The first keeper at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was George Marshall (1844-1932). He grew up on Mackinac Island, and served in the U.S. Cavalry during the Civil War. He returned to the island and married Irish immigrant Margaret Garrity in 1870. He entered the lighthouse service in the 1870s.
In 1890 he assumed duties at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. He served here until 1919. While he and Margaret had no children of their own, they raised two boys, their adopted son James and nephew Chester Marshall.
This gallery shows Marshall’s family life at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and features stunning views of the Mackinac Bridge and Straits of Mackinac. In addition, two period rooms show Chester’s room, as it may have looked in 1910, as well as a room belonging to George’s sister Mary.
