REPRINTED FROM :
NorthernIslander News & Beaver Beacon
WE DID IT! Thanks to all for voting by mail or tweet to help make this happen!
The Beaver Beacon was the only Beaver Island newspaper since James Jesse Strang’s Northern Islander was published in the 1850s. Begun in 1955 by the Beaver Island Civic Association, those who paid for a membership in the Civic Association received the newsletter. Editors were Beaver Island residents themselves, many contributing to the production of each issue. It was filled with the news of the Island happenings, contact information for servicemen and women, weddings, births, deaths, birthday and anniversary celebrations and school events. The Beaver Beacon was also the link for off-island relatives and friends to stay connected to the Island. It served as a beacon for visitors who were looking for a place to stay, things to do and much more. While the paper dealt with Beaver Island happenings, it also included information about the extended Island families who resided off-island as well. It was run as a public service more so than profit-making venture, yet it lasted 60+ years.
Reasons Why These Newspapers Should be Digitized:
Offering The Beaver Beacon online would assist family historians looking for information about Island residents in the 1950s-2000s. Also, some of the later issues are currently available through the Clarke Historical Library (2003-2014). Inclusion of these 1955-2002 issues would complete the collection. It is quite likely that the Beaver Island District Library and the Beaver Island Historical Society is the only two complete-run collections in existence. Half a century of history are contained in the aging pages and need to be preserved and made available to the public.
