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Lighthouse A Local Beacon For 150 Years

Tribune photo by JULIE BUSCH

Tom Watson walks to the Egmont Key lighthouse built in 1858. Watson is the Florida State Parks assistant park manager and the only person who lives on the island.

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TBO.com

Published: November 9, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The Egmont Key Alliance hosted a party Saturday to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the island lighthouse at the mouth of Tampa Bay.

The alliance is a citizen support group that works on the protection and restoration of the island and the historic lighthouse, which continues to serve as a navigational guide. Egmont Key is part of Florida's state parks system.

The invited guests and speakers Saturday included representatives from the park service, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Tampa Bay Historical Center and the Florida Lighthouse Association.

"The Egmont Key Alliance's time and support have made this event a great success in celebrating the value of the lighthouse to Egmont Key," Florida Park Service Director Mike Bullock said in a news release.

Congress authorized construction of the Egmont Key Lighthouse when Florida was admitted as a state in 1845. Shortly after, it was destroyed by a hurricane and replaced by the current lighthouse in 1858.

The lighthouse is one of the state's few historic sites still used for its original purpose.

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