09/14/2026
The first light on Ohio's 82-acre West Sister Island on Lake Erie was established in 1847, with the tower and dwelling significantly modified in 1868. While most offshore light keepers returned to the mainland in the winter, keeper Chauncey Fitzmorris elected to spend his winters on the island tending his livestock. His first trip back to the mainland after ice-out was frequently touted as a harbinger of spring by the local newspapers. The light was automated in 1937 and that same year the entire island was designated as the West Sister Island National Wildlife Refuge by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As such, the entire island is off limits to visitors and the lighthouse can only be seen by private or charter boat. - Photo courtesy of Jet Express