"They've stood the test of time, now they're ready to stand the rest of time." Congressman Fred Upton, who had the North Pier Lighthouses virtually in his back yard growing up was one of several speakers to share memories over the years as the City of St. Joseph conducted a formal unveiling of the new donor recognition wall and paved approach to the North Pier at Tiscornia Park this afternoon.
Senator John Proos talked about the pier and waterfront "weaving a common thread" that ties the entire region together and stands as a "beacon of the past, bringing light into our future."
St. Joseph Mayor Mike Garey acted as the master of ceremonies as several hundred people turned out on a cloudy afternoon that probably made the nearly hour-long ceremonies more bearable than had the sun been shining brightly along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Breezes whipped through a small canopy where many donors, guests and citizens sat for the ceremonies while dozens more stood on the periphery of the tent and into the parking lot where some of the heavy equipment of Mihm Enterprises is still standing by.
Lighthouse Forever Fund Chairman Bob Judd told the story of the restoration and reminded everyone that in 2032 the lighthouse will mark its 125th birthday, and thanks to the restoration efforts it will look just the way it did those many years ago.
Frank Mihm told the crowd that his firm was very pleased to play a critical role in the restoration of the inner and outer lights, and thanked God that on several very dicey days his crew was unharmed despite strong winds and waves and tough conditions in order to get the work done by today's deadline. Mihm Enterprises has performed work on some 15 lighthouses across Michigan, and his wife Sharon says in each project they've always held out hope of "finding a secret hidden within." In the case of the St. Joseph Lighthouse, she delighted the audience by suggesting that they had, indeed, found a secret hidden treasure in the St. Joe Lighthouse in the form of the "great community and great people" of the entire area.
The donor wall was covered in canvas until all of the speakers stepped into position behind the sculpted and engraved metal wall and flipped the cover over the top and off of the name plates to show the names of every foundation, business, organization, family, couple, or individual that donated $500 or more toward the $2-million restoration project which is now complete.
Tours of the inner light have been offered to donors over the past couple of days and they will be opened to the public beginning soon, under the guidance of the Heritage Museum & Cultural Center in St. Joseph. Details will be forthcoming on schedules for those tours starting sometime next week.
A small part of the crowd moves in to see the new donor recognition wall at the North Pier in St. Joseph…
