Huron-Perth Boomers Summer 2024
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Great Lake region (University of Michigan, Great Lakes<br />
Archeology). The boulders placed there by Indigenous<br />
hunters strategically steered migrating caribou into a<br />
natural dead end where they could be easily hunted.<br />
Over 60 boulder formations have been found at<br />
the bottom of the lake and are similar to the drive<br />
lanes found in the Arctic. This discovery, combined<br />
with evidence of ancient hunting tools amongst<br />
the boulders at the bottom of the lake, show the<br />
importance of the Point Clark area, long before the<br />
lighthouse ever shone her first light.<br />
An Imperial Tower<br />
For centuries, Indigenous peoples traded fish, corn,<br />
tobacco, and wares with neighbouring tribes and<br />
communities. Later, they traded with Europeans and<br />
became key players in the fur trade. When Europeans<br />
began settling southern Bruce County in the 1850s,<br />
Captain Henry Gamble established a saw and grist<br />
mill near the mouth of the Pine River, which meets<br />
Lake <strong>Huron</strong> in Point Clark. During this time, the<br />
region was referred to as “The Point,” however, it<br />
later earned the name “Pine Point” due to a lantern<br />
hung from a pine tree to caution sailors about the<br />
nearby shoal before the existence of a lighthouse.<br />
Recognizing the peril posed by the offshore shoals<br />
to maritime traffic, increasing U.S. trade, and the<br />
impending opening of the Soo Locks to link Lake<br />
Superior to <strong>Huron</strong>, authorities recognized the<br />
necessity for a lighthouse in 1855.<br />
John Brown, of Thorold, was contracted to construct<br />
11 lighthouses along Lake <strong>Huron</strong> and Georgian Bay,<br />
but the challenges of building in remote regions proved<br />
daunting and costly. Once construction began, there<br />
were many disasters that set the project back. Vessels<br />
carrying supplies to the remote building locations<br />
sunk, and the project proved to be more costly than<br />
anticipated. Ultimately, only six lighthouses – Point<br />
Clark, Chantry Island (Southampton), Cove Island,<br />
Nottawasaga Island, Griffith Island and Christian<br />
Island – were completed, earning them the moniker<br />
of the Imperial Towers.<br />
SUMMER <strong>2024</strong> • 15