Sleeping Bear Point CG Station

Navigating the Great Lakes has always been a risky business.
The need for professional rescue crews became evident, so in 1871 Congress appropriated money for this purpose. The U.S. Life-Saving Service was the government agency charged with carrying out rescues from shore stations. By the turn of the century, there were about sixty life-saving stations along the Great Lakes.
The typical station staff included a "keeper" and crew that followed daily routines that were standardized throughout the U.S.