Joseph Hindley and his daughter Betty. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.

Joseph Hindley had a long career as a lighthouse keeper that spanned from the late 1920s to 1972, when he retired as the last civilian keeper in the New England region. He served at offshore stations early in his career: Whale Rock (RI), Butler Flats (MA), and Sakonnet Point (RI). He and his family spent six years at Gay Head Light Station on Martha’s Vineyard, and then 16 years at Nobska Point Light Station on Cape Cod.

Betty Hindley Hatzikon in front of the first-order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse, now at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.

This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in Light Hearted episode 99 in January 2021, featuring reminiscences of life at the lights with Betty Hindley Hatzikon, Joseph Hindley’s daughter.