Before I begin my story this week, I would like to acknowledge the most valuable information given me by Mrs. Marion McGilvary, whose grandfather was one of the first lighthouse keepers, and to the U.S. Coast Guard which provided me with many of the statistics connected with this story.

The maintenance of aids to marine navigation is one of the oldest federal functions, having been provided for by Congress on Aug. 7, 1789. And the old Ipswich lighthouse became a part of it in 1838.

In those early days, the Ipswich River was a fairly busy place. And boats entering the treacherous Ipswich harbor were guided in safely by the lighthouse and also the bug light which was in line with the channel. As the shifting sands of the sand her turned the course of the channel, this bug light had to he changed occasionally.

In spite of all this, there were many wrecks on Ipswich beach. One of the more famous I will tell about later in a separate story was the ship Falcon. We must remember that the wharves of Ipswich were lined with coal, lumber and lime vessels.

The first light was a stationary white bee operated by oil. This had to be lighted each night. The bug light was also an oil light and was at the edge of the beach. It was so-called because it was much smaller light and because of its size was called a bug.

The large light more or less guided ships as to their position or location along the coast, while the smaller light guided ships into the inner harbor. The shifting sand dunes at one time had completely covered the entrance door to the lighthouse, and the keeper had to enter by a second story window.

It was decided in 1938, just 100 years after its erection, to remove the lighthouse to Edgartown where it now stands. Ten years before this it had been electrified and became a revolving light with red beam.

After it was removed, a steel-framed tower was constructed and an electric light installed with the stipulation that the town provide the electricity. This is still the arrangement today.

Next week I will tell of the protest over removing the lighthouse, and I will include a history of the light as told by the keeper's daughter in 1938, Miss Susan Ellsworth.

- HAROLD D. BOWEN