Although today women continue to lag behind the male counterparts in pay. Female lightkeepers received the same pay as men.
In the United States, over 400 women served as lighthouse keepers. With five female keepers, New Canal Lighthouse may claim the record! Female lightkeepers received the same pay as men.
The current New Canal Lighthouse is a replica that was built after severe damage from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita in 2005. The pilings were destroyed but the lighthouse remained mostly intact until a cold front destroyed what was left of the lighthouse. The wood from the 1890 lighthouse is now a part of the current lighthouse. Through the efforts of the Lake Pontchartrain Foundation the lighthouse was restored and reopened in 2013.
New Canal Female light keepers: Elizabeth Beale 1847-49, Jane Discoll 1850-53, Mary Campbell 1869-93, Caroline Riddle 1893-1924, Margaret Norvell 1924-1932. Norvell served nearly 41 years.