MaineBusiness.com

On August 31 another part of lighthouse history came to a close with the passing of Welton Douglas Colbeth, 76, of Machiasport, Maine.

Unfortunately, very few knew of his rich ties to New England’s lighthouse and maritime heritage or how proud he was of his 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.