Emily Chan
Once known as the bravest woman in America, Ida Lewis held an important job as a lighthouse keeper and rescued many people from drowning in the waters off Newport, Rhode Island.
According to Coast Guard records, she saved the lives of 18 people, including some soldiers from nearby Fort Adams. Until 2020, she was the only woman to receive the Coast Guard’s Gold Lifesaving Medal.
Ida Lewis was born on February 25, 1842. She was the oldest of four children. Her father, Captain Hosea Lewis, served in the Revenue Cutter Service.
In 1853, he was appointed to guard the Lime Rock Light Station. So, he moved his family to the small, rocky island in Newport Harbor, where the lighthouse was located.
As a lighthouse keeper, Captain Lewis was responsible for keeping the oil lamps lit so that the light would illuminate the sharp rocks at the coastline, making sure that commercial ships, ferries, and vessels transporting military personnel could pass through safely.
In 1857, Captain Lewis suffered a debilitating stroke and became permanently disabled. His wife, Zoradia, was forced to take over the lighthouse duties, but since she also had to tend to her ailing husband and younger children, Ida helped out at the lighthouse. At the time, she was only 15 years old.
During the 19th century, lighthousekeeping was one of the few federal jobs open to women that didn’t involve clerical work. At least 122 women held the official position of lighthouse keeper between 1828 and 1905.
To maintain the lighthouse properly, Ida stayed awake all night to periodically fill the lamp with oil, trim the lamp’s wick, keep an eye out for incoming ships, extinguish the light in the morning, and row between the island and mainland for supplies.
In the mornings, she rowed her younger siblings to school. Once she returned home to the island, she slept until it was time to pick them up from school. All that practice made her a strong, highly skilled rower.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
