Thacher Island, A Bit of History (Tucker) Thacher Island was sighted by Champlain in 1605, by Captain John Smith in 1614, and by how many before that, nobody knows. The name comes from a shipwreck described as "pathetic" by historians. A small boat out of Ipswich, bound for Marblehead, was caught in the Great Storm of August, 1635, and was dashed to pieces on the rocks of the Island. Of the twenty-three passengers and crew, only Anthony Thacher and his wife survived, watching helplessly as their children and friends were swept away. On September 3, 1635, the General Court voted Thacher 40 Marks. Also in 1636-37, the General Court voted to grant Thacher the island "at the head of Cape Ann, as his inheritance." 1717: Island sold by John Appleton (an heir of Thacher), of ipswich, to the Rev. John White -- 30 acres, more or less, for 100 pounds. 1726-27: The Rev. John White sold to Joseph Allen for 175 pounds. This was Joseph Allen, Jr. who owned it at his death in 1750. In 1771, the Colonial Government bought it back for 500 pounds. The same year, the twin lighthouses were erected and lighted for the first time on December 21st. The present 123-foot towers were completed in 1861 raising the lights to 166 feet above sea level. In 1888 the Town of Rockport adopted Seal of the Island as its official seal. Early in this century, four families lived on the Island, to run the lighthouses and fog whistles. Descendants of these families still live in Rockport. The north light was shut off in 1932, as an economy measure. The Coast Guard, which had manned the Island for many years, removed its last crew of four men in 1980. At that time, the south light and the fog whistle had become automated, and the Town of Rockport took over the Island by lease from the U.S. Coast Guard. CLOSE >>