PHOTO: 1870 Ida Lewis in youth, famous lighthouse keeper
The most famous lighthouse keeper in history was a woman called Ida Lewis. I have an original photograph made of her circa 1870 in the clothes she wore during her most famous rescue in 1869. Scans of the image are free. Interested parties can post here, or email me. Here is a brief bio of this plucky female: born Idawalley Zoradia Lewis on 25 Feb 1842 probably at Hingham, Plymouth, Mass - to Hosea Lewis (b. 25 Sep 1804 Hingham, Mass - 1872 Newport Harbor lighthouse, R.I.) and his wife Zoradia nee Walley. Little Ida had siblings: Horatio Nelson b. 16 Dec 1839, Hosea b. 28 Feb 1849, John M. Jones b. 28 Jul 1844, Thomas Randolph b. 26 Aug 1846, Harriet F. b. 25 Oct 1851. Ida's father became lighthouse keeper at the Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport Harbor Rhode Island in 1854, but in 1857, just as they had settled in the new keeper's house on the rock, her father had a stroke and was unable to perform his duties. Ida was 16 years old and took over both her father's job and her many of her mother's duties, as her mother was in ill health as well. She rowed her younger brothers and sisters to shore for school each day and hauled supplies back to the lighthouse for the family. She was known as the best swimmer in Newport and in her lifetime rescued at least 25 people from drowning. Her most famous rescue is the one commemorated in the photograph, which took place on March 29, 1869 when 2 soldiers were making their way in their small boat through Newport Harbor to Fort Adams. Their guide was a 14 year old boy. A snowstorm hit, overturned the boat, and the boy was lost. The men held onto their boat. Ida's mother noticed their danger and told Ida, who rowed out in the storm with her younger brother and rescued the struggling men. In 1869, the general public found such heroic conduct on the part of a female, especially such a young girl, extremely admirable and fascinating. She became world renowned for her bravery and life saving skills. Though she acted the duties of keeper from the time of her father's illness, she did not actually become the lighthouse keeper until after both her parents had died in 1879. In 1870, she had married a William Heard Wilson of Connecticut,but they soon divorced and she returned to her life on the lighthouse rock, where she remained like some kind of guardian angel , saving lives. She was 65 years old when she made her last rescue! She died on 25 Oct 1911 at the keepers house at the Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport Harbor, R. I. quietly of a stroke from old age. Fort Adams suspended artillery practice during her brief final illness. She was buried with honors and mourned by the public. Even today, she is remembered by the Coast Guard and the local population of Rhode Island.
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Re: PHOTO: 1870 Ida Lewis in youth, famous lighthouse keeper-Agnes LEWIS
Vern Dander 8/05/07