Once Upon A Time...


Once Upon A Time...

Those are the words often used to begin a fairy tale. Fairy tales often start in an idyllic setting and finish with a happy ending. They invariably feature a fairly family-friendly theme and provide an underlying moral to the story. Unicorns and rainbows come immediately to mind when thinking about fairy tales. Goldilocks, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood are some of my all-time favorites that can be found in any public library or on the Disney Channel. Here is a more complete list of fairy tales from around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fairy_tales

The legend of Thomas A. Carroll

The Race is a portion of Long Island Sound between Fishers Island and Plum Island. It is one of four gaps through which all of the tidal waters from Long Island Sound fill and drain twice each day in their moon-driven cycles. Because the depths change so rapidly in this part of the sound, the currents are constantly swirling and the waves can get pretty choppy. Anglers love this area because, well, that is where the fish like to swim. For traditional mariners, however, The Race represented a dangerous corridor littered with hidden reefs and harrowing shipwrecks.

After several shipwrecks - one of which took down 45 souls - construction of a lighthouse began in 1871. Like most navigational aids of that time, the foundation took many years to construct and featured many setbacks before the superstructure was complete in 1879. The first lighthouse Keeper was selected for service in 1880.

Thomas A. Carroll was a family man based in Noank on the Connecticut shore. He was retrieving supplies in January 1885 when a storm rolled in,  blocking his access back to his duty station. Thomas waited out a portion of the storm, but then rowed out toward the lighthouse to keep the lights on - so to speak. The lights never did go back on and his body was never recovered. Like many lighthouses along the eastern seaboard, Race Rock Lighthouse was automated in the 1970s and no longer required a resident Keeper to maintain the light. Maintenance crews are still required to make routine visits to each such navigational station. Those who travel to this remote site report strange sounds and unexplained events - even to this day. Learn more by visiting here! https://seewesterly.com/the-haunting-of-race-rock-light/

Dis Ain't No [Ship]...

Those are the words often used to start a sea story. You be the judge of what is fiction and what is fact. Fair winds and following seas to you Mr. Thomas A. Carroll. Happy Halloween!


Location: 23 Foxridge Rd, West Hartford, CT 06107, USA

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