Preface
This book was researched using primarily material gathered together
by others during light station restoration. The greatest wealth
of information about East Brother's past comes from Record Group
26, National Archives, Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, some of
the old government records pertaining to this and other lighthouses
were consumed by a Treasury Department fire in 1921. Nevertheless,
enough has survived in the case of East Brother to document reasonably
well its early history. Most helpful among these unpublished
documents were the clipping file, topographical report dated
1882, correspondence file, descriptive pamphlet dated 1919, index
to correspondence received by the Lighthouse Board, the registers
of lighthouse keepers' salaries, and the station journals.
Published United States government sources yielded information
not only about East Brother, but also about the Lighthouse Service
in general. Particularly useful were the annual reports of the
Lighthouse Board and the Bureau of Lighthouses, the U.S. Statutes
at Large, and early Light Lists. Other federal government
publications consulted were: Instructions and Directions to
Guide Light-House Keepers and Others Belonging to the Light-House
Establishment (January 1, 1870); Instructions to Light-Keepers
(July 1881); The Modern Light-House Service by Arnold Johnson
(1890); The United States Lighthouse Service by John S.
Conway (1923); and The Lighthouse Service: Its History, Activities,
and Organization by George Weiss (1926).
East Brother's recent history is chronicled by the extensive
collection of newspaper clippings, correspondence, and photographs
preserved by East Brother Light Station, Inc. these were compiled
from the collections of individuals as well as the files of many
different local agencies and institutions.
Government publications, recent correspondence, and photographs
were also examined at the U.S. Coast Guard, Twelfth District,
Aids to Navigation Branch in Alameda, California. I am particularly
indebted to Mr. Wayne Wheeler for kindly making these materials
available to me and for his many helpful comments and suggestions
for improving the manuscript.
In addition, I especially wish to thank the following for
their help: Tom Butt, Walter Fanning, Leigh and Linda Hurley;
Sally Legakis; McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz; National Maritime
Museum, San Francisco; Nancy Norton; Edith Perry; the Richmond
Public Library; Suzanne Schettler; Ralph Shanks; David Shonman;
Kirk and Pat Smith; and Nels Stenmark.
Frank Perry
 
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