It is surprising that today most citizens are unaware of the history and extraordinary feats of the crews of the United States Life-Saving Service. The service during its official life of 44 years, before becoming part of the U. S. Coast Guard in 1915, was credited with going to the aid of over 178,000 persons in peril on the water. Life-Saving stations were located on beaches along the Atlantic, the Gulf, on the Mississippi, the Great lakes and on the Pacific as far north as Alaska as well as the several floating facilities.

In contrast, every school child studies the rides through the western territories of the Pony Express, which operated for only about one and a half years, concluding in October, 1861.

Over a decade earlier, in 1849, the first efforts were made by our national government to establish a procedure for preventing the numerous shipwrecks and aiding shipwreck victims. As early as 1787, those living along the coast in the Massachusetts colony established a volunteer effort to rescue and aid the shipwrecked. The Massachusetts Humane Society continues to this day.

Congressman William Newell of New Jersey, with the support of a former President, John Quincy Adams, was successful in adding an amendment to a Lighthouse bill, appropriating $10,000 for establishing eight boathouses on the northern New Jersey coast from Sandy Hook to Little Egg Harbor.

About every ten miles, the simple 1 1/2 story 16' x 28' boathouses were constructed, containing "surfboats, rockets and carronades" for the protecting life and property along the coast. By the fall of 1849, these unmanned facilities were in operation, and Congress immediately approved $20,000 more to expand the service--eight houses on Long Island and six more in New Jersey. In the early 1850s,boathouse were located from Rhode Island to North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Texas, and by 1854 on the Great Lakes.

In 1853, a superintendent was appointed for the Atlantic and Lake shores and for the first time Keepers in charge of the stations were paid. During the Civil War years, there was little interest in the needs of this service and by 1869, after a series of shipwrecks, surfmen at alternate stations were offered pay.

1871 was a turning point in the Life-Saving Establishment, for in that year, Sumner I. (Increase) Kimball was appointed civilian head of the Revenue Marine Bureau, which was responsible for the Life-Saving operations. He was a young lawyer from Maine, who had earlier come to Washington and been appointed to the Bureau by President Lincoln. Kimball immediately requested an evaluation of each station's equipment, personnel and procedures. The final report proved disheartening, for due partly to a lack of supervision, much government provided life-saving equipment was broken, missing or being misused. Some keepers were ineffective and many surfmen were poorly trained. Boathouse routines and procedures appeared to be only as good as the effectiveness of the keeper.

As a result of this evaluation, Kimball swiftly instituted uniform procedures and life-saving drills, removed and replaced unsatisfactory keepers, and obtained Congressional support and funds to increase and improve stations and equipment.

After the winter of 1870-71, when particularly vicious storms ripped into the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, causing great loss of life and property, the public caused an outcry, finally realizing the need for the protection of the life of the men at sea and their ships and cargo. This cry produced a turning point in the history of the life-saving establishment. Congress, in 1871, appropriated $100,000. to build and equip new stations along the coast. By 1874, the stations were expanded to include the coast of Maine and ten locations south of Cape Henry, VA, including the outer banks of North Carolina. The next year, additional stations were built on Delmarva, the Great Lakes, and the coast of Florida. Eventually, the Gulf and West Coasts would be included, as well as a floating station on the Ohio River at Louisville, KY, and a boathouse at Nome, Alaska Territory.

The Delmarva Life-Saving stations which opened in 1875 were Green Run and Assateague Beach, both on Assateague Island. Additional boathouses were located on Hog, Cobb and Smith Islands in Virginia. Indian River Inlet (still standing) and Cape Henlopen stations in Delaware followed the next year. Opening in 1878 were Rehoboth Beach, Pope's Island, and on Christmas Day the Ocean City station. The Pope's Island station on Assateague was just south of the MD-VA line, and not as originally plotted, in Maryland.

By 1878, life-saving stations were mushrooming throughout the country. Congress authorized the construction of three types of stations: the full Life-Saving Station - built along the Atlantic and areas on the Great Lakes, the Lifeboat Station - found near deep water ports on the Great Lakes and the west coast, and Houses of Refuge - along the warmer south Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Publications of the day were filled with the many heroic rescues performed by life-saving crews. The U.S. Life-Saving Service was finally designated as a separate agency in the Treasury Department in 1878. Sumner Increase Kimball was selected as the General Superintendent and held this office until the end of the Life-Saving Service in 1915, and the formation of the Coast Guard.