REMEMBERING LIGHTKEEPER JULIA FISH NICHOLS during WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Juliet Fish Nichols, Angel Island Lighthouse Keeper, 1902-1914.

Since 1987, March has been designated as Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women. What better time to reacquaint yourself with Juliet Fish Nichols, the lightkeeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, who, in the very foggy summer after the disastrous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, kept the fog bell ringing to keep ships safe in the bay.

You can read all about Juliet and her heroic stint in July 1906 when fog bell machine broke and she rang the fog bell by hand for twenty hours straight, hitting the bell with her hammer every fifteen seconds until the fog lifted. The book is available on Amazon in both hardback and as a Kindle e-book.

The fog rolls in to San Francisco Bay. (Illustration by Rachell Sumpter.)

Learn more about Juliet at my website .

And learn about visiting Angel Island State Park, where you can see the giant bell and the platform where the lighthouse once stood, at my travel blog The Intrepid Tourist.

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KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: A Visit to Angel Island in San Francisco Bay

At the ferry landing at Ayala Cove on Angel Island.

A week ago I visited Angel Island for the first time since my book, Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, was published. It was a beautiful day and the ferry from Tiburon was crowded with people going to Angel Island for a day of hiking, biking and enjoying the out-of-doors in the state park.

In 1906, when Juliet Nichols was the keeper, the Angel Island Lighthouse stood on the rocky point between Camp Reynolds and Perle's Beach. (Yellow X)

On all my previous visits to the island I had focused my attention on the southwest side of the island where the Angel Island lighthouse had been located and where the story of my book takes place. But this time I wanted to visit the former Immigration Center on the other side of the island, where thousands of immigrants, mostly from China, had been detained between 1910, when it was built, and 1940, when it was closed after the main administration building burned down.

Fog bell at the Immigration Station Memorial.

I discovered that the Immigration Station had a giant fog bell, much like the one Juliet Nichols rang on that foggy night in 1906. Unlike Juliet’s bell, still in place on the rock where the bell house once stood but now inaccessible, the Immigration Station bell is now part of a memorial to the immigrants who once came to the island. It has a clapper, which you can swing to make the bell ring.

With Casey Dexter Lee in the Detention Barracks at the Immigration Station.

During my visit I finally got to meet Casey Dexter Lee in person, who had been so helpful with my research for my book. It was a pleasure to talk with her and learn more about Angel Island’s history. Casey is the Education officer of the island.

In the Kiosk gift shop.

Before we caught the ferry back to Tiburon, I visited the kiosk gift shop near the dock, where I was pleased to see Keeper of the Light displayed. All profits go to support the Angel Island Conservancy.

Click HERE for information about visiting Angel Island State Park.

The Immigration Station is a National Historical Landmark.

KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2023-2024, Intermediate List

I was pleased to discover my book Keeper of the Light: Juliet fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog on the Intermediate List of the Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2023-2024. 

Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog by Caroline Arnold and Rachell Sumpter Inspired by the logs of a female light keeper who kept the light shining through the fog following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this adventurous story captures an important piece of American history.

Many thanks to the Keystone State Reading Association (KRSA) for helping the children of Pennsylvania learn about Juliet Nichols, the intrepid lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay during the early 20^th century. 

The KSRA is a statewide organization of people who are interested in reading instruction, literacy development, and the encouragement of life-long reading habits.

The award list notes authors and illustrators who are from Pennsylvania. I live in California, but I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so at some level I am a Pennsylvania author too!

Juliet Fish Nichols

NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE DAY: August 7th

Today is National Lighthouse Day! Celebrate by reading my book KEEPER OFTHE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog.

On National Lighthouse Day, August 7, we celebrate how these scenic, historic structures comforted travelers throughout the centuries. In 1789, the U.S. Congress passed an act securing the protection of all lighthouses under federal support.

If you ever visit a lighthouse, you’ll understand the serenity and stability they represent to viewers on land. While lighthouse technology has evolved over time, lighthouses were once widely used to mark dangerous reefs, shorelines or harbors. Today, we imagine how a lighthouse’s beacon of light offered hope to those seeking land in the midst of stormy seas and dark nights. (Lighthouse Museum, Staten Island, NY)

Illustration by Rachell Sumpter for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT of Juliet Nichols striking the fog bell.

 

KEEPER OF THE LIGHT Inspires a Hike on Angel Island

Point Knox as seen from Point Stuart on Angel Island, San Francisco Bay

Last week I got a call from a reporter for SFGate (a local Bay Area publication) who was doing an article about Angel Island lighthouses and a kids' hike to Stuart Point on Angel Island. It turns out that the hike was inspired by my book, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog! My part in the article comes toward the end, and you have to scroll through a bunch of ads, but it is a great promotion for the book. I've done the same hike that the kids did. You can get a view of the bell that Juliet Nichols rang in the fog at her lighthouse at Point Knox when you get to the end of the Point Stuart. Here's the link to the article:

https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/lighthouse-angel-island-bay-area-hike-18079202.php

Hiking trail to Point Stuart on Angel Island

 

117th ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE

Illustration by Rachell Sumpter for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT.

Today is the 117th anniversary of the deadly 1906 San Francisco earthquake. That morning, across the Bay, on Angel Island, light keeper Juliet Nichols woke up to the violent shaking.

I awake with a jolt. Everything is moving!

My bed thrashes like a boat in a storm. Dishes smash. Outside, the lamp swings wildly on its hook. I hang on for dear life and wish I were not so alone.

When the shaking stops. I inspect the house--

Storehouse cracked. Stone basement badly cracked. House plaster cracked.

--Luckily nothing that can't be fixed.

Juliet's story, before and after the earthquake, is the subject of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022). Beautiful watercolor llustrations are by Rachell Sumpter. 

The San Francisco Earthquake

At 5:12 a.m., April 18, 1906 a violent earthquake struck the city of San Francisco, toppling buildings, cracking streets and sidewalks, bursting water mains. The rupture extended both northward and southward for a total of 296 miles (476 km). Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles. No system of measurement was in place at the time, but it is thought today that the earthquake would have measured between 7.9 and 8.2 on the Richter scale.  Hundreds of buildings collapsed during the quake.  But the bigger disaster came from the fires the followed.  Without a water supply, it was difficult to fight the rapidly spreading flames. By the time the fires were out, 500 city blocks were destroyed, at least 700 people were dead, and more than 225,000 homeless.

PODCAST INTERVIEW ABOUT JULIET FISH NICHOLS: Victorian Women Lighthouse Keepers

Podcast about Juliet Fish Nichols and other Women Lighthouse Keepers

March is Women’s History Month and the perfect time to promote KEEPER OF THE LIGHT. It was a busy month. On March 4^th I presented a session about the book to teachers and librarians at the Charlotte Huck Children’s Literacy Festival in Redlands, CA. It included projects done by 4^th graders at a local school that were inspired by the book. (I had met with them earlier via Zoom.)

Last week I featured the book when I did an author visit at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley. Some of the kids had been to Angel Island. All of them were familiar with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and loved the illustration of Juliet’s house shaking on the morning of the earthquake. I rang a bell when I read about the fog bell machine.

And earlier this month I was interviewed by Suki Wessling at the Babblery in Santa Cruz about the book and Juliet Nichols, along with two other people who have researched other women lighthouse keepers in California—one of them Juliet’s mother, Emily Fish, the light keeper at Point Pinos, and the other Laura Hecox, light keeper in Santa Cruz. It was fun being interviewed by Suki and sharing stories with author Lynn Guenther, who researched and wrote about Laura Hecox, and actor/interpreter Eleanor Morrice, who portrayed Emily Fish.

The interview was broadcast on Sunday March 26 on the KSQD radio station in Santa Cruz and is now available as a podcast online. (It is an hour long—so you have to be willing to set aside an hour to listen to it.)

Even if you don't have time to listen to all of the program, be sure to read the blurb and take a look at the photos and the links. Try to imagine what it would be like to do all the work of a lighthouse keeper--cleaning, sweeping, polishing, climbing ladders, rowing or sailing a boat, winding up the fog bell machine-- wearing a long skirt and sometimes a bustle!

AUTHOR VISIT AT ECOLE BILINGUE, BERKELEY, CA: Celebrating Women’s History Month with KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

Ecole Bilingue, Berkeley, CA

Last week on Friday I had a terrific visit with third, fourth and fifth graders at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley, California. The main focus of my presentation was my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet FishNichols Fights the San Francisco Fog. Learning about Juliet’s experience at the Angel Island Lighthouse and during and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake fit right in to the students’ studies of California history. While most of them had not personally visited Angel Island, it is a familiar sight, visible from any of the major bridges that cross San Francisco Bay—the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Rafael Bridge.

With the first slide of my power point presentation.

The timing of my visit was perfect because March is a national celebration of women’s history. After I shared the story of the book I asked the students what kind of a person Juliet had to be as a lighthouse keeper. Their answers: brave, persistent, hard-working, strong, committed. Clearly they understood that Juliet Nichols is a true hero. I also shared a few of my other books and details of my writing and illustrating process.

How plucky Mrs. Nichols wound up the fog bell machinery every fifty minutes for seventy-two hours and saved ships in Golden Gate from running on the rocks. (San Francisco Chronicle, 1906)

Ecole Bilingue is a bilingual school where children learn in both French and English. (I don’t speak French so my presentation was in English.) I have a special connection to EB because my granddaughter Paige was a student there from pre-school through middle school. My last visit to the school was in 2019 when she was in 8^th grade. It was a pleasure to return to EB and see many of her former teachers and meet the new staff as well. I especially thank Emily Kaltenbach, the English Program coordinator for arranging my visit and making sure that everything ran smoothly. I will be returning in April to celebrate Earth Day with the K-2 students.

 

FURTHER READING for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog

My book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT tells the story of Juliet Fish Nichols, the lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay from 1902 to 1914, and her heroic efforts in the summer of 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake, when for more than twenty hours she rang the giant fog bell by hand, thus averting potential disaster. 

If you would like to know more about light houses, lighthouse keepers, Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, or the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, here are some books for kids. Look for them in your library or online.

Light of the Bay: Laura Hecox, Keeper of the Santa Cruz Lighthouse by Lynn Guenther (Amazon, 2022)

Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities by Katherine L. House, (Chicago Review Press, 2008)

Hello Lighthouse, by Sophie Blackall, (Little Brown, 2018)

Abbie Against the Storm: the True Story of a Young Heroine and Lighthouse by Marcia K. Vaughan (Scholastic, 1999)

Keep the lights Burning, Abbie by Konnie and Peter Roop (Carolrhoda, 1985)

The Bravest Woman in America by Marissa Moss (Tricycle Press, 2011)

Loud Emily by Alexis O’Neill (Aladdin, 2001)

Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain, by Russell Freedman, (Clarion, 2016)

Li on Angel Island (Smithsonian Historical Fiction), by Veeda Bybee, (Capstone, 2020)

The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep and Kathleen S. Yep Dr. (HarperCollins, 2008) 

Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America by Helen Foster James and Virginia Shin-Mui Loh (Sleeping Bear Press, 2013) 

Landed by Milly Lee (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006) 

What Was The San Francisco Earthquake?, by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, (Penguin Workshop, 2016)

The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep (HarperCollins, 2006) 

I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 by Lauren Tarshis (Scholastic, 2012)

Note: Additional resources for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT are in the Pages section on this blog.

 

 

SCBWI READING LIST CELEBRATES WOMEN'S HISTORY, Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog

I am pleased to have my book KEEPER OFTHE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog included on the March SCBWI recommended reading list. It is in the nonfiction section. Scroll down to find the book.

This Reading List Celebrates Women's History Month. Pick up a book and read about strong, inspiring women from around the world: artists, authors, activists, inventors, scientists, teachers, dreamers, and more!

Inspired by the logs of a female light keeper who kept the light shining through the fog following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Written by Caroline Arnold. Illustrations by Rachell Sumpter

JANUARY 21, NATIONAL ANGEL ISLAND DAY: Remembering Angel Island's History

ANGEL ISLAND. In 1775 the packet San Carlos, first known Spanish ship to enter San Francisco Bay, anchored in this cove while her commander, Lieut. Jan Manuel de Ayala, directed the first survey of the Bay. Ayala named this island Isla de Los Angeles. The island has been a Mexican rancho, U.S. Military post, Bay defense site and both a quarantine and immigration station.

In January 2010, President Barack Obama declared that January 21 shall be National Angel Island Day, "to learn more about the history of Angel Island and to observe this anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities."

One hundred years earlier, on January 21, 1910, the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay had opened to process immigrants arriving in San Francisco, most of them from Asia. There they were examined, interrogated, often being detained for weeks, months, or even years, and in many cases deported. At the time US government policy discriminated against Asian immigration. The station closed in 1940.

Today, most visitors to Angel Island come to see the remains of the Immigration Station and learn more about its history. But the history of the island includes much more. My book, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, portrays one of the several lighthouse keepers who operated the light and fog bell station at Point Knox on the other side of the island from the immigration station. During Juliet's years as a lighthouse keeper (1902-1914), Angel Island was used as an Army base (Fort McDowell), a quarantine station, and, after 1910, as an immigration station. Her log does not mention the opening of the immigration station, but surely she was aware of it. 

The following proclamation can be found in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

January 20, 2010

Presidential Proclamation - National Angel Island Day

A PROCLAMATION

One hundred years ago, the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay opened for the first time, and an important chapter of the American narrative began. It would be written by those who walked through the station's doors over the next three decades. From the cities, villages, and farms of their birth, they journeyed across the Pacific, seeking better lives for themselves and their children. Many arrived at Angel Island, weary but hopeful, only to be unjustly confined for months or, in some cases, years. As we remember their struggle, we honor all who have been drawn to America by dreams of limitless opportunity.

Unlike immigrants who marveled at the Statue of Liberty upon arrival at Ellis Island, those who came to Angel Island were greeted by an intake facility that was sometimes called the "Guardian of the Western Gate." Racially prejudiced immigration laws of the time subjected many to rigorous exams and interrogations, as well as detention in crowded, unsanitary barracks. Some expressed themselves by carving poetry and  inscriptions into the walls in their native language -- from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean to Russian, German, and Urdu. These etchings remain on Angel Island today as poignant reminders of the immigrant experience and an unjust time in our history.

If there is any vindication for the Angel Island immigrants who endured so many hardships, it is the success achieved by those who were allowed entry, and the many who, at long last, gained citizenship. They have contributed immeasurably to our Nation as leaders in every sector of American life. The children of Angel Island have seized the opportunities their ancestors saw from across an ocean. By demonstrating that all things are possible in America, this vibrant community has created a beacon of hope for future generations of immigrants.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 21, 2010, as National Angel Island Day. I call upon the people of the United States to learn more about the history of Angel Island and to observe this anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.

BARACK OBAMA

Review of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT by Ronna Mandel at Goodreads with Ronna

 

Many, many thanks to Ronna Mandel for her enthusiastic and detailed review of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog, published at her blog https://www.goodreadswithronna.com/2022/11/09/keeper-of-the-light-caroline-arnold-rachell-sumpter/ on November 9, 2022. She captures the key elements of the story and shares several of the pictures giving readers a preview of the wonderful, atmospheric art for the book by illustrator Rachell Sumpter.

Here are the opening paragraphs of Ronna’s review:

Keeper of the Light written by Caroline Arnold and illustrated by Rachell Sumpter is a fascinating, “fictionalized account based on true events and historical documents about Juliet Fish Nichols …” I love learning about historical figures, especially women who had non-traditional careers, whose stories might never be told were it not for an inquisitive picture book author.

A widow at 42 and in need of a steady income, Juliet Fish Nichols worked for over a decade as Keeper of Angel Island Light Station in San Francisco Bay. Author Arnold presents an engaging interpretation of several years of Nichols’ life there—Point Knox to be precise—in log format so that readers can gain insight into the important responsibilities she was tasked with. This not only involved making sure the lamp (visible for up to 13 miles) was filled with oil, clean, and in working order but when needed, operating the fog bell machine.

For the full review please go to Ronna’s post at her blog.

PROJECT: KEEPING A WEATHER LOG

KEEPER OF THE LIGHT by Caroline Arnold, illustrated by Rachell Sumpter

Juliet Nichols, the lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay from 1902 to 1914, is the subject of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT (Cameron Kids/Abrams 2022.)

Juliet recorded the weather in her log book twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening.  She also noted activities relevant to running the lighthouse–such as repairs, the delivery of fuel, or a visit of the lighthouse inspector.  She used the information in her log book to write her monthly reports.

Juliet's log for February 1906

You can make your own log to make a record of the weather where you live.

You will need: a large notebook with lined paper, a pencil, outdoor thermometer, graph paper.

Using Juliet’s lighthouse log as a model, write your name, the month, year, and location of your observations in the notebook at the top of the page. Along the left margin, write the numbers, 1-31, one date per line.  Once each day (at about the same time) write down your observations of the sky (clear, partly sunny, overcast, foggy), air temperature (measure with a thermometer), and precipitation (rain, snow, sleet.)    

Sample graph

At the end of each month you can make a simple graph of the daily temperatures.

What was the average temperature for the month? (Hint: Add all the temperatures and divide by the number of days in the month.)

PROJECT: EARTHQUAKE IN A BOX

Illustration for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT by Rachell Sumpter

Juliet Nichols, the lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay from 1902 to 1914, is the subject of my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT (Cameron Kids/Abrams 2022.)

On April 18, 1906, Juliet was woken by a violent earthquake. She wrote in her log:. Calm. Hazy. Severe earthquake at 5:07 A.M. followed by several lighter shocks.

Earthquakes occur when two parts of the Earth’s crust push against one another. To demonstrate what occurs when this happens, you can make a tiny earthquake in a box. (It is best to do this project outside.)

You will need: a shallow cardboard box, scissors, damp sand.

First, cut the box in half. Then put the box back together by overlapping the cut edges. Fill the box with sand. Pat the sand to make it smooth. Now slowly push the two parts of the box together. 

What happens to the sand? Does it form little hills or valleys? Have you made any tiny earthquakes?

VIRTUAL PANEL: PICTURE BOOKS TO INSPIRE at Books of Wonder, NYC

I was thrilled to participate yesterday in a virtual picture book panel sponsored by Books of Wonder in New York. I loved learning about the other authors new books and about how they get their ideas and their research process. For me, it was a great way to promote my new book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog! Many thanks to Rosalyn at Books of Wonder for chairing the panel.

The other authors on the panel were MONICA BROWN, JOHN PARRA, SUZANNE SLADE and LISA ROBINSON. If you didn't watch the panel live you can download the video for about a month. (Check out the Books of Wonder website for details.) At the same website you can also order autographed copies of the authors' books!

Top, Rosalyn, Books of Wonder; Caroline Arnold, Lisa Robinson. Bottom, Suzanne Slade, John Parra, Monica Brown

 

Here's the information about the panel from the Books of Wonder website:

 

Heartfelt and inspiring stories from award-winning creators!

A good picture book can mean the world to a young reader! These beautiful picture books are perfect for empowering and encouraging your young readers and listeners - both with their gorgeous art and their powerful stories!

Growing An Artist, by award-winning artist JOHN PARRA - whose work is featured on U.S. postage stamps, in museums around the world, and in our very own NYC subway system - is a gentle, empowering story based on his own childhood experiences helping his dad's landscaping business.

Keeper of the Light, by CAROLINE ARNOLD - award-winning author of over 170 books for young readers - is the inspiring story of Juliet Fish Nichols, the lighthouse keeper who kept the light shining through the fog following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Blast Off! How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America Into Space, by SUZANNE SLADE - whose STEM books for younger readers are routine winners of science-writing awards - tells the story of Mary Sherman Morgan, the first female rocket scientist.

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People, by award-winning author MONICA BROWN, is a stunning picture book biography of Pablo Neruda, one of the most beloved poets of all time.

The Sweetest Scoop: Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Revolution, by LISA ROBINSON, author of critically acclaimed nonfiction for younger readers.

These are the perfect books for any young reader's growing bookshelf! Meet CAROLINE ARNOLD, MONICA BROWN, JOHN PARRA, LISA ROBINSON, and SUZANNE SLADE and celebrate their wonderful, inspiring books!

Saturday, May 7th at 1:00pm via Crowdcast

REVIEW in BOOKLIST of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

 The following review of KEEPER OF THE LIGHT appeared in Booklist, April 15, 2022.

Keeper of the Light: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog.

By Caroline Arnold. Illus. by Rachell Sumpter

Apr. 2022. 40p. Cameron Kids, $18.99 (9781951836375). PreS–Gr. 3

 

In 1902, Juliet Fish Nichols became the lighthouse keeper on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay. Written in first person from her point of view, this fictional narrative describes the actual woman’s solitary life, spent reading, writing reports in the log book, and maintaining the lamp that guided boats at night, as well as the machine that rang a heavy bell, warning sailors away from the island when fog hid it from view. Early one morning, her bed thrashed “like a boat in a storm.” The 1906 earthquake had struck San Francisco. Months later, when the bay was crowded with ships, the bell-ringing machine broke down. Grabbing the mallet, she struck the bell twice every 15 seconds throughout the night, saying, “The fog is fierce, but so am I.” Though not inherently dramatic, the story is well told and interesting. Sumpter contributes illustrations portraying a confident young woman within colorful surroundings including the lighthouse, her hillside garden, and the sun setting over the bay. An attractive picture book celebrating a lighthouse keeper's dedication to her work.