Ladies of the Lights
They were women before their time, taking on the romantic, yet dangerous and physically demanding job of tending to the beacons that protected the shoreline. In all, some 40 women have been identified who excelled in this profession over the years — dating back as early as the 1840s and as recent as present day. Nearly 70 images of keepers, their families and their lights make up this presentation. The program includes readings from newspapers and autobiographies.
Dianna Stampfler has been researching Michigan’s lighthouses for nearly 30 years, specifically inspired by the stories of the heroic and passionate keepers who dedicated their lives to keeping the beacons burning. In 2019, she published her first book – Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouse, followed by Death and Lighthouses on the Great Lakes in 2022. Dianna is a member of the Historical Society of Michigan, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and Michigan Maritime Museum, among other noted organizations. She founded her company, Promote Michigan, in 2004 and sits on the board of the West Michigan Tourist Association (where she worked when she first discovered her love of lighthouses).
North Central Michigan College • 1515 Howard Street, Petoskey, MI 49770
