Choctaw Point Light

Choctaw Point Light
Location Choctaw Point south of Mobile, Alabama
Coordinates 30°40′N 87°59′W / 30.667°N 87.983°W / 30.667; -87.983Coordinates: 30°40′N 87°59′W / 30.667°N 87.983°W / 30.667; -87.983
Year first lit 1831
Deactivated 1862
Construction brick
Tower shape conical tower
Height 43 feet (13 m)
Focal height 63 feet (19 m)[1]
ARLHS number USA-1007

The Choctaw Point Light was a lighthouse located just south of Mobile, Alabama on the west shore of Mobile Bay.

History

Mobile Bay is quite shallow, and dredging began in 1826 using a machine developed by John Grant, a sea captain in the area.[2] The channel opened the city up to greater traffic and in 1831 a brick tower was constructed on Choctaw Point, which projected from the west shore somewhat south of town.[3] It was considered poorly sited by pilots due to its lack of alignment with the channels.[1]

The beacon was extinguished at the outset of the Civil War and was never relit.[3] The site was used for a buoy depot and railroad wharves; today it is occupied by a container shipping terminal, and no trace of the light remains.[3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 Mills, Robert (1845). American Lighthouse Guide. Washington: William M. Morrison. p. 81. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
  2. "Mobile Bay (Middle Bay) Light". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  3. 1 2 3 Holland, Francis Ross (1981). America's Lighthouses: An Illustrated History. Dover. p. 143. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
  4. "Lighthouses of Alabama". Encyclopedia of Alabama. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, October 21, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.