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'{{About|the lighthouse keeper|the actress born Ida Lewis|Julia Arthur}} {{Infobox person |name = Ida Lewis |image = IdaLewis.jpg |birth_name = Idawalley Zorada Lewis-Wilson |birth_date = {{birth date|1842|2|25}} |birth_place = [[Newport, Rhode Island]] |death_date = {{death date and age|1911|10|24|1842|2|25}} |death_place = [[Lime Rock (island)|Lime Rock Island]], [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]], [[Rhode Island]] |burial_place = [[Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery|Common Burying Ground, Rhode Island]] |spouse = {{Marriage|William Wilson|1870|1872|end=divorced}} |father = Captain Hosea Lewis |mother= Zoradia Lewis<ref>{{cite web|title=Ida Lewis Mom|url=http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=398|accessdate=17 July 2017}}</ref> }} '''Idawalley Zorada Lewis-Wilson''' (''[[née]]'' '''Lewis''') (February 25, 1842 – October 24, 1911) was an American [[lighthouse keeper]] noted for her heroism in rescuing people from the seas. ==Biography== === Early Years === hi Ida Lewis was born in [[Newport, Rhode Island]], the second oldest of four children of Captain Hosea Lewis of the [[Revenue-Marine]]. Her father was transferred to the Lighthouse Service and appointed keeper of [[Ida Lewis Rock Light|Lime Rock Light]] on [[Lime Rock (island)|Lime Rock]] in Newport in 1854, taking his family to live on the rock in 1857.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Skomal|first1=Lenore|title=Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter: The Remarkable True Story Of American Heroine Ida Lewis|date=2010|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=Washington DC|isbn=9781461745808|page=26|edition=1st|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SVKsBwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref> After the family had been at Lime Rock for less than four months, he had a stroke and became disabled. Lewis expanded her domestic duties to include caring for him and a seriously ill sister and also, with her mother's assistance, tending the light: filling the lamp with oil at sundown and again at midnight, trimming the wick, polishing carbon off the reflectors, and extinguishing the light at dawn. Since Lime Rock was almost completely surrounded by water, the only way to reach the mainland was by boat. By the age of 15 Lewis had become known as the best swimmer in Newport. She rowed her younger siblings to school every weekday and fetched supplies from town as they were needed. She became very skillful at handling the heavy rowboat. Responding to criticism that it was un-ladylike for women to row boats, Lewis said that "None – but a donkey, would consider it 'un-feminine', to save lives."<ref name="Grzyb 2014">{{cite book|last1=Grzyb|first1=Frank L.|last2=DeSimone|first2= Russell J. |title=Remarkable Women of Rhode Island|year=2014|publisher=The History Press|location=Charleston, SC}}</ref> Lewis and her mother tended the Lime Rock Light for her father from 1857 until 1873, when he died. Her mother was then appointed keeper, although Ida continued to do the keeper's work. By 1877 her mother's health was failing, leaving Ida with increased housekeeping and care-giving responsibilities. Her mother eventually died of cancer in 1878. Ida finally received the official appointment as keeper in 1879, largely through the efforts of an admirer, General [[Ambrose Burnside|Ambrose Everett Burnside]], a Civil War hero who became a Rhode Island governor and United States senator. With a salary of $750 per year, Lewis was for a time the highest-paid lighthouse keeper in the nation. The extra pay was given "in consideration of the remarkable services of Mrs. Wilson in the saving of lives".<ref name="Grzyb 2014" /> === Accomplishments === Lewis made her first rescue in 1854, coming to the assistance of four men whose boat had capsized. She was 12 years old. [[File:Ida Lewis 001.jpg|thumb|260px|Illustration of Ida Lewis rowing by Phebe Ann Hanaford]] Her most famous rescue occurred on March 29, 1869. Two soldiers, Sgt. James Adams and Pvt. John McLaughlin, were passing through Newport Harbor toward [[Fort Adams]] in a small boat, guided by a 14-year-old boy who claimed to know his way through the harbor. A snowstorm was churning the harbor's waters, and the boat overturned. The two soldiers clung to it while the boy was lost in the icy water. Lewis's mother saw the two in the water and called to Ida, who was suffering from a cold. Ida ran to her boat without taking the time to put on a coat or shoes. With the help of her younger brother, she was able to haul the two men into her boat and bring them to the lighthouse. One of them later gave a gold watch to Lewis, and for her heroism she became the first woman to receive a [[Lifesaving Medal#Gold Lifesaving Medal awardees|gold Congressional medal for lifesaving]]. The soldiers at Fort Adams showed their appreciation by collecting $218 for her.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harris|first=Rick|title=Newport Baseball History: America's Pastime in the City by the Sea|year=2014|publisher=The History Press|location=Charleston, SC}}</ref> Because of her many rescues, Lewis became the best-known lighthouse keeper of her day. During her 54 years on Lime Rock she is credited with saving 18 lives,<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.uscg.mil/history/people/IdaLewis.asp|title=USCG: Frequently Asked Questions|last=|first=|date=|website=www.uscg.mil|archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20091015104025/http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/IdaLewis.asp|archive-date=2009-10-15|dead-url=yes|access-date=3 August 2016}}</ref> although unofficial reports suggest the number may have been as high as 25. She kept no records of her lifesaving exploits. Lewis's fame spread quickly following the 1869 rescue, as a reporter was sent from the ''[[New-York Tribune]]'' to record her deeds. Articles also appeared in ''[[Harper's Weekly]]'' and [[Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper|''Leslie's'' magazine]], among others. The Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York sent her a silver medal. A parade was held in her honor in Newport on Independence Day, followed by the presentation of a sleek, mahogany rowboat with red velvet cushions, gold braid around the gunwales, and gold-plated oar-locks. When she was 64, Lewis became a life beneficiary of the [[Carnegie Hero Fund]], receiving a monthly pension of $30. On July 16, 1881 she was awarded the rare and prestigious [[Gold Lifesaving Medal]] from the United States government for her daring rescue on February 4, 1881, of two soldiers from Fort Adams who had fallen through the ice while attempting to return to the fort on foot.<ref>[http://www.uscg.mil/history/awards/GoldLSM/4FEB1881.asp Ida Lewis-Wilson: Awarded 16 July 1881], U.S. Coast Guard Awards, November 17, 2014, retrieved October 22, 2015.</ref> During her lifetime, Lewis was called "the Bravest Woman in America" and her exploits were detailed in the national press. She met President [[Ulysses S. Grant]], Vice-President [[Schuyler Colfax]], General [[William Tecumseh Sherman]], and Admiral [[George Dewey]], in addition to many of the wealthy and prominent people who summered in Newport.<ref>Mary Louise Clifford and Candace Clifford, ''Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse Keepers'', Alexandria: Cypress Communications, 2001, excerpted in [http://www.ilyc.org/about_ida.html About Ms. Ida Lewis], Ida Lewis Yacht Club, retrieved October 22, 2015.</ref> Members of the [[Women's suffrage]] movement – including [[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]] – came to visit her and used her as an example of the inherent strength of women.<ref>{{cite journal | jstor=10.1086/676321 | doi=10.1086/676321 | title=To the Rescue: Picturing Ida Lewis | journal=Winterthur Portfolio | volume=48 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2014 |pages=75–104 | last=Adler |first=Margaret C. }}</ref> At least two pieces of music were named for her: the ''Ida Lewis Waltz'', and the ''Rescue Polka Mazurka''. Ida Lewis hats and scarves were sold. [[Image:Ida Lewis grave at Common Burying ground Newport RI.jpg|thumb|left|Ida Lewis' grave at the [[Common Burying Ground]]]] === Death === Her father amused himself by counting the people who came to the island to see Ida: there were often a hundred a day, and in one summer, there were 9,000. She also received numerous gifts, letters, and even marriage proposals. In 1870, she married Captain William Wilson of Black Rock, Connecticut, but they separated after two years. She spent most of her career alone at Lime Rock. Lewis made her last recorded rescue when she was 63. A friend was rowing out to the lighthouse, stood up in her boat, lost her balance, and fell into the water. Lewis rowed out to her and hauled her aboard. Lewis died of a stroke on October 24, 1911, at the age of 69.<ref name=":0" /> The bells of all the vessels in Newport Harbor tolled for her that night, and flags were at half-staff throughout Newport. More than 1,400 people viewed her body at the [[Thames Street Methodist Church]]. Among the crowd that gathered to pay its respects were several keepers: Charles Schoeneman, of the [[Newport Harbor Light]]; Charles Curtis of the [[Rose Island Light]], O. F. Kirby of [[Gull Rocks Light]]; and Edward Fogerty of the [[Brenton Reef Light]]ship. The captain and crew of a local life-saving station in Newport were also present. Ida Lewis was buried in the [[Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery|Common Burying Ground]], in a prominent location, so her grave can be seen by passers by.<ref>{{Find a Grave|7919955|Ida Zorada Lewis}}</ref> ==Gold Lifesaving Medal Citation== ''Rescuing from drowning at various times at least thirteen persons, and particularly for the rescue of two soldiers who had broken through the ice near Lime Rock on the afternoon of February 4, 1881.'' ==Legacy== In 1924 the Rhode Island legislature officially changed the name of Lime Rock to Ida Lewis Rock. The lighthouse service changed the name of the Lime Rock Lighthouse to the [[Ida Lewis Rock Light]]house — the only such honor ever paid to a keeper in the United States. It is now the clubhouse of the [[Ida Lewis Yacht Club]]. The burgee of the Ida Lewis Yacht Club features a lighthouse with 18 stars representing the 18 people rescued by Ida Lewis.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jeffreys|first1=C. P. B.|title=Our History|url=http://www.ilyc.org/history|website=Ida Lewis Yacht Club|accessdate=25 February 2017}}</ref> In 1995, the [[United States Coast Guard]] named the first of a new class of [[buoy tender]]s for Ida Lewis. The USCGC ''Ida Lewis'' (WLM-551), the lead ship of the 175' [[Keeper-class cutter|Keeper class]], is currently stationed at [[Middletown, Rhode Island]]. The folk song "Lighthouse Keeper"<ref>{{cite web|title=Lighthouse Keeper|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwfTpknZh9U|accessdate=25 February 2017}}</ref> by Neptune's Car<ref>{{cite web|url=http://NeptunesCar.com|title=Neptune's Car|accessdate=25 February 2017}}</ref> was inspired by the experiences of women lighthouse tenders including Lewis, [[Katherine Walker]], and [[Abbie Burgess]]. Ida Lewis' Gold Lifesaving Medal, along with two other medals awarded to her and other artifacts, are in the collections of the Newport Historical Society. In 2017, a [[Google Doodle]] commemorated her 175th birthday.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/doodles/ida-lewis-175th-birthday|title=Ida Lewis' 175th Birthday|last=|first=|date=|website=Google Doodle|publication-date=February 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225010336/https://www.google.com/doodles/ida-lewis-175th-birthday|archive-date=2017-02-25|dead-url=yes|accessdate=February 25, 2017}}</ref> The same day, the [[United States Coast Guard]] Northeast division posted a [[Twitter|tweet]] honoring her birthday; it was later re-tweeted by the US Coast Guard main handle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/USCGNortheast/status/835500798847000577|title=USCGNortheast on Twitter: 'Happy 175th Birthday to lighthouse Keeper Ida Lewis, 'Bravest Woman in America' credited with 25 lives saved in #rhodeisland. #AlwaysReady'|last=|first=|date=|website=Twitter|publication-date=February 25, 2017|accessdate=February 25, 2017}}</ref> In 2018, Ida Lewis became the first woman to have a road named after her at [[Arlington National Cemetery]]; the road is called Lewis Drive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/45432816 |title=Ida Lewis: Lighthouse heroine gets Arlington honour - BBC News |publisher=Bbc.com |date=2018-09-06 |accessdate=2018-09-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvidshub.net/image/4708566/first-road-named-marine-unveiled-arlington |title=DVIDS - Images - First Road Named for a Marine Unveiled at Arlington [Image 3 of 5&#93; |publisher=Dvidshub.net |date=2018-09-06 |accessdate=2018-09-10}}</ref> ==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Lighthouses}}}} * [[Grace Darling]] * [[Katherine Walker]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * Lenore Skomal, ''The Keeper of Lime Rock'', Philadelphia: Running Press, 2002, {{ISBN|0-7624-1309-3}}. ==External links== {{Commons category|Ida Lewis (lighthouse keeper)}} * [https://www.uscg.mil/history/people/IdaLewis.asp Coast Guard bio] * [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/CoastGuard/USCGCIdaLewis.htm Cutter Coat of Arms] * [http://www.ilyc.org/Content/Welcome.aspx Ida Lewis Yacht Club] * [http://imslp.org/wiki/User:Clark_Kimberling/Historical_Notes_1 Scroll to "Ida Lewis Rescue,"] music published in 1869, "Respectfully dedicated ...to Miss Ida Lewis," shown on the cover "in costume as in the rescue of March 26, 1865." * [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/ohim/wmntrans2.pdf Women in Transportation – scroll to Ida Lewis] * [http://www.lighthouse.cc/limerock/ New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Guide] * [http://seamenschurch.org/sites/default/files/LSBA%20finding%20aid.pdf/ Lifesaving Benevolent Association of New York Records] * [http://unitedstateslighthouses.com/news-and-stories/17-life-as-a-lighthouse-keeper.html Ida Lewis - Life as a Lighthouse Keeper - United States Lighthouses] {{Rhode Island Women's Hall of Fame}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Ida}} [[Category:1842 births]] [[Category:1911 deaths]] [[Category:People from Newport, Rhode Island]] [[Category:American lighthouse keepers]] [[Category:Women lighthouse keepers]] [[Category:Recipients of the Gold Lifesaving Medal]] [[Category:Burials at Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery]]'