It began in 1848 and ultimately merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard in 1915.

The concept of assistance to shipwrecked mariners from shore-based stations began with volunteer lifesaving services, spearheaded by the Massachusetts Humane Society.

A sailing ship trying to help near to the shore stood a good chance of also running aground, especially if there were heavy onshore winds.

Under this act, the United States Congress appropriated $10,000 to establish unmanned lifesaving stations along the New Jersey coast south of New York Harbor and to provide "surf boat, rockets, carronades and other necessary apparatus for the better preservation of life and property from shipwreck on the coast of New Jersey".

[2] Still not officially recognized as a service, the system of stations languished until 1871 when Sumner Increase Kimball was appointed chief of the Treasury Department's Revenue Marine Division.

One of his first acts was to send Captain John Faunce of the Revenue Marine Service on an inspection tour of the lifesaving stations.

[2] By 1874, stations were added along the coast of Maine, Cape Cod, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Port Aransas, Texas.

In 1878, the network of lifesaving stations were formally organized as a separate agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, called the Life-Saving Service.

A paid keeper and a small boat were assigned to each house, but the organization did not include active manning and rescue attempts.