Life in the Light:
The Logs of Michael J. Diepolder,
 Keeper of Rock Island Light Station, Fisher's Landing, NY, 1886-1901

Source: U.S. Coast Guard Ligthouse Service: Lighthouse Keepers Logs for Rock Island Station.
Located at National Archives, Washingon, D.C. Rec. Group E 26 (NC-31)
Stack 12 E 1, Row 7 Compartment 12, Shelf 3, Box 365.

3 Oct 1886 Brought my daughter to the Lighthouse. her first ride in a skiff.
The daughter referred to here is Ada B. Diepolder, born 23 May 1878 in Lafargeville. Ada lived with her father on the Island, but attended school in Rochester, New York, where she stayed with her grandmother.
26 Oct 1886 Uncle James Kilborn's funeral services. hour 10am
James was brother to Michael's father-in-law Samuel Kilborn. Michael's wife Mary Kilborn died only eight months before of consumption—the second of his wives to die very young.
14 Mar 1887 Took daughter to see Doctor Jones at Lafargeville.
14 Dec 1887 Keeper's birthday. 35 years old
 Michael was born 1852 to Engelbert Diepolder and Salome Steiner, in Memhölz, Schwaben, Bavaria, Germany, where the family had resided for about 50 years.
25 Dec 1887 Keeper's little daughter home during vacation.
24 Jan 1888 Keeper's Daughter taken with Measels.
1 Feb 1888 Keeper shot a duck, the first one he ever shot.
21 Feb 1888 Coon Grover returned this eve. after a 9 day absence.
28 Feb 1888 Took coon grover to Lafargeville today.
25 Dec 1888 Attend Christmas dinner at cousin M. S. Knight.
1 Jan 1889 Happy New Year
3 July 1891 Father returned home on noon train.
 Michael's father, Engelbert Diepolder, died soon after immigrating on 10 March 1865; the "father" here is reference to his mother Salome Steiner's second husband, whom she is presumed to have married sometime after 1870 when she was enumerated in the census as head of her own household but before the 1890's when Michael indicates that his mother was living in Rochester, New York.
9 Feb 1892 coon Grover died
12 Mar 1892 First experience at taxidermy, set up coon Grover.
25 Jun 1893 The modles of Christopher Columbus fleet passed Station about 2:30 in rout for Chicago's Columbian exposition, or World's Fair.
22 July 1893 Quit the use of tobaco this evening.
19 Oct 1894

Michael completed a vegetable cellar under the house that was deep enough to stand upright in. When he was finished he said with pride: "Now there is a good vegetable cellar."

Also various entries about obtaining supplies for the fitting of the new tower on a concrete pier.
18 Mar 1895 Fanny the pet fox got away last night.
3 Apr 1895 Daughter's first day of schoolteaching.
4 July 1895 Mrs. Margaret A. Row, mother of Mrs. M. J. Diepolder returned to her home Brockville Ont., July 4th 8:am
Michael's third wife was Emma A. Row of Canadian birth; they were married around 1890.
20 Aug 1895 Keepers mother died 5:am at Rochester NY this 20th day of August cause of death supposed to have been heart failure.
I received a telegram 12:m and started for her home 3:30pm and returned to the station 24 inst. 6:pm
21 Oct 1895 Aggie. B. [Babcock] went to LaFargeville to help mother Kilborn.
 "Mother Kilborn" is a reference to Amanda B. Cole, widow of Orleans House hotelkeeper Samuel Kilborn, who had died in 1881. Amanda was mother of Michael's second wife Mary Kilborn by whom he had his daughter Ada B. Diepolder. Amanda's first cousin once removed was Melvil Dewey of Adams, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System.
24 Dec 1895 Visited daughter Ada's school "Taner Dist."
27 Mar 1896 Aunt Mary Kilborn's funeral today.
16 Apr 1896 Mr. Vyse and myself went fishing, caught 59 perch in about one hour.
26 Jun 1896 Baby walked for the first time this m., age 14 mo. 28 days & 4 houres & 30 minutes.
Lawrence Engelbert Diepolder was born to Michael and Emma in March 1895, presumably on Rock Island. Lawrence removed to Florida in his later years; he had no children and is not known to have married.
11 Jul 1896 Brought home meteorite from Murry Hill Park which I found there about two weeks ago.
20 Nov 1896 At Clayton and bought a stove. (Daughter married)
On this day Ada B. Diepolder married Floyd Lewis Carter of the village of Omar, son of Byron Carter and Clarissa Britton, whose grandfathers had served in the same company during the War of 1812 on the Northern Frontier. They were married nearly 40 years, when in February 1935 Floyd died of a heart attack in bed. Floyd, a carpenter and auto repairman, was well known for his skill at making violins, and he was called upon to do work on some of the expensive river craft of the St. Lawrence.
1 Dec 1896 An entire family was killed on the river when their boat was crushed by shifting ice—Michael's boat was nearly crushed in the same shifting ice.
24 Dec 1897 Christmas tree for our son Lawrence, this evening, at home.
30 Mar 1898 A meal of dandelions the 30th for supper.
1 Jun 1898 Was told by the Brugesses to look out for my boy "whom is a 3 year old" that his dog might bight him. I protested, but they insisted upon bringing their dog onto the Island to run loos. I never saw such a damnable outrage.
24 Sep 1900 Making wine for self.
19 Dec 1900 At Lafargeville visiting the sick. Capt. John Hoover.
John Hoover was the second husband of Amanda (Cole) Kilborn, Michael's former mother-in-law, previously referred to as "Mother Kilborn."
26 Dec 1900 Attended funeral of Capt. John Hoover G.A.R.
G.A.R. was a social organization for Civil War veterans, much like todays VFW.
29 Jan 1901 F. L. Carter shot a brown-head merganser off hed of buoy dock.
A merganser is a fish-eating diving duck having a slim hooked bill, also known as a sheldrake.
24 Feb 1901 Mrs. Willard Cook, wife of X L.H. Keeper Willard Cook of this station died at 10 am"heart failure."
Willard Cook was keeper of Rock Island Light from 1870 to 1879. He lost an arm at the second Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War; according to a descendant, "family lore is that he was given the keeper job as compensation for the loss of limb. Even with the lost limb, he continued to do carpentry, including furniture making and boat building."
26 Feb 1901 Funeral of Mrs. Willard Cook 12:m Fisher's Landing chapel, which is also the first funeral held in new chapel.
18 Mar 1901 My first degree
1 Apr 1901 My second degree
15 Apr 1901 Took my 3rd [degree]
"Degree" is a reference to initiation ceremonies required for membership in a Masonic Order. According to records kept by the Livingston Masonic Library for the Grand Lodge of New York, Free & Accepted Masons, Michael Johannes Diepolder joined LaFargeville Lodge #171 in 1901, age 46.
16 July 1901 Keeper's wife found him dead about 5:30am in shop where he had fallen after bathing - cause heart failure.
18 July 1901 Funeral of deceased keeper held in La Fargeville today under Masonic Order. This was his home prior to his appointment here.
 Michael was buried in the Kilborn Family plot in Grove Cemetery, Lafargeville. His wife Emma took over operation of the light station until September 1901, when Michael's term of service was completed. Eugene Butler succeeded Emma as keeper of the light. Butler notes several times over the coming years in his logs that "Mrs. Diepolder and her son" would come to visit to station and stay a few days at a time.

The note that the station was Michael's home "prior to his appointment" refers to the period from 26 September 1886 to 19 July 1887 when he served as "Acting Keeper," following the dismissal of former keeper Foster M. Drake. Michael was not officially appointed as "Principal Keeper" until 20 July 1887.