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David
Swain with Fish
The
Daniels Family
Wilma
& Smokey
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Living
at the Lighthouse
The
keepers at the St. Augustine lighthouse lived on the
site with their families. Like families of today, the
keepers' wives and children cooked, cleaned, went to
school and, of course, played. Before anyone could play,
however, there was much work to be done around the light
station. Lighthouse inspectors could visit at anytime.
They would not only make sure that the keeper was doing
his work but also that the tower, grounds and house
were neat and clean.
The
keepers' wives had much to do at the lighthouse. They
had to keep the house neat and clean, do the wash, cook,
tend the gardens, take care of the children and more.
Many of the changes that made work easier for the keepers,
such as electricity and indoor plumbing, also aided
the wives.
The
children at the lighthouse also had chores. They helped
in the garden, with cooking, cleaning and laundry, and
anything else that needed to be done. Children also
fished and hunted to help put fresh food on the table.
Once everything was done, including their school work,
they could play. Lighthouse children swam or surfed
in the ocean, played with dolls, collected shells, climbed
trees, roller skated, listened to music, read books and
much more.
Lighthouse
keepers children also experimented sometimes. For example,
Cracker Daniels, son of keeper C.D. Daniels, decided
to build a small parachute. He worked on it in the basement
until he got it right and then he borrowed his sister
Wilmaıs cat, Smokey. Smokey was launched from several
places with his parachute, but never high enough to
suit Cracker. One day Cracker took Smokey to the top
of the tower. With the parachute strapped to the catıs
back, Smokey went flying safely down to the bottom.
However, the flight did not thrill Smokey, who disappeared
into the surrounding trees for about a month.
Lighthouse
keepers' children also entertained tourists that had
been visiting since the mid 1800s. These guests were
allowed to climb to the top, with an escort. The keepers
were often too busy to take them so the older children
would. Sometimes the kids would offer lighthouse postcards
to the tourists. If they bought one for a dime or so,
the industrious child could go see the newest movie
in town.
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