Ida Lewis

First female lighthouse keeper who redefined gender roles in maritime rescue

Idawalley Zorada Lewis (1842-1911), better known as America's Bravest Woman, saved at least 18 lives during her 39 years as keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse in Rhode Island. Taking over duties at 15 when her father suffered a stroke, Lewis became the first professional female lighthouse keeper in U.S. history at 16 - a position she held until her death at 69.

Her most famous rescue occurred in 1869 when she rowed through winter storm waves to save two soldiers whose boat capsized. This daring act earned her the Gold Lifesaving Medal from Congress and national fame. Newspapers called her The Grace Darling of America, referencing the British lighthouse heroine. Lewis's celebrity became so widespread that President Ulysses S. Grant visited her lighthouse in 1869.

At a time when women couldn't vote and maritime work was strictly male-dominated, Lewis challenged Victorian norms by performing physically demanding rescues in heavy skirts. She maintained the lighthouse's five lamps, cleaned reflectors, and kept detailed logs while raising four siblings after her mother's death. The Coast Guard renamed Lime Rock Lighthouse in her honor in 1924, making it the only U.S. lighthouse named after a keeper. Modern Coast Guard vessels continue to carry her name as testament to her enduring legacy.