Leo and I at the Light House

Hubby had a conference to go to about a 2 hour drive from home, so since I hadn't been to Fond du Lac yet I decided to tag along. Leo and I hung out in the park and got to check out this neat lighthouse.

The Fond du Lac Lighthouse has become the symbol of the surrounding city, located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago. As you travel the streets of Fond du Lac, the image of the lighthouse is readily seen on bridges, road signs, and advertising. The community’s affinity for the lighthouse is perhaps because the beacon was built and lit during one of the city’s darkest periods.

In 1932, lumberman W. J. Nuss generously offered to build a lighthouse in Lakeside Park using plans donated by the noted architect Roger A. Sutherland. The offer was quickly accepted by the park board, and work on the forty-foot tower started the following May. At this time, the country was suffering through the depths of the Great Depression. Unemployment peaked at 24.9% in 1933, spreading a cloud of gloom across the nation. Charitably, the laborers employed on the lighthouse project were all out-of-work Fund du Lac citizens.

The bottom ten feet of the eight-sided lighthouse consists of a flagstone-covered base, while the upper section of the tower is of frame construction. A wooden staircase, attached to the interior walls of the lighthouse, winds up through the tower permitting visitors to reach the observation deck, where an excellent view of Lakeside Park is afforded.

The information above is from Light House Friends. The lighthouse was closed but was still very pretty. The park surrounding the lighthouse was full of Canadian geese. I think Leo was a bit intimidated!

 The best part was standing next to the lighthouse listening to the water. The edges of the lake were iced up and the water lapping against the ice made the prettiest tinkling sounds.