Walter G. Marshall

Brother of Keepers George W. Marshall, Thomas Marshall, William Marshall II, and Charles M. Marshall.

Father of Keepers Arthur S. Marshall, Frank W. Marshall and Joseph B. Marshall.

OBITUARY-The St. Ignace Enterprise-April 24, 1930
Captain Walter G. Marshall lighthouse keeper for more than 40 years prior to his retirement in 1919, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. H. W. Meyers, Grosse Point Farms, Wednesday morning following a two days illness with pneumonia. Captain Marshall was 81 years old. He was born on Mackinac Island May 16, 1849.
Captain Marshall was one of five brothers who found their way into lighthouse service. His father, an officer of the United States Army was in charge of the island for some time and one of his brothers was a keeper for many years, on the Mackinaw City Light. When he was 16 Walter ran away to become a sailor on the Great Lakes. After spending seven years before the mast, Captain Marshall entered the United States Lighthouse Service in 1872, serving at first on a tender. It was on this ship that he helped to haul the stone of which Spectacle Reef Light was built 24 miles from Mackinac. In 1882 he became third assistant keeper there. He was keeper at Detour from 1888 to 1898. During his service at the later station he was forced to spend 87 hours without relief, firing a furnace so that the foghorn might not cease blowing at the time.