Hi all,
Lighthouse keepers have long been a favorite of mine. For one reason, I grew up on Martha's Vineyard and we enjoyed five lighthouses on the Vineyard. Another reason, is that they were the only job paid by the government that gave equal pay for women, long before women's rights became a political issue.
In Houghtalings Handbook ©1887 there are several pages of the salaries for lighthouse keepers, starting on page 188 to page 197. There were thirteen districts. I'm going to post a couple examples for you.
First District
Saint Croix River, Me. $460
Mount Desert, Me. $820, $480, $440 (Must have had more than one keeper.)
Seventh District
Alligator Reef, FL. $820, $465, $455
Cat Island, Miss. $625
Eleventh District
Grand Point, Mich. $400
Gull Rock, Mich. $640
Thirteenth District
Cape Blanco, Ore $800, $600, $550
St. Helen's Bar range Ore. $240
I didn't know women were lighthouse keepers. Even more interesting that they received equal pay for doing the job. I only recently visited a Michigan lighthouse; your post gave a new slant to that visit.
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