G. R. (George Rockwell) Putnam

Born in 1865, George Rockwell Putnam was an American engineer, writer, and public servant whose name is closely linked with the history of U.S. lighthouses. He served as the first commissioner of the reorganized United States Lighthouse Service in 1910 and remained a central figure in that work for many years.

Putnam also wrote about the subject for general readers. He is credited on works including Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States and Sentinel of the Coasts, books that helped preserve the history and human drama of lighthouse keeping in America.

What makes his writing especially interesting is that it comes from direct experience as well as research. Rather than sounding distant or academic, his work reflects a practical understanding of navigation, coastal safety, and the people who kept lights burning along the shore.