There have been many Falkner Island Light keepers throughout the history of the lighthouse. The Falkner Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, off Guilford Harbor on Long Island Sound. The lighthouse was constructed in 1802 and commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, warning of dangerous shoals and shallows in the area. Falkner Island Light is the second oldest extant lighthouse in Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
List of keepers
edit| Name | Year | Reference | Service Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Griffing | 1802–1812 | [1] | |
| Solomon Stone, Jr. | 1812–1818 | [1] | |
| Eli Kimberly | 1818–1851 | [1] | Appointed by President James Monroe; an incident on July 4, 1829 where drunken guests damaged the lighthouse equipment resulted in the passage of a law barring liquor sales at light stations.[2] Raised twelve children with his wife Marion, on the island.[3] |
| Oliver N. Brooks Mary Brooks (assistant) |
1851–1882 1879–1882 |
[1] | In 1858, Oliver Brooks received a medal for heroism for rescuing five people from a ship grounded on the rocks near the lighthouse.[2] |
| William Jones Frank Parmelee (assistant) |
1882 – c. 1890 1884–1890 |
[1] | |
| Ernest Hermann | 1890–1901 | [1] | |
| Howard Poe James Boyce (assistant) William J. Hannighan (assistant) Conrad Hawk (assistant) |
1901–1909 c. 1905 1906 c. 1909 |
[1] | |
| Elmer Rathbun | 1909–1911 | [1] | |
| Arthur Jensen (Unknown) Gregory (assistant) Frederick R. Campbell (assistant) Edward M. Grant (assistant) Herbert L. Greenwood (assistant) |
April 1911 – July 1916[4] Unknown 1912–1913 1914 1915–1916 |
[1][4] | Became keeper from 1916–1919.[1] |
| Herbert L. Greenwood Leonard Fuller (assistant) |
1916–1919 April–November, 1919[4] |
[1][4] | Originally an assistant from 1915–1916.[1] Became headkeeper in November 1919.[4] |
| Leonard Fuller William Hardwick (assistant) Adelard Bussiere (assistant) |
November 1919 – October 1924[4] c.1920 October 1922 – May 1926[4] |
[1][4] | |
| Samuel Fuller Fred Braffire (assistant) |
October 1924 – March 1926[4] c.1924 |
[1] | Brother of Leonard Fuller.[4] |
| Robert L. Howard Arthur J. Munzner (a.k.a. Minzner) (assistant) |
c. 1927–1928 May 1928 – June 1929[4] |
[1] | |
| Arthur J. Munzner (a.k.a. Minzner) George W. Pendrell (assistant) |
June 1929 – 1935[4] February–October 1930[4] |
[4] | |
| George Zuius | 1935 or 1936–1941 | [1][4] | Last civilian Head Keeper of the lighthouse.[4] |
| Harold Burbine (Coast Guard) | c. 1940s | [1] | |
| Stephen Talgo (Coast Guard) William Parker (Coast Guard assistant) |
c. 1940s 1945–1946 |
[1][5] | Returned for 200th birthday celebration.[5] |
| Gene Carney (Coast Guard) | 1956 – November 1957[6] | ||
| Robert Baranksi (Coast Guard) | 1957–1958 | [1][5] | |
| Jim Marshall (Coast Guard) Marvin White (Coast Guard) Charles Green (Coast Guard) |
1958–1962 1961 1961–1962 |
[1][4] | |
| Robert Ewing (Coast Guard) | c. 1965 | [1] | |
| James Overton (Coast Guard Officer in Charge) | c. late 1960s | [1] | |
| Steve Martin (Coast Guard) | 1966–1970 | [1][5] | Gave a tour with future Falkner Island historian and Faulkner's Light Brigade founder, Joel Helander.[5] |
| Vernon Durfee (Coast Guard) c.1973 Tony Fox (Coast Guard) | c.1973 | [1] | |
| Mark Robinson (Coast Guard Officer in Charge) John Von Ogden (Coast Guard) |
1975–1976 1975–1976 |
[1][5] | Officer of the last crew[5] Engineering officer [5] |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y D'Entremont, Jeremy. "History of Faulkner's Island Light, Guilford, Connecticut". New England Lighthouses. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Faulkner's (Falkner's) Island, CT". Lighthouse Friends. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
- ^ "Coast Guardsman Returns" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2002.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Hurricane Hannah Foils Open House '08" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Bicentennial Beacon Beams Brightly on Birthday" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring. 2003.
- ^ Helander, Joel (2010). "Reminiscences of a Coast Guard Lightkeeper Gene Carney's Stint on Faulkner's, 1956-1957" (PDF). The Octagon. Spring.