#on this day in 1939, the long standing and dutiful #HillsboroLighthouse Assistant, Judge Becton Isler retired. This sadly marked the last of the civilian lighthouse keepers here. Also on this date in 1836, our sister light, the #CapeFloridaLighthouse had her own sadness. Head Keeper John DuBose had sent his family to #KeyWest due to tensions with the local Seminoles, and fortunately for him, he too was there visiting with them. Long story short, the Seminoles were out for justice, but got the wrong people. They were after William Cooley who they thought was still at the Cape Florida lighthouse. Instead they found Assistant John WB Thompson and Aaron Carter, an African handyman. The two men were trapped in the tower and fought them off as best they could. The Seminoles waited till the sun began to set and started the ambush again, starting fires trying to bring the tower down. Carter was shot through a window and would die before the days end. Fire took the tower door and soon spread to stored oil in the tower, which became a chimney. Thompson began to roast at the top and decided to blowup the tower rather than suffer. Standing inside at the top, he dropped the bucket of black power (gun powder) to the bottom. A violent explosion erupted, but the tower stood. He continued to burn. Next he decided to jump from the tower. Standing on the searing hot deck, bullets whizzed past, he couldn’t do it. Instead he laid down to die. The Seminoles thought him dead, but rather was passed out. They ransacked the home and left hours later. Thompson miraculously awoke to see them leave. All night he lay atop the smouldering tower with no way to get down. The wooden staircase gone. The next morning the US navy schooner Motto arrived. They had heard the explosion, but no winds powered their sails, delaying their arrival. After numerous attempts, they successfully brought Thompson down, and took the shot, burnt man to The Marine hospital in Key West. Thompson lived a long life. This was the only native attack on an active US lighthouse. (Photo of destroyed station courtesy of the #NationalArchives) #hillsorobeach #pompanobeach #lighthousepoint #miami #florida #keybiscayne (at Hillsboro Lighthouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OR6u_H36B/?igshid=1a17p63apo9hd