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GEORGE R. WILSON : 1914 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY OF ONE FAMILY'S TIME SPENT ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF PUGET SOUND MANNING THE WEST POINT LIGHT STATION

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is an interesting, original 1914 manuscript diary handwritten by George R. Wilson, father to Cliff and Ralph, husband to May and the lighthouse keeper at the West Point Light Station [or the Discovery Park Lighthouse] a 23 foot high lighthouse located at West Point, which juts out into Puget Sound, near Fort Lawton and Seattle at the northern most extent of Elliott Bay. It was opened in November of 1881 with a fourth-order Fresnel lens and was the first manned light station on the Sound and was illuminated with kerosene lamp until 1926. The full 360+ page diary details the daily life of this family from the mundane chores, mail sent and received visitors, raising chickens and ducks, selling the eggs and occasionally the meat to supplement George's salary, which varied month to month, but averaged around $58 dollars a month. Life at a lighthouse could be very quiet, but storms and occasional events are al recorded such as when the body of a person identified as "Shaw" was pulled from the sea at the "Point" (what Wilson calls the lighthouse throughout this diary) on Wednesday, Jan. 21 shows that it was not all relaxation and boredom. On Jan. 23 Wilson met with "Mr. Beck on Swiftsure Lightship", which was the last light station established along the Washington coast. [HISTORICAL NOTES: Fort Lawton was a U.S. Army post located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle. Most of the property was turned over to the city of Seattle and dedicated as Discovery Park in 1973. Fort Lawton officially closed on September 14, 2011. Lightship 83, also called Swiftsure, was built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service as the Blunts Reef, California lightship. She is the oldest surviving example of an American lightship with its original marine steam engine. She weathered severe storms and heavy damage from ramming by a steam schooner during her first six years of service. She later rescued 155 survivors from a stranded coastal steamer. Sails were used to help keep her on station in the early year.] Wilson and family received a lot of newspapers, magazines and catalogues from many different parts of the country during their stay at West Point. On Feb. 20th the architect and a carpenter visited the lighthouse for repairs. The family had the use of a motor launch, which they used to visit Seattle and Ballard (annexed in 1909 by Seattle) on occasion. Most of their travel was for pleasure; the purchasing of supplies was done by hired car. George kept meticulous accounts of all sales and expenses in this diary as well as the weather. The rear of the book has printed address pages with 50 or so names and addresses. The diary also accounts for every penny that the family spent while serving at this lighthouse. Wilson's service at West Point ended on Aug. 15th, 1914 with an entry reading "Mr. Otto Hins came P.M. to relieve me, and we met him at Ballard with launch and took him to Point." Wilson and family then took the Great Northern Railroad to Traverse City, Michigan to their new life. The diary is bound in canvas backed tan cloth wraps and has printed calendars, postage, weights and measures and other useful information. Overall VG.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good

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