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Anna Garrity had lighthouses in her blood from the day she was born on March 29, 1872, the daughter of Patrick and Mary Chambers who had been the last lighthouse keepers of the old Presque Isle Lighthouse in Presque Isle, Michigan from 1861 to when it was decommissioned on June 1, 1871. At that time, her father was appointed as the head keeper of the new Presque Isle Lighthouse that had been constructed a short distance away. In 1872 her mother, Mary, was appointed as the 1st assistant keeper of the new lighthouse, a position she held until 1882. As well as serving as the keeper of the New Presque Isle Lighthouse, Anna’s father, Patrick, also served as the keeper of the nearby Presque Isle Harbor Range Lighthouses.
In 1903, Anna Garrity secured the position as the keeper of the Presque Isle Harbor Range Lighthouses, a position she held until shortly before her death on May 21, 1937 at the age of 65. She lived with her sister, Kathryne, in the cottage of the Presque Isle Rear Range Lighthouse, where the lantern was in a small room at the top of the house. Regardless of the weather, she needed to walk twice a day along the boards, which were often slippery when wet, to the Presque Isle Front Range Light to also keep it lighted at night and extinguished at dawn. She became known by others as a person “to get the job done.”
Anna was not the only child of Patrick and Mary Garrity to carry on their parents’ lighthouse legacy. John Garrity served as a keeper at the New Presque Isle Lighthouse, Detroit Point (Bar Point) Lighthouse, Devils Island Lighthouse, Mendota (Bete Grise) Lighthouse, Rock of Ages Lighthouse, and Stannard Rock Lighthouse. Patrick Garrity, Jr. also served as a keeper at the New Presque Isle Lighthouse as well as at Middle Island Lighthouse, St. Clair Flats South Canal Range Lighthouses and the St. Clair South Ship Canal Lighthouse. Thomas Garrity also served at the New Presque Isle Lighthouse and had been the keeper of the Presque Isle Harbor Range Lights before Anna became the keeper.
Anna’s legacy has now been preserved by a new statue created by sculptor Dawn Barr, which is now on display at the Old Presque Lighthouse.
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