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family’s
lighthouse history. That all changed in the late spring of 2008 when Welton
came forward to share with Tim Harrison, editor of Lighthouse Digest,
the never before published memoirs of his father Gleason W. Colbeth, from
the years 1895 to 1977.
This memoir
detailed Gleason Colebth’s early childhood years and his life on the high
seas during World War I, serving on the Battleship North Carolina and
the USS President Grant. After the war he joined the Coast Guard and
served at Maine’s Cross Island Life Saving Station. However, after the stint
in the Coast Guard he joined the United States Lighthouse Service. He went
on to serve at Isles of Shoals Lighthouse in New Hampshire and Seguin Island
Light, Goose Rocks Light, Ram Island Light, Great Duck Island Light, Libby
Island Light and Little River Light, all in Maine.
It was at Libby
Island Lighthouse, where in 1933, Welton Colbeth was born and for his entire
childhood, the next 17 years, he lived on an island as the son of lighthouse
keeper. The last five of those years were spent at Little River Lighthouse
in Cutler, Maine.
When Welton
stepped forward to share his father’s memoirs and old family photographs
with Harrison, he was ill, but did his best to recall with Harrison life at
the lighthouses. Some of those family memories were recounted by Harrison in
several stories he wrote in Washington County newspapers, the Cutler United
Methodist Church’s newsletter, Cutler Connection, in Lighthouse
Digest magazine and in the book, Lighthouses of the Sunrise County,
published and written by Harrison in 2008. Other Colbeth family lighthouse
memories will be published in future issues of Lighthouse Digest.
Also, next year an interpretative display about Gleason Colbeth will be
installed at the now restored Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, Maine.
Harrison said that
there were many gaps in the history of some Maine lighthouses that were
filled in thanks to Welton Colbeth stepping forward to share the memoirs,
photographs, documents and of course, Welton’s personal memories. Harrison
went on to say, “Thanks to Welton, a vital link to Maine’s lighthouse
history has now been saved for all future generations to learn from. Without
Welton’s help, this might all have been lost forever.”
Welton Colbeth was
the last to survive of the lighthouse children of the late Gleason W. and
Lillian (Beal) Colbeth. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Gleason
Jr., Julian and Hollis. His passing leaves only one surviving child of a
keeper of the United States Lighthouse Service who served at Maine’s Little
River Lighthouse. That is Purcell Corbett, now 90, whose father Willie W.
Corbett, was the keeper at Little River Lighthouse from 1921 to 1945.
Welton Colbeth’s
funeral was presided over by Pastor Bill Holmes who during the service often
referred to lighthouses. Colbeth’s family requested that memorial donations
his name can be made to the Friends of Little River Lighthouse, P.O. Box
671, East Machias, ME 04630.
Posted: 10/10/2009
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