of running the lighthouse was difficult enough to achieve, but then a Russian stowaway was left on the island, and that complicated everything.

About Pegg:

Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.” When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.

Pegg’s blog