Government

Dig discoveries shine light on lighthouses

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By LAUREN GIBBONS
Capital News Service
LANSING — The grounds surrounding Michigan’s oldest surviving lighthouse could see an archaeological excavation as experts work to learn more about the past while preserving it. The Fort Gratiot Light Station in Port Huron was built in the 1820s and was transferred to St. Clair County from the U.S. Coast Guard as a historic site in 2010. It was built just north of the site that formerly held Fort Gratiot, a post built in 1814 and occupied by soldiers intermittently until 1879. Now the local recreation department is searching for appropriate spots to dig for artifacts.