Literature 3rd.

N. C.

A picture of Ida Lewis.

How beautiful she was.   =]

IDAWALLEY LEWIS!

             Ida Lewis was a light house keeper at the young age of 15. Her father was the first ever light keeper at lime rock in Newport harbor, Rhode Island 1853. At first there was only room for him to stay but in 1857 a Greek revival building with a hip roof was built and he moved Ida and the rest of the family there.

             Soon after they moved in Ida’s father was struck of a stroke, making him unable to work at the light house. Ida, who was already taking care of her seriously ill sister and father took over the job along with her mother.

             Ida is this oldest of four children, and since they lived on the island she rowed her younger siblings to school each morning and picked up the supplies she needed.

             The lamp needed to be filled at sundown and again at midnight along with trimming the wick, polishing the carbon from the reflectors, and it was to be extinguished at dawn. This responsibility also took away time from her schooling.

             Until 1879 Ida was not officially the light house keeper. But now since her parents death she was paid a salary of $500 per year.

             Ida became a famous keeper because of all her amazing rescues of the sailors. Once in 1867 during a storm, 3 sheepherders had gone into the water after a valuable sheep. Ida saved them and the sheep as well.

             She was and incredible person saving lives out on the water and taking care of her family.