The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states and a capital district. The midwestern state of Indiana has a short coastline, about 45 miles (70 km) long, on the southern end of Lake Michigan. On this coast there is only one historic light station, near the east end at Michigan City. This station is sometimes described as "Indiana's only lighthouse." Actually the state also has a number of active and interesting pierhead lights in the industrialized areas southeast of Chicago. Unfortunately there is no lighthouse preservation group watching out for these lights. Perhaps because of this the pierhead light at Calumet Harbor was demolished in 1995. Aids to navigation in Indiana are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan and its Aids to Navigation Team based at Muskegan, Michigan but ownership (and sometimes operation) of historic lighthouses has been transferred to local authorities and preservation organizations in many cases. ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. USCG numbers are from Volume VII of the U.S. Coast Guard Light List.
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![]() Breakwater South End Light and Chicago Skyline, Calumet City, June 2010 Flickr photo copyright Gary Martin; used by permission |
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Information available on lost lights:
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Notable faux lighthouses:
Adjoining pages: North: Michigan Western Lower Peninsula | South: Kentucky | West: Illinois
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Posted January 2004. Checked and revised December 23, 2024. Lighthouses: 11. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.