Research notes
Common reference questions
These notes explain how materials were selected, dated, and organized so the archive can be read as a careful historical reference.
What sources are used to build entries in this archive?
Entries are assembled from harbor board reports, keeper logbooks, chart revisions, local newspapers, and municipal preservation records, with citations aligned to the closest verifiable date and location.
How are archive photographs dated when captions conflict?
We cross-check structural details, lens format clues, weather logs, and shoreline alterations; when uncertainty remains, a bounded date range is shown rather than a single unsupported year.
What does the preservation map include, and what is excluded?
The map tracks preserved towers, surviving lantern rooms, and documented foundations on the northern coast; temporary beacons, private replicas, and undocumented ruins are intentionally left out.
Why do some tower and harbor names differ across pages?
Place names follow the period used by each source; where official and local names diverge, both are retained with context so historical usage can be read without flattening regional language.
How should this site be read as a reference resource?
Read chronology, images, and map entries together: dates establish sequence, photographs confirm physical change, and preservation notes locate what remains, allowing each topic to be verified from multiple angles.