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Dr. Jonathan P. Hawley, a resident of Frankfort, Michigan for twenty years, along with his wife, artist Peggy Hawley, earned his PhD in political science at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His career included university teaching; ten years' staff service in the US House of Representatives, during which he worked toward the establishment of Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; and nearly two decades of corporate public affairs consulting. Upon moving to Frankfort, Jon became a founding board member of The Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse, serving throughout his ten-year tenure as vice president and president during the historic light station's restoration and the construction of its museum. A retired member of the board of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation, he serves on the board of Frankfort's Benzie Shores District Library, and is a Rotarian. Jon is the author of Point Betsie: Lightkeeping and Lifesaving on Northeastern Lake Michigan (2008), and From Artisans to Artists: Betsie Bay's Historic Island Story (2014).
A condensed yet comprehensive read on the maritime history of the Manitou Passage, made famous by the keepers who kept the lights and the surfmen who patrolled its beaches and braved its storm-swelled waters. -Kimberly Mann, historical architect, National Park Service, and board member, US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association This captivating account of harrowing experiences and immense personal sacrifices of those in service to Lake Michigan mariners compels an acute appreciation of their heroic acts in preserving hundreds of lives and ships. -Susan J. Pocklington, executive director, Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear With this book, Hawley cements his standing as one of northern Michigan's most respected and leading Great Lakes and maritime historians. His impeccable research pays proper homage to the surfmen and lighthouse keepers responsible for saving thousands of lives, and he clearly documents their contributions to national commerce. While Hawley highlights the professionalism and high standards of the US Lighthouse service, the Lifesaving Service, and the US Coast Guard, he also shares the stories of the men, women, and families, and the challenging lives they led in their remote posts. A must-read for those interested in northern Michigan or maritime history. -Barbara Mort, executive director, Benzie Area Historical Museum The inclusion of many historic pictures and maps enriches the narrative of this important story in Northern Michigan's maritime legacy. -Kim Kelderhouse, executive director, Leelanau Historical Society & Museum
