KOPL member Larry Myhre has been doing some research into the early history of Patos Island Light Station. Thanks Larry for all your hard work. Here is Larry’s report.

Early Keepers of Patos Island Light Station by Larry Myhre

Name Keepers: Harry D. Mahler Albert A. Morgan Edward Durgan George L. Louholt	Dates of Service August 2, 1893 – July 1903 August 15, 1903 – December 7, 1905 December 8, 1905 – February 22, 1911 February 23, 1911 - ???
Assistant Keepers: Edward Durgan Joseph Dunson Gustaf Anderson Albert A. Morgan Edward Pfaff Louis A. Pettersen N. A. Clark Daniel W. Clark William H. Stark	July 28, 1893 – June 5, 1894 June 5, 1894 – December 1, 1898 December 1, 1898 – April 1, 1900 April 1, 1900 – August 14, 1903 August 22, 1903 – March 15, 1906 March 16, 1906 – March 31, 1909 April 1, 1909 – December 23, 1911 December 24, 1911 – December 31, 1911 January 1, 1912 - ???

Salary: The initial salary was $700 per annum for the Keeper and $500 per annum for the Assistant Keeper. In March 1897 the salaries were increased to $800 and $600 respectively. These salaries remained in effect throughout the period of these dates of service.

Source: The information above was obtained from National Archives microfilm publication M1373, “Registers of Lighthouse Keepers, 1845-1912”. The registers show the name of the station as “Patos Island Fog Signal Station”.

Notes:
1. The dates shown appear to be the dates the person was actually “on the job” at the station as shown in the payroll records. In some cases the “date of appointment” was somewhat before or after the dates shown here.
2. The registers are handwritten making them sometimes difficult to determine correct spelling of names. The most difficult of the names above is the spelling of Assistant Keeper Pfaff’s last name. The handwriting of the person who made the entry is very fancy and the first letter “P” and the second letter “f” are hard to discern. However, it looks more like “Pf” than anything else.
3. The first name of Assistant Keeper Daniel Clark could be incorrect. The register handwriting looks like “Danl”, but it could also be “Saul”. I have seen reference to a “Daniel Webster Clark” who served as Assistant Keeper at Semiahmoo Light in the 1930’s and had served earlier at Patos Island Light – very possibly the same person.
4. It is interesting to note that Keeper Morgan was promoted from the Assistant Keeper position. The other Keepers were transferred from other locations.