Ida Lewis, keeper of the Lime Rock Lighthouse, rescues two men on March 29, 1869. Idawalley Zorada Lewis, known as Ida, was one of a number of women lighthouse keepers in the Lighthouse Service. She inherited the position of lighthouse keeper from her father after he suffered a stroke just months after his appointment. The oldest of four children, Ida developed into a skilled boat handler from her daily chore of rowing her brothers and sisters to school on the mainland. She made her first rescue at the age of 15, and she is credited with saving as many as 24 lives over her 39-year career. Her daring rescues brought her considerable fame: she was featured on the cover of Harpers magazine and received a visit from President Ulysses S. Grant. After her death, the Lime Rock Lighthouse was renamed in her honor. (Permission to reprint this work must be obtained from the artist. For information, contact Mary Ann Bader at Mary.A.Bader@uscg.mil.)
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