Ida Lewis was born in Newport, RI in February of 1842. The daughter of the appointed keeper of Lime Rock Light, Ida helped her mother tend the light after her father suffered a stroke in 1857. With Lime Rock almost completely surrounded by water, Ida became a great swimmer, and would row her younger siblings to school every weekday and became very skilled at handling the heavy rowboat. Ida made her first rescue in 1854, assisting four men whose boat had capsized. She was only 12 years old. In 1881, the US government awarded Ida Lewis the Gold Lifesaving Medal for her rescue of two soldiers from Fort Adams in March of 1869. The two men fell through the ice while attempting to return to the fort over the frozen harbor. Lewis was the first woman awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal. And we didn’t even mention her job as keeper of Lime Rock Light!

Want to learn more about Lifesaving AND Ida Lewis? Visit the museum on Saturday, August 5, 2023 for a book signing and talk about Ida - 11:00am - 1:00pm. Pre-registration is required.