Records of the U.S. Life-Saving Service

The U.S. Life-Saving Service (USLSS) was a forerunner of the U.S. Coast Guard. As its name suggests, it was dedicated to saving the lives of people shipwrecked off U.S. shores. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) houses records documenting both the USLSS's activities and its employees. These records are found in Record Group 26, Records of the United States Coast Guard, and are located at multiple NARA research facilities.

Historical Overview

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Photograph of a group of men guiding a U.S. Life Saving Service vessel out to sea at Cape Henry

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The USLSS was officially organized under the Treasury Department in 1878. Prior to the Treasury Department assuming authority, life-saving services were conducted mostly on a volunteer basis.

Several early acts by Congress provided authorization for support to vessels and persons needing assistance, but the first appropriations for such services were authorized in 1847. These appropriations included the establishment of life-saving stations. In 1854 additional stations were added, in 1870 authorization for employment of surfmen was provided, and in 1872 life-saving stations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island were included.

Prior to the Treasury Department organizing the USLSS, many aspects of operations and oversight were handled by the Revenue Marine Services, as officers of that service performed inspections and other duties that the superintendent required. A Board for the USLSS was formed in 1872, and the service then had a General Superintendent and an Assistant Superintendent of Construction of its own.

In 1915, when the USLSS merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the Coast Guard, it encompassed 13 Districts across the continental United States.

Examples of Records

Records of the USLSS are found in Record Group 26, Records of the United States Coast Guard, and are located at multiple NARA research facilities. The National Archives Catalog provides descriptions of these records and the custodial units that house them; see National Archives Identifier 10485999. For a list of NARA research facilities, please see Visit Us.

Select USLSS records at the National Archives in Washington, DC (Archives 1), are listed below. For questions about these records, please contact the Archives 1 Reference Branch at archives1reference@nara.gov.

•  Logbooks of the U.S. Life-Saving Service

• "Personnel Records, 1898–1915" (National Archives Identifier 5717086)

• "Service Card Records, 1900–1915" (National Archives Identifier 5717230)

• "Registers of Employees, 1871–1913" (National Archives Identifier 6706716)

• "Record of Applications and Engagements of Surfmen, 1897–1898" (National Archives Identifier 2217645)

• "Articles of Engagement for Surfmen, 1878–1914" (National Archives Identifier 2217651)

• "Records of Medals Awarded, 1876–1944" (Microfilm Publication M2136; National Archives Identifier 2217630)