Thursday, March 22, 2018

Mind The Light, Kate


Robbins Reef Lighthouse with New York City and Statue of Liberty
By Marilyn Turk

When Kate Walker first arrived at Robbins Reef Light in 1883 with her Lighthouse Keeper husband John Walker, she threatened to leave him. She had never expected to live in a home surrounded by water. The lighthouse was the type often called a "sparkplug" style, due to its resemblance. It was built on a reef in the middle of a body of the channel leading to the New York City Harbor. Eventually, though, Kate got used to living in the lighthouse and became her husband's assistant keeper. She served in that capacity until John died three years later. His last words to her were, “Mind the light, Kate.”

Robbins Reef, 1917


Several men were offered the position John had vacated as keeper, but they refused, saying the location was too lonely. So Kate, the forty-year-old mother of two, applied for the position. Objections were raised against her appointment due to her petite size, assuming she was unable to handle a man’s job. At four-foot-ten and 100 pounds, the task seemed too large for a woman, not to mention, a tiny one.







It took four years and several men turning down the position before Kate received the appointment. But Kate's work ethic soon proved she was as good at the job as any man. Not only did she keep the light burning, she also rescued at least fifty people whose boats wrecked on the reef during storms. When fog rolled in, she went down into the basement to start the engine that sent out siren blasts. When the motor sometimes broke down, Kate climbed to the top of the tower to bang a huge bell.

Kate on the ladder to the first floor of the lighthouse.
Every day, Kate rowed her children to school, recorded the weather in the logbook, polished the brass, and cleaned the lens. At night, she wound up the weights multiple times to keep the fourth-order lens rotating, trimmed the wicks, refilled the oil reservoir, and in times of fog, she started up the engine in the basement to power the fog signal. As her son Jacob matured, he helped with the tasks and was made an official assistant keeper in 1896.

Kate was keeper of the light for thirty years, retiring at the age of 73. The U.S. Coast Guard commemorated her commitment to her position and diligence to the work by erecting a buoy in her honor and in 1996, a Coast Guard buoy tender bearing her name was launched.


Silencing her critics, Kate proved that despite her small size, she was more than capable of “minding the light.”
USCG Tender Katherine Walker



18 comments:

  1. Another woman of the past to be admired for her determination, faith and hard work in keeping the light lite and resucing those at sea. Thank you for sharing. Blessings.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Marilyn. Kate was certainly a woman to be admired!

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  2. Amazing! Thanks for telling her story!

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  3. You're welcome, Connie. Thanksa for reading and commenting.

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  4. I think we just met Superwoman! Thanks for telling her story.

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  5. Thanks for sharing the story of this unheralded hero. Isn't it amazing what one person can do when they set their mind to do it? I can't imagine living alone like Kate did for so many years. It would be interesting to know how many lives were saved by her efforts.

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    1. Wikipedia says she saved "50 or more sailors," so there's no verifiable record of lives she saved. She was certainly a good example of a woman who was strong in more than one way.

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  6. Thank you for sharing your very interesting post.

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  7. What an amazing story of strength and determination. I loved learning about Kate.

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  8. Marilyn, I have never read anything by you. After reading this wonderful post I went to Amazon to see what you have available. I would love to read your "Lighthouse Devotions" book. Is there any chance it will be made available in Kindle format?

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    1. Debbie, currently Lighthouse Devotions is out of print while it is being revamped. Email me at marilynturkwriter@yahoo.com, and I'll tell you more about it. Or you can go to my website at pathwayheart.com for more stories. Thanks for your interest!

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  9. What an amazing story! Thanks for sharing with us about Kate, Marilyn. (Makes me think of another Kate you and I know... :) )

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  10. My favorite story about Katie Walker concerns a Scotty dog she rescued in the harbor. It's in my book, "Guardians of the Lights." https://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Lights-Stories-Lighthouse-Keepers/dp/1561640778/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1521827131&sr=1-6&keywords=guardians+of+the+lights

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    1. Thanks, Elinor. I have that book, but I forgot about the dog rescue! Thanks for sharing the post too.

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  11. Fascinating story! What a remarkable woman.

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