Mind the Light, Ida

President Ulysses S. Grant disembarked at Lime Rock, a tiny island off Newport, Rhode Island. Shoes splashed with seawater, Grant remarked, "I have come to meet Ida Lewis, and I'd get wet up to my armpits to see her!"

Born in 1842, Ida was the daughter of Captain Hosea Lewis, a Coast Pilot appointed first light keeper of Lime Rock lighthouse. One of the most demanding jobs of the mid-19th century, the keeper was responsible for manning and maintaining the light and keeping detailed logs. Captain Lewis lived with his family in isolation on the island where he worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in any weather.

When Captain Lewis was stricken by a disabling stroke, Ida's domestic duties increased. She cared for her invalid father and seriously ill sister. Until his death in 1872, Ida and her mother manned the light. This included filling the lamp with oil at both sunset and midnight, trimming the wick, polishing the reflectors, and extinguishing the light at dawn. Years later, Ida was appointed official light keeper. During her service, she was credited with saving more than eighteen lives. By 1869, news of her daring rescues had spread, and articles about her life saving acts appeared in popular newspapers and magazines.

Ida Lewis became the best-known keeper of her day. Tales of her courage attracted the attention of President Grant. In 1881, Ida Lewis received the highest medal ever awarded by the U.S. Life Saving Service for her rescue of two drowning men. Ida Lewis continued at her post until her death in 1911. Years later, the lighthouse was renamed the Ida Lewis Light in honor of her extraordinary service. 







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