Maritime Madams: Ida Lewis

Ida Lewis (1842-1911) was an American lighthouse keeper for the Lime Rock Lighthouse, in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. She was renowned for her swimming and rowing skills which she employed to save the lives of many civilians, most famously, the lives of two soldiers in 1869. 

For Further Reading: 

• Ida Lewis—Lighthouse Keeper, Lifesaver and “The Bravest Woman in America” 
• Lime Rock Lighthouse (Ida Lewis Lighthouse) - Rhode Island
• Ida Lewis, "The Bravest Woman in America"
• New-York Tribune - “Ida Lewis: The Grace Darling of America 

This month, we’re talking about Maritime Madams. Whether through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed the power of the bodies of waters that cover our earth. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Wamanica. This month we're talking about maritime Madams. Whether
through scientific study, aquatic exploration, or legendary prowess, they harnessed
the power of the bodies of water that cover our earth.
On March twenty ninth, eighteen sixty nine, Newport, Rhode Island
faced a treacherous storm. A torrent of rain and snow

(00:24):
pummeled the harbor. Two unlucky soldiers, having already lost their
guide to the raging waters, clung to the hull of
a capsized boat. Panicked, freezing, and nearly unconscious. The men
prepared to meet their maker, that is until another boat
came beating toward them, with the shadowy figure of a
woman at its bow. Let's say ahoy to the guardian

(00:46):
Angel of Newport. Ida Lewis. Ida was born Ida Wally
Zeradia Lewis on February twenty fifth, eighteen forty two, in Newport,
Rhode Island. Her father was appointed as keeper of the
Lime Rock Lighthouse during Ida's childhood. Limerock consisted of a
cluster of limestone boulders a couple hundred yards from the

(01:07):
shore to the left sat the charming city of Newport.
To the right sat Fort Adams, a military stronghold. And
it was right there on Limerock that Ida and her
family lived in a square, two story brick house. Ida
was a strong swimmer and could often be found rowing
around the harbor in her free time. Her father taught

(01:28):
her how to save someone from drowning. She regularly accompanied
him in his work and as a result became an
accomplished oarswoman with working knowledge of lighthouse operations. This training
proved crucial for Ida. In eighteen fifty seven, her father
had a stroke. As a result, he became unable to
fulfill keeper duties. Ida's mother assumed his position, but with

(01:50):
her husband and four children to take care of, times
were tough. Ida, merely a teen at the time, was
the eldest of her siblings and stepped in to help.
She rode her two younger brothers to shore for school
each day. As for the lighthouse, Ida kept it running
day in and day out. Like clockwork. Ida went to
the top of the lighthouse tower and filled its lamp

(02:11):
with oil at sundown and midnight. Every morning, she extinguished
the lamp and made sure its wick was trimmed In
the nineteenth century, lighthouse keeping was one of few non
clerical federal jobs open to women. The principal duties of
lighthouse keepers lamp lighting, lighthouse maintenance, and watching the coastline,
were seen as domestic tasks that didn't disrupt traditional conceptions

(02:34):
of feminine responsibility. But Ida took the role in a
different direction, defying expectations for what a woman could do.
Let's go back to March twenty ninth, eighteen sixty nine.
The whole of Newport was shrouded in a storm. Ida
and her family hunkered down in their home, but Ida's
mother decided to check the lighthouse's lamp supply before locking

(02:56):
up for the night. Gazing out past the falling rain
and snow, she spotted an overturned boat with two men
clinging to its sides. Terrified, she called out to her daughter.
Ida sprang into action, raced outside and down the rocks,
and hopped in her boat. With her brother close behind.
Ida pulled the oars against the raging waves with brute force,

(03:17):
plowing toward the two army soldiers. When she reached them,
her arms ached and her fingers were numb. Nevertheless, she
dragged the soldiers into the boat. With the help of
her brother. Wearily, Ida rowed the boat, now made heavier,
with two additional passengers, back to Limerock. Both men stayed
the night in Ida's family's home and were nursed back

(03:39):
to health. That was just one of Ida's rescues. In
her lifetime, Ida saved more than a dozen people onofficial
records reported as many as thirty six. She'd completed her
first rescue at the age of sixteen, but the eighteen
sixty nine rescue turned her into an overnight sensation thanks
to newspapers reprinting the story and Ida's image across the country.

(04:02):
She appeared on the covers of national magazines, newspapers, postcards, hats,
and collectibles. On July fourth, eighteen sixty nine, when the
rest of the nation celebrated Independence Day, the city of
Newport celebrated Ida Lewis Day. Ida continued to receive gifts
and accolades throughout her career, though in her personal life

(04:22):
she was quite shy and tried to stay out of
the public eye. In eighteen seventy nine, long after her
lighthouse keeping duties had begun, Ida was officially appointed keeper
of the Lime Rock lighthouse. She eventually became the highest
paid lighthouse keeper in the nation. While she was timid
in the limelight, she continued to be assertive at sea,
performing her last rescue in her sixties. Ida died on

(04:45):
October twenty fourth, nineteen eleven. Her body was rowed across
Newport Harbor for her burial, carrying her from her beloved
post for the last time. It's a post that you
can still visit today, but if you do, you won't
find the Lime Rock. Instead, you'll find the Ida Lewis
Rock Lighthouse in its place. All month, we're talking about

(05:07):
maritime Madams. For more information, find us on Facebook and
Instagram at Wamanica Podcast special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my
favorite sister and co creator. Talk to you tomorrow