Huron-Perth Boomers Summer 2024

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