News Release from Ashtabula Marine Museum for 8/3/05 

Amateur Radio Club of Ashtabula County to Put Ashtabula Lighthouse on the Air

Submitted by:

Bob Frisbie, Assistant Director - Ashtabula Marine Museum

& Ashtabula Lighthouse Historian - Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration & Preservation Society

 Members of the Ashtabula County Amateur Radio Club will be operating from the Great Lakes Marine & Coast Guard Memorial Museum on August 20 & 21 as part of the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend.   This effort marks the first time that Ashtabula Lighthouse, US020, will be on the air as part of this event.

 The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend is an effort by amateur radio operators from around the world to help preserve and promote lighthouses.  There will be amateur radio stations at several hundred lighthouses and lightships around the world.  In addition to contacting each other, the stations will be working other interesting amateurs.

 The Great Lakes Marine & Coast Guard Memorial Museum (Aka: Ashtabula Marine Museum) is located in the 1871 light keeper and 1898 assistant light keeper’s home at 1071 Walnut Blvd. Ashtabula, Ohio.

 Depending upon the weather conditions, the local club will either operate from a tent room on the grounds of the light keepers home (between the light keeper’s quarters and the 1915 Ashtabula Lighthouse) or from the Pilothouse of a 1911 lake boat ore carrier, the “Thomas Walters”.  The pilothouse is located behind the assistant light keeper’s home (between the assistant light keepers quarters and that same 1915 lighthouse).  They will be displaying information on the states, countries, and other lighthouses and lightships contacted.  For those who wish more information on amateur radio, the club will have brochures available.  Club members will be available to answer questions about what they are doing and amateur radio in general.

 The Great Lakes Marine & Coast Guard Memorial Museum and the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration & Preservation Society are two separate groups but are working closely together because of the mutual interest and well being of the Ashtabula Lighthouse. 

 Because the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration & Preservation Society (ALR&PS) just submitted the paper work late in July to take over ownership of the Ashtabula Lighthouse from the U.S. Government the Ashtabula County Amateur Radio Club cannot actually broadcast from the lighthouse this year.  The ALR&PS hopes they will be granted ownership yet this year and then will be able to have the club set up and broadcast from there next year!