A contract was awarded to Mr. James MacCool, at $400, to erect two more beacon lights for the use of steamers drawing timber on the Upper Ottawa. One of these is placed on the outer end of the pier at Fort William, County of Pontiac, and is simply a mast on which a tubular lantern can be hoisted. The other is at the Lower Narrows, above Pembroke, also on the Pontiac side of the river. It consists of a mast with a shed at its base, standing upon a crib-work pier built close to the edge of the water. This work is completed and will be ready for putting in operation by the opening of navigation.James McCool was appointed the first keeper of the light at Fort William in May 1887 at an annual salary of $90. Keeper McCool was like the same person who built the beacon light in 1886.
In 1911, C.L. McCool took charge of the light, and in 1913, he built an enclosed tower to replaced the pole light at a cost of $810.37. This new square, wooden lighthouse was positioned on the outer end of the government wharf at Fort William and displayed a fixed white light at a height of twenty-seven feet above the river. C.L. McCool served as keeper until 1921, when M.J. Morris started looking after the light.
In 2021, a white mast, with an orange, square daymark, was displaying a flashing white light with a period of four seconds from the outer end of the wharf at Fort William.
Keepers: James McCool, Sr. (1887 – 1910), C.L. McCool (1911 – 1921), M.J. Morris (1921 – at least 1923).
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