Benajah Wolcott, a distant cousin, was the first keeper of Marblehead Lighthouse. Marblehead is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It was originally called Sandusky Bay Lighthouse. He maintained the lighthouse for ten years: from 1822 until his death. After his death, his wife, Rachel Miller Wolcott, became the first woman lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes. Benajah was born on April 7, 1762 in New Haven, Connecticut. He enlisted in the army at 14 and served until he was 22. After the war, he was hired as a surveyor to map the Connecticut Western Reserve (now Ohio). After his survey finished, he returned to Connecticut. It was not long until his family was forced to flee.
During the Revolutionary War, there were
During the Revolutionary War, there were