The road to the lighthouse, photographed by Charles Wendell Townsend For his heroism, the keeper received a bronze medal from the Massachusetts Humane Society.” Ellsworth rowed in a small boat against high wind and waves and managed to pull the two men from the water one of them reportedly was about to slip under. He was in the Willows area of Salem, Massachusetts, when he saw that a boat had capsized in rough seas, and two men were clinging to the craft. “In 1892 Keeper Ellsworth performed a daring rescue down the coast from his lighthouse station. The second story is told by By Jeremy D’Entremont: Ellsworth, where they were very kindly cared for.” She immediately informed her father, who mustered a crew and went to their rescue in the life-boat. At length morning dawned, when the daughter of the lighthouse-keeper, Miss Susie Ellsworth, having, as it were providentially, risen earlier than usual that morning, saw the men clinging to the mast of their sunken boat. Morgan, becoming so thoroughly wet and benumbed, began to show signs of exhaustion, and must soon have perished. At midnight they saw the keeper of the Ipswich light go and return from his duties yet no help came. Cold, benumbed and wet, with only a faint hope of holding out, the long hours of the night passed wearily. Here they succeeded, after much effort, in lashing themselves for their long and perilous watch through the night that was coming on, if indeed they should live to pass that watch. Levi Lane, and their only hope of escape was by clinging to the mast until assistance came. Morgan, of Lanesville, engaged in the shore fishery, was caught in the gale of Tuesday, March 11th, 1872, off Ipswich, while attending to the trawls, and, being unable to carry sail, was soon driven ashore on Ipswich Bar, and sunk within two minutes after striking. The first story is told in “ The Fishermen’s Memorial and Record Book” by George H. Keeper Ellsworth received a medal in 1873 for saving two men from a vessel near the lighthouse, and a second medal in 1892 for rescuing two men he saw in the ocean from a capsized boat while he was visiting Salem. Benjamin Ellsworth with family members in front of the lightkeeper’s house.

Paid lighthouse keeper