Captain Ron Burkhard is a freelance writer, author, and historian, with a passion for preserving shoreline history, specifically related to the Pointe aux Barques region – both on land and beneath the waters of Lake Huron.

Captain Ron joined the Guardian as a contributing writer in 2001, and over the years, he also served as a rotating writer for the column titled Sunken History & Maritime Treasures.

Readers now enjoy Captain Ron’s Chronicles, monthly dedicated space where he shares stories about shoreline lighthouses and life-saving stations, as well as highlighting the lighthouse and station keepers who contributed to the historical significance of Michigan’s shoreline communities. Captain Ron’s firsthand research reveals his dedication to documenting the facts, which in turn provides a historical narrative guaranteed to educate – and often intrigue!

Captain Ron Burkhard is the author of The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse: A Comprehensive History Written by a Native Son, which is available for sale at the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Museum gift shop. To share life-saving station information or article feedback, you may reach the author at 231-313-7085.