In the unseasonably cool, 75-ish degree temperature, and amid the drizzle of rain, a hefty, energetic, appreciative crowd nearing several hundred, convened at G and First Streets, the old Sand Spit Beach corner.   They were in place to view the lighting of the Seahorse Key Light Station at 9:30 pm., an event last seen 104 years ago. This evening, with the help of many, the light beaconed for a full half hour, until 10 pm.

A brief ceremony, very much Cedar Key style, was held prior to the lighting of the station. Aboard a trailered, red-white-and-blue festooned, holiday-like lighted bird dog, several dignitaries welcomed, thanked, and explained the evening’s event.

First at the helm was Cedar Key Mayor Heath Davis, recalling his family’s “sailing into Cedar Key” and using the light station as “a point of reference” and a beacon “of hope and opportunity.” He expressed looking forward to “seeing the things that hey might have seen,” in the lighting of the station this evening.

Following Davis at the helm was Levy County Commissioner John Meeks who commented on how important the light station was to Levy County. He spoke of the station as a beacon of hope for the county in tourism, shellfish, and other industry.

Further he thanked the University of Florida and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Services Senior Vice President Jack Payne for the partnership with Levy County.

Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges Manager Andrew Gude spoke briefly reminding the city, community, and county attendees that the light station sits amid vast public, federal- and state-protected lands here in the Big Bend Nature Coast area. The area remains “the largest undeveloped coastline in the continental United States.” Gude’s comments brought rousing applause from the audience.

The UF Nature Coast Biological Station Director Mike Allen explained the process that made the relighting of the station light possible. Pivotal in the process was UF’s Mendy Allen, who sought, wrote, and managed the grant paying for the reconstruction of the replica light. Allen thanked the Refuge, which manages Seahorse Key and all the islands around it, for the space is allocates to the Biological Station for research. That UF /Refuge partnership was personified by UF’s Kenny McCain, accompanied by the Refuge’s Larry Woodward who were at Seahorse Key ready to flip the switch to light the station light.

The light station’s assistant light house tender Catherine Hobday was brought to life by Carol McQueen, dressed in period dress with speech patterns to match. McQueen invited all to visit her at her 1896 grave on Seahorse Key on Saturday to understand more history of the key and the era.

Closing the speaking portion of the event was Cedar Key Historical Society Executive Director Anna White Hodges. Gathering all attendees into a fulsome flash-mob, all sang the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

At 9:30 pm, perfectly as planned, the light station was lighted. The crowd was delighted. Sparklers, at least one hundred of them, lighted up the street while fireworks were set off from boats in the channel.

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