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History of Fort Adams

^{llustration of Ida Lewis rowing by Phebe Ann Hanaford}

Idawalley Zoradia Lewis 1842 ~ 1911 (aged 69) Newport, Rhode Island

_{Accomplishments}

_{Illustration of Ida Lewis rowing by Phebe Ann Hanaford}

_{Lewis made her first rescue in 1854, coming to the assistance of four men whose boat had capsized. She was 12 years old.}
_{Her most famous rescue occurred on March 29, 1869. Two soldiers, Sgt. James Adams and Pvt. John McLaughlin, were passing through Newport Harbor toward Fort Adams in a small boat, guided by a 14-year-old boy who claimed to know his way through the harbor. A snowstorm was churning the harbor's waters, and the boat overturned. The two soldiers clung to it while the boy was lost, dying in the icy water. Lewis's mother saw the two in the water and called to Ida, who was suffering from a cold. Ida ran to her boat without taking the time to put on a coat or shoes. With the help of her younger brother, she was able to haul the two men into her boat and bring them to the lighthouse. On July 16, 1881, she was awarded the rare Cold Lifesaving Medal from the United States government – the first woman to receive it – for her rescue on February 4, 1881, of two soldiers from Fort Adams who had fallen through the ice while attempting to return to the fort on foot.}
_{Because of her many rescues, Lewis became the best-known lighthouse keeper of her day. During her 54 years on Lime Rock she is credited with saving 18 lives, although unofficial reports suggest the number may have been as high as 25. She kept no records of her lifesaving exploits. During her lifetime, Lewis was called "the Bravest Woman in America" and her exploits were detailed in the national press.}

_{- WIKIPEDIA}