Lighthouses have become a problem for Park Service

The book “Mastering the Inland Seas” (University of Wisconsin Press, $36.95) helps explain the history of Great Lakes lighthouses and navigational aids and the importance of protecting them.

Historically, lighthouses, powered by whale oil and kerosene, helped large commercial vessels navigate the harsh environment of the Great Lakes. Due to the declining number of commercial vessels and advancements in navigation technology, though, these lighthouses have become a problem for the National Park Service.

Author Theodore Karamanski, a retired professor of public history at Loyola University Chicago, said, “They wanted to see what we need to know to evaluate any of them to be landmarks.”