From the head of the York River near West Point, around New Point and up Chesapeake Bay to entrances of the Rappahannock River, at one time eight lighthouses guarded our local waters.

The York River had Bells Rock, near West Point; Pages Rock, near Coke; York Spit and Tue Marshes at the mouth of the York; Mathews had New Point, at the division of the Mobjack Bay from the Chesapeake; and Wolf Trap, marking a shoal off Mathews County. Just up the bay, Middlesex and Lancaster counties had Stingray Point and Windmill Point lighthouses, on the south and north sides of the mouth of the Rappahannock River.

Eight lighthouses. A century ago, a vessel coming up Mobjack Bay would look for their beacons and listen for their foghorns to avoid trouble.

Today’s navigators have GPS, radar and detailed charts with which to find the multiple day beacons and night beacons on local waters. Yesterday’s skippers watched out for the lights.

Bells Rock: Bells Rock was located in the York River ne...