Oregon Lighthouses

Oregon Coast Lighthouses

Of the nine original lighthouses on the Oregon Coast, seven are open to the public and most are still active. If you time it right, you'll get to go inside, take a tour, maybe go up the stairs to the watch room or even higher to the lantern room.

And there are two privately built lighthouses both of which are certified by the U.S. Coast Guard as official private aides to navigation. Neither is open to the public.

These 11 sentinels of the coast, revered by locals, sought by tourists, and seen far and wide in photos, each have a story to tell.

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Tillamook Rock Light is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States, located one mile offshore from Tillamook Head. It is visible from Seaside, Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park. Nicknamed "Terrible Tilly" (or Tillie), for its situation in the stormy Pacific Ocean, this decommissioned lighthouse was built in 1881. The structure has attached keeper's quarters and a 62-foot tower that originally housed a first-order fresnel lens 133 feet above sea level. The light was visible 18 miles out to sea.






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Storms continually damaged the structure, and once smashed the glass windows in the tower, damaging the lens. The lighthouse was shut down in 1957 and replaced with a whistle buoy, having become the most expensive U.S. lighthouse to operate.

The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.






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In 1980 the lighthouse was purchased by a group of investors and converted to a private columbarium. Access to the site is severely limited, with a helicopter landing the only way to access the rock, and is off limits even to the owners during the nesting season. After interring about 30 urns, the license was pulled in 1999 by the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board and was rejected upon reapplication in 2005. The board says the owners have not kept accurate records and, because urns sit on boards and concrete blocks and not in niches, the lighthouse does not even qualify as a columbarium.

Works cited:

American Psychological Association (APA):
Tillamook_Rock_Light. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from : Reference.com website

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
Tillamook_Rock_Light. Reference.com. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (accessed: May 30, 2008).

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"Tillamook_Rock_Light." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 30 May. 2008. Reference.com .

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These are some photo's of the Cape Blanco Light - Lighthouse in Port Orford, select any to see them full sized

Cape Blanco Light

Construction of the light
In a deed recorded in 1867, John D. and Mary West sold the United States a 47.3 acre tract of land. The Light-House board determined that the offshore reef and islands at Cape Blanco were dangerous to maritime commerce; therefore, a lighthouse was authorized for construction.
Over the next three years, the lighthouse was constructed under the direction of Lt. Col. Robert Stockton Williamson. Supplies were ordered and shipped to the cape. Bricks were deemed cheaper if made onsite, so a brickmaker was located and a deal was struck with Rancher Patrick Hughes for access to materials required.






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Keepers
Many keepers followed Burnap, the most notable were James Langlois and James Hughes who served as keepers for 42 and 38 years respectively. James Langlois raised a large family. James Hughes, son of neighboring rancher Patrick Hughes, raised two girls.
For many years, Keeper Langlois requested additional housing for the station. With his large family, the Hughes family, and the other families that came and went, the duplex was just too crowded. His requests went unanswered until 1909 when Head Keepers' quarters were constructed.






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James Hughes found his own solution before the government responded. James owned land across the Sixes River from his father and quickly constructed a home for his family, moving from the lighthouse about the same time they finished additional lighthouse quarters. James continued to work at the lighthouse, commuting to assume his duties.

Life was difficult on the cape, which experiences constant high winds during the spring and summer and severe storms in winter. The weather kept the keepers busy with continual repairs and painting. Despite the hardship, both Langlois and Hughes stayed there until retirement.

Works cited:

American Psychological Association (APA):
Cape_Blanco_Light. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from Reference.com website: Cape_Blanco_Light

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
Cape_Blanco_Light. Reference.com. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cape_Blanco_Light. Reference.com (accessed: May 30, 2008).

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"Cape_Blanco_Light." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 30 May. 2008. "Cape_Blanco_Light." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Umpqua River Lighthouse
Winchester Bay, Oregon






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At the entrance to Winchester Bay and at the mouth of the Umpqua River, stands a sentinel of the ocean, casting its red and white beams of light some 20 miles out to sea. The 65-foot tower is situated on a hill 100 feet above sea level surrounded by US Coast Guard buildings and a Museum.

An earlier light structure, the first on the Oregon Coast, was built in 1857 on the south side of the river. It fell into the swollen water seven years later during a storm when the water eroded away the sand.

The current lighthouse was started in 1890 and was illuminated in 1894. It is the sister lighthouse to the one at Heceta Head just a few miles north of Florence. Both structures were built from the same plans.

If you would be interested in being a tour guide for the Umpqua River Lighthouse, please call: 541-271-4631

The Umpqua Light shines through a first order Fresnel lens made of 616 glass prisms handcrafted in France and weighing two tons.

It is a beautiful display of fine craftsmanship and produces a spectacular colored light show at dusk. This is especially true if there is a very light mist in the air. The light rotates out to sea and on the trees behind it on the landward side. The light shines 24 hours a day, but visit after dark or before sunrise, if you possibly can. As you enter Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, down a winding road, the light's rainbow beacon rotates through the tall pines with alternating white, white and red beams. The 65 foot tower is brick covered with white stucco, but you will not be able to take you eyes off this fantastic lens.

The lens assembly was originally turned by a clockwork mechanism much like a grandfather clock, powered by a huge weight which had to be wound up by the lightkeeper every four hours.

This motive power is now performed by an electric motor and monitored by sophisticated equipment, which notifies the Coast Guard station if a malfunction occurs.

The original oil lamp has been replaced with a high powered 1,000 watt electric bulb. A spare bulb is mounted on a panel, which automatically moves it into place should the first one burn out.

In November of 1983 the old chariot wheel mechanism that rotates the light broke down. The Coast Guard promptly installed an airport beacon on the tower and made plans to remove the original lens. Local residents launched a storm of protest until the Coast Guard relented and repaired the rotating apparatus.

The lighthouse was restored by the US Coast Guard and is maintained by them.

Ed St. John, former Tour Guide and Caretaker of the Umpqua River Lighthouse until 2002
1020 Lighthouse Road, Winchester Bay, Oregon

Winter Tours available by pre-arrangement - 541-271-4631

Lighthouse Tours:

May 1 through October 30

Daily:

10 am to 4 pm

UMPQUA RIVER LIGHTHOUSE

LOCATION: Six miles south of Reedsport above the entrance to Winchester Bay. Although the lighthouse is located near the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, it is operated by the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department.

SIZE: The 65-foot tower is surrounded by Coast Guard living quarters.

HOURS: The lighthouse is open for eight-person tours from May 1 to October 30. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm daily.

HISTORY: The lighthouse opened in 1894 and is one of five still operating on the Oregon Coast. It's red flash is the only colored signal on the Oregon Coast. The present light is the second on the Umpqua River. The first, built closer to the river in 1857, fell into the river seven years later.

Umpqua River Lighthouse Viewed From the North Jetty

An earlier structure, commissioned on the north spit of the river in 1857, was the first lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. It fell into the river in 1864 after sand eroded under the foundation.

The current lighthouse, identical in design to the one at Heceta Head, was illuminated in 1894 and stands above the entrance to Winchester Bay.

NEARBY: The tower overlooks the Oregon Dunes, a popular recreation destination for all types of beach activities. Camping is at the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park and county parks at Windy Cove in Winchester Bay. RV sites are available at The Marina Resort.

The structure and museum are maintained by Douglas County Parks, which offers tours.

Built in 1894 it shines a guiding light to all mariners. The conical tower rises 65 feet from the ground. The Lighthouse stands 165 feet above sea level. The lens is 5 feet in diameter, 10 feet high and weighs 2 tons. It consists of 800 prisms, hand cut in Paris, France in 1890. It is visible for 19 miles seaward. The signal is 2 white flashes followed by 1 red. The original cost of the Lighthouse was $50,000.

Works cited:
Umpqua River Lighthouse
Winchester Bay, Oregon

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Heceta Head Light is a lighthouse located on the Oregon Coast 14 miles (23 km) north of Florence, Oregon, United States. It is located at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint (a state park) midway up a 205-foot (63 m) tall headland.

(Painting of Heceta Head Lighthouse by Idaho Artist Linda Hoxie)

Built in 1894, the 56-foot (17 m) tall lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 miles (34 km), making it the strongest light on the Oregon Coast.
The light is maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, while the assistant lighthouse keepers' house, operated as a bed and breakfast, is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The lighthouse is two miles away from Sea Lion Caves.






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Heceta Head is named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century.

The lighthouse and the keepers' quarters were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its architectural and engineering significance. The site originally included several other buildings-farm buildings and the single-family head lighthouse keeper's house, which was demolished in 1940. The remaining keepers' house was a duplex that housed the first and second assistant lighthouse keepers and their families. After the light was automated in 1963, the last keepers moved away and the remaining house was leased to Lane Community College in 1970 by the U.S. Forest Service, which had taken over management of the building. The porch of the Queen Anne-style house underwent restoration in 1981.






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The Yaquina Head Light






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also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located in Lincoln County, near the mouth of the Yaquina River near Newport at Yaquina Head. Built from 1871 to 1873, it was automated in 1966 and is currently an active aid to navigation.

It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 as reference number #73002340.

Yaquina Head is a spit of land jutting out into the Pacific Ocean north of the American city of Newport, Oregon. It is the site of the Yaquina Head Light, and is managed as Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

A trail leads to the beach on the south side, visible on the right of the top photo.






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The recreation.gov site below cites:

Jutting into the Pacific Ocean, this harsh, unforgiving environment hosts many forms of life. Harbor seals and whales are visible offshore year-round. In spring and summer, thousands of seabirds flock to the near-shore islands to breed and raise their young. At low tide, you can observe pools filled with intertidal life. Oregon's tallest and second-oldest lighthouse has illuminated this promontory since 1873. Archaeologists have also discovered evidence of Native American visits to the site. Yaquina Head is managed by BLM to protect its scenic, scientific, educational and recreational values.

Works cited:

American Psychological Association (APA):
Yaquina_Head. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 30, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Yaquina_Head

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
Yaquina_Head. Reference.com. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Yaquina_Head (accessed: May 30, 2008).

Modern Language Association (MLA):
"Yaquina_Head." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 30 May. 2008. /www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Yaquina_Head>.






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The Yaquina Bay Light,
is a lighthouse built in 1871-soon after the founding of the city of Newport, Oregon, United States. Located on the north side of the Yaquina Bay in Newport, it was only active for three years due to the establishment of the Yaquina Head Light in 1873, located three miles north of Yaquina Bay. The bay lighthouse was decommissioned in 1874 because the proximity of the two lights caused problems for offshore shipping and boating traffic.

In 1888, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began to use the lighthouse as a living quarters while it built the North and South Jetties at the mouth of Yaquina Bay. The United States Coast Guard later used the lighthouse as lookout and living quarters from 1906 to 1915, before moving to their more central quarters just above the busy Newport bayfront. During this period, the Coast Guard also built the eight-story steel observation tower that continues to stand next to the original lighthouse.






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In 1934, the Oregon State Highway Division bought the property around the lighthouse for a state park. The park site included the lighthouse, coast guard observation tower, and acres of forested bluff, ocean dunes and beaches.

The Yaquina Bay structure is the only existing lighthouse in the state in which the living quarters are housed in the same building as the light. Only a few of this type were built on the entire Pacific Coast. It is reputed to be haunted, along with the keepers' house at Heceta Head Light and Tillamook Rock Light.

Works cited:

wikipedia.com

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The Cape Meares Light,
is an inactive lighthouse on the coast of Oregon. It is located on Cape Meares just south of Tillamook Bay.

The lighthouse was first lit in 1890 and was deactivated in 1963. When it was built, the lighthouse complex included 2 keeper's houses, which was demolished in 1968, 2 oil houses, and 2 cisterns. Later additions included an 1895 workroom attached to the tower and a 1934 garage.

The light was replaced by a newer tower in 1963.

It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 as reference number #73002341, and is open to the public.

CAPE MEARES STATE SCENIC VIEWPOINT






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A must-see when driving the Three Capes Scenic route, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint is situated on a headland 200 feet above the ocean. Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda are the other two capes on this route. Cape Meares provides an excellent view of the largest colony of nesting common murres (the site is one of the most populous colonies of nesting sea birds on the continent). Bald eagles and a peregrine falcon have also been known to nest near here.

The park features tours of an 1890s lighthouse, the Sally Jacobson Interpretive kiosk and interpretive panels at key viewpoints. Cape Meares has over 3 miles of hiking trails and a mile-long walking trail that winds through old-growth spruce trees (including the uniquely-shaped Octopus Tree). In winter and spring, this park is an excellent location for viewing whale migrations.

Cape Meares Lighthouse
Open April 1-30, 11 a.m-4 p.m., Thursday-Sunday. May 1-Oct. 31, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. Free admission. The Friends of Cape Meares is accepting entries for their annual photo contest. For more information, go to the Friends of Cape Meares photo contest webpage.

Vital stats

There is no fee to use this park. For information, call 1-800-551-6949.

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Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse

Where: South of Yachats, off Highway 101, just below Cape Perpetua

Height: 34 feet tall, 110 feet above sea level

Built: In 1976, as part of a private home. The pyramidal wooden tower is a replica of the former 1898 Fiddle Reef Lighthouse, Oak Bay, near Victoria, British Columbia, and is built on an Indian shell mound or midden, where Indians feasted on mussels and clams for centuries.

Light: The power beacon produces 80,000 candlepower on white flashes and 12,000 cp on red; it is visible 16 miles to sea and officially is termed a secondary navigation source. The light originally was used by the Canadian Coast Guard at Solander Island, off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Public Access: The privately owned and built lighthouse is visible from Highway 101 but is not open to the public.

Name: The name is taken from the hymn "He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock," by Fanny J. Crosby.

History: The lighthouse was built as part of the home of James Gibbs, who was stationed at the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in 1945-46 and a longtime lighthouse and shipwreck historian and maritime author. The Canadian tower that inspired this reconstruction has since been replaced by a navigation aide but once housed an entire family. Modern visitors find it a tight squeeze.

Here is a great article from the statesman journal
"Life
OREGON COAST
Life in a lighthouse
Nautical artifacts fill this privately owned lighthouse visible from Highway 101
BY RON COWAN %u2022 Statesman Journal

September 25, 2005
Correction: Because of a reporter's error, the distances between Yachats and adjacent towns was incorrect in the orginal version of this story. Yachats is about 25 miles from Newport and 25 miles from Florence. This is the corrected version.

YACHATS -- Some of Oregon's lighthouses are close enough to touch and welcome visitors who savor their history and ambience.

Others are like the legendary sirens of the sea, so near and yet so far, such as Tillamook Rock, isolated on a craggy piece of basalt off the Oregon Coast, or Cape Arago, precipitously clinging to an eroding islet banned to the public.

The Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse is even more tantalizing.

Although located at the foot of the popular headland known as Cape Perpetua, close to busy Highway 101, this pyramidal-shaped lighthouse is a private home not open to the public.

The stunning setting, overlooking the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean and set amid picturesque green trees and foliage, makes it very inviting.

If visitors knew what was inside the lighthouse and adjoining home, they would be even more eager to visit.

Cleft of the Rock is the home of James Gibbs, who not only built his 34-foot tall lighthouse in the mold of a bygone Canadian beacon, but filled the structure and his home with the artifacts, beacons and assorted equipment of old lighthouses and ships.

If there were a lighthouse museum, it would look like this.

"We used to have tons of people come up here," he said. "It's easily accessible, but it got to be a headache after a while."

Now 83, he welcomes only the occasional journalist and seems to want to hear others' stories as well as share his own.

Gibbs, co-author of "Oregon's Seacoast Lighthouses" and other books, bought this 5-acre setting in 1973, building his home and lighthouse in 1976.

Nowadays, with the boom in coast building, he complains that he is land rich and money poor.

Born in Seattle and raised on Queen Anne Hill overlooking Elliott Bay, Gibbs fell in love with lighthouses at age 11.

"It kind of catches on," he said.

"It's a little bit of everything. They're about as close to a church as you can get."

They have towers, and they save people, said Gibbs, who took the name of his lighthouse from an old hymn.

"So there's kind of a correlation there," he said.

"I think one thing just leads to another."

Gibbs previously built another private lighthouse in 1967, the Skunk Bay Lighthouse on the North Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, using a lantern house from an old lighthouse.

He also had first-hand experience at a working lighthouse.

After attending the University of Washington, Gibbs joined the Coast Guard during World War II and was assigned in 1945-46 to the old Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, long since de-commissioned.

"At that time, I was in my 20s, and all the other men were in their 60s and 70s," Gibbs said.

"When I went to Tillamook, it was the first time I was in the service."

During the war, he also served in beach patrol detachments in Rockaway and Pacific City, organized to guard against Japanese invasion. Also before service at Tillamook Rock, he went to sea duty on an active class patrol cutter.

Gibbs' love of the sea endured after his 4 1/2 years in the Coast Guard.

"I've never been out of the sight of saltwater all my life," he said. "I'm grateful for that."

Gibbs was employed, mostly as editor, at the Marine Digest in Seattle for 20 years and also lived in Bellevue, Wash., and Maui, Hawaii, before making his home in Yachats with his late wife, Cherie.

Over the years, he authored 17 books on lighthouses, ships and shipwrecks and served as president of the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society.

All those years and interests seem to have stuck to him like metal to a magnet, judging by the dozens of artifacts in his home, not counting the numerous collectibles he has given to museums.

"Last year, I gave away 300 glass floats," he said.

"The things I've kept have a story to them."

There are Japanese glass floats and a large wheel from the Tugboat Katy poised against the large windows overlooking the ocean -- it's supposedly haunted, as the wheel is known to sometimes turn on its own.

The tiny lighthouse has railings that came from the former keeper's house at Yaquina Head Lighthouse.

In the downstairs of the lighthouse, there is an 1880 dustpan from the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, a utility box from Heceta Head Lighthouse and a stopwatch from the Columbia River Lightship. Brass oil cans came from Tillamook Rock and Heceta Head.

There is a binnacle and compass from a German cargo ship and sidelights from a four-masted schooner.

There is even a metal crank from the Point Sur Lighthouse in California.

A homey sign in the little lighthouse reads, "God said, Let There be Light."

The front door has two old ship's portholes.

"It's very quaint," Gibbs said. "You have a little of everything here.

"I guess I'm the biggest relic. Most of the old keepers have died. There's very few of them left."

The living room in his tidy, attractive house is called the "wreck room," with photos of old shipwrecks. There are French-manufactured classic lenses, one salvaged from a junk yard.

There is a big, 250-year-old metal anchor, metal compasses and binnacles (the compass housing) and what he calls a $5,000 ship's bell from the excursion ship the Princess Kathleen in Alaska.

The ship went aground while carrying passengers, then sank when the tide rose again the next day, Gibbs said.

An unlucky entrepreneur purchased salvage rights for $5,000, but all his men were able to retrieve was the ship's bell.

Gibbs later obtained the bell for $25 from an investor in the ill-fated project.

In the back of the house is Grigg's bedroom, but the bed is really a bunk, now covered in an American flag that once flew over the Yachats Post Office, which was saved from the Battleship USS Oregon.

The ship served with distinction in the Spanish-American War before being disassembled for its metal.

The wooden bunk, with its below-bed chests and attached desk, was in a superior officer's compartment near the wheel house.

The bed is not mere decoration.

"That's the only bed I have in the house," Gibbs said.

The story of the sea is one of love and loss, and for Gibbs, the sea has been both.

His beloved dog Anchor, a chocolate Labrador mix, was a mascot of the lighthouse for 10 years and considered a splendid water dog.

Anchor was on a beach under the perpendicular rock face of the cape on a January day in 1987 when a seething surf sent a mammoth, 25-foot sneaker wave toward the beach. The dog was slammed against the cliff, the backwash carrying her out to sea.

Five days later, her body washed back to land, carried into the rocks of Deadman Cove, directly below the lighthouse.

Gibbs buried Anchor in a grave in front of the house, overlooking the sea, adding another layer of history to a site already filled with it.

Although visitors can't get close to Cleft of the Rock, they still can enjoy the shores of Yachats, a small town known for its fine dining, atmospheric motels and a rocky coastline that can produce spectacular effects during winter storms.

The town, known as "the gem of the Oregon Coast," has a quiet village atmosphere but a quirky attitude reflected in the offbeat events, from mushroom fests to alternative lifestyle fairs, staged at the Yachats Commons to the casual lifestyle.

The name Yachats, pronounced YAH-hots, is derived from the Chinook Indian word, Yahuts, meaning dark water at the foot of the mountain.

rcowan@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6728

Yachats
Where: Yachats is about 25 miles from Newport and 25 miles from Florence, on the Central Oregon Coast on Highway 101

Information: Yachats Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center is at 241 U.S. Highway 101, call (541) 547-3530 or (800) 929-0477

Camping: The U.S. Forest Service operates an interpretive center and campground (open through September) at Cape Perpetua Scenic Area south of

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The Cape Arago Light,






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sometimes called the Cape Gregory Light is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, located in Coos County. It is more than a mile north of Cape Arago.

It is not accessible to the public and was decommissioned in 2006. It is visible from the Oregon Coast Trail between Sunset Bay State Park and Shore Acres State Park, and from Bastendorff Beach County Park.






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The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

You will have to view it from a distance, so please bring your binoculars and a large camera lense!






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Thomas Kinkade Victorian Light Lighthouse Figurine
Thomas Kinkade Collectible Crystalline Lighthouse Figurine Comes Alive with the Victorian Light of Peace! Exclusive Limited Edition - Overlooking rocky cliffs and torrential waves, there is a place of peace and comfort, and a light that never goes out. Celebrate the illuminating guidance of the majestic lighthouse with a first-of-a-kind Thomas Kinkade collectible figurine. With the sparkle of brilliant crystalline, this magnificent lighthouse figurine unites a beautiful 3-D sculpture with the inspiring 2-D art of the Painter of Light(TM)Available exclusively from The Hamilton Collection, this unique Thomas Kinkade collectible lighthouse figurine is handcrafted in fine artist's resin and crystalline by skilled artisans and hand-painted with brilliant detail. Mr. Kinkade's comforting painting of a Victorian farm and lighthouse is gloriously reproduced across the cottage facade, accented with meditative words of encouragement and a realistic wave-swept shoreline. Makes a shining Thomas Kinkade collectible or gift. Edition is limited. Order now! *** Express Shipping Available ***


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Coquille River Light,






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is a lighthouse located in Bandon, Oregon, United States. Commissioned in 1896, the light guided mariners to find the dangerous bar at the mouth of the Coquille River. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1939, following the last of improvements to the river channel. It is currently maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department as part of Bullards Beach State Park.






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Work cited: reference.com

Description: The area around the present-day town of Bandon was inhabited by the Coquille Indians, before white settlers started to arrive in 1850. The town site was settled in 1853 and was first called Averill. After the arrival of several immigrants from Bandon, Ireland in 1873, the town's name was changed to Bandon in 1874.

Adjacent to the town, the Coquille River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The river extends inland a great distance, and was a natural link to the virgin stands of timber in the area. The bar at the mouth of the river, formed by the interaction of the river and ocean, was a major obstacle for the ships entering the river. At times, only a few feet of water would cover the bar, but still vessels attempted to navigate the river in hopes of reaping the rewards that lay upstream. In 1880, Congress passed a bill providing for the construction of a jetty on the south side of the river's entrance. The jetty created a clear channel in the river, prompting a rapid rise in the number of ships entering the river.






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A Coquille River Lighthouse was the next logical step for improving navigation at the river's mouth. The lighthouse would act as both a coastal light and a harbor light. A bill authorizing its construction was passed in 1891, but it would be four years before land was purchased, plans were solidified, and the construction crew arrived on site.

The workers first leveled the top of Rackleff Rock to provide a base for the lighthouse and oil house. Local stone was cut to form the structure's foundation, while the lighthouse itself was built of brick, covered with a layer of stucco. The design was unique with a cylindrical tower attached to the east side of an elongated, octagonal room, which housed the fog signal equipment and had a large trumpet protruding from its western wall.

A long, wooden walkway connected the lighthouse to the keepers' dwelling, 650 feet away. The dwelling was a one-and-one-half story duplex, and a barn was located 150 feet beyond the dwelling. Two keepers, both transferred in from Heceta Head, took up residence at the new station during the first part of 1896. The fourth-order Fresnel lens was first shown from the tower on February 29, 1896. A snowstorm settled in the next day, necessitating the first use of the fog signal.

In the late 1910s, Oscar Langlois became a keeper at the lighthouse. He was born at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse, where his father was serving as principal keeper. Choosing the same career for himself, Oscar accepted his first assignment to the Cape Arago Lighthouse in 1905. There, he met his wife, Marie Amundsen, daughter of the principal keeper.

During Langlois' lengthy service at the Coquille River Lighthouse, a forest fire swept into Bandon in 1936 and consumed all but sixteen of the towns' 500 buildings. The lighthouse, separated from the fire by a water barrier, was not damaged. However, ash and soot found its way into the lighthouse requiring extra work from the keepers, who also provided shelter for some of the now homeless residents of Bandon.

In 1939, the Coast Guard took responsibility for the lighthouse and decided it was no longer needed. An automated beacon was placed at the end of the south jetty, the dwelling was disassembled, and the lighthouse was abandoned. The Bandon Lighthouse stood neglected for twenty-four years, until Bullards Beach State Park was created on the north side of the river. The grounds of the original 11-acre light station were included in the park, and the park assumed responsibility for the lighthouse.

The damage inflicted on the lighthouse by time and vandals was too much for the park system to reverse by itself. A joint restoration effort involving Oregon State Parks and the Army Corps of Engineers was launched in 1976. The roof was repaired, bricks were replaced, and the lighthouse received a fresh coat of paint before it was opened to the public.

As part of the Bandon centennial celebration in 1991, a solar-powered light was placed in the tower. The lighthouse is further illuminated in December, when it is decorated with festive lights.

Violent winter storms deposit piles of drift wood on the beach near the lighthouse and have eaten away at the lighthouse's foundation. To correct this problem, a restoration effort, costing over $600,000, was carried out during the summer of 2007. The project included removing damaged stucco, repainting the exterior, replacing the roof, adding a false chimney, and repairing copper flashing. The colors used to paint the lighthouse were reportedly found on some older layers of stucco, but some locals strongly oppose the new color scheme and insist that white is the historically accurate color.

Photo Gallery: 1

References

Umbrella Guide to Oregon Lighthouses, Sharlene and Ted Nelson, 1994.
Lighthouses of the Pacific, Jim Gibbs, 1986.

work cited: Lighthouse Friends.com

Thomas Kinkade Beacon Of Hope Personalized Lighthouse Pendant Necklace
Thomas Kinkade Personalized Lighthouse Pendant Necklace! Unique Jewelry Gift To Celebrate Your Faith and Family - In most families, it's the mother or grandmother who shines as a beacon of hope for the children or grandchildren who depend on her loving care. Now a lighthouse pendant inspired by the radiant artistry of Thomas Kinkade, available only from Ashton-Drake, lets you create a personalized tribute to the guiding light of your family. The Thomas Kinkade Beacon of Hope Personalized Lighthouse Pendant is an exclusive jewelry design crafted in solid sterling silver with elegant touches of 18K-gold plating. In this inspiring design, the lighthouse symbolizes the watchful care of a parent or grandparent. A graceful wave curls above the lighthouse, sparkling with genuine birthstones representing the children or grandchildren who feel safe under her nurturing gaze. You may specify up to 7 genuine precious gemstones to grace your pendant, which is individually handcrafted for you. You'll want to wear this Thomas Kinkade personalized lighthouse pendant nestled close to your heart every day. What a unique personalized gift for someone special! Strong demand is expected for this custom-made jewelry - an exceptional value for craftsmanship of this caliber. Order now! *** Express Shipping Available ***


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Pelican Bay Lighthouse
stands above a bluff 141 feet above the Chetco River. It's Oregon's newest light and the state's second residence to be designated a private aid to navigation by the Coast Guard. Bill and JoAnn Cady each grew up by the sea and Bill's father was a light keeper. In his father's 37-year career, Bill lived at lightstations in California at Cape Mendocino, Point Loma, and Trinidad in Northern California. The Cady's built their lighthouse/home but ended up moving the lighthouse portion to a different location and rebuilding the house part. The original location had new development restrict their view. After settling into their second location, they began to seriously think about installing a working light. After much research, they installed a light with a range of 11 nautical miles that goes on at dusk and off at dawn. The Coast Guard commissioned it officially on July 4, 1999.
Directions to View the Lighthouse: Pelican Bay is not open to the public. From Highway 101 from the north, turn right at the south end of the Chetco River Bridge onto Lower Harbor Road. From Highway 191 from the south, turn left at the first signal north of California/Oregon stateline (Benham Road), and travel to the boat basin.

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The Lightship Columbia WLV 604, OR






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When LV 50 was towed to the Columbia River Lightship Station on April 11, 1892, it became the first active lightship on the west coast. In 1979, eighty-six years after the establishment of the station, a large navigational buoy (LNB) replaced WLV 606, and the last lightship serving on the west coast was retired.
LV 50 was a wooden-hulled vessel constructed in San Francisco and housed two coal-fired boilers, which produced steam for a twelve-inch fog whistle. Three oil lamp lenses, used to alert vessels at night, topped the ship's two masts. The ship had no engine for propulsion, but was equipped with sails in case the anchor chain, which held the vessel at a position roughly five miles west of the Columbia River's mouth, broke.
During a severe storm on the evening of November 28,1899, the chain did break. The crew quickly set the sails and kept the vessel from grounding. After several attempts to tow the ship to safety failed the next day, the vessel was intentionally grounded at McKenzie Head near Cape Disappointment. Eighteen months later, after the ship was successfully hauled 700 yards overland, LV 50 was launched into Baker Bay in the Columbia River. The ship returned to station in August of 1901, after a trip to Portland for repairs.
In 1909 LV 88, a steel-hulled ship driven by a steam-powered propeller, replaced the wooden lightship. During her time on station, LV 88 received several enhancements. The ship was outfitted with a radio in 1920, and a radio beacon in 1925. Electric lights replaced her kerosene lamps in 1927, and the steam engine was upgraded with a diesel electric engine in the 1930s. In 1939, LV 88 swapped stations with LV 93, which was serving at Washington's Umatilla Station and was constructed with the same general plans as LV 88. LV 88 served at Umatilla Station until 1959, followed by one year of service as a relief lightship before she was retired. During World War II, LV 88 left her station, was outfitted with a 3" gun, and served as an examination vessel.
LV 93 served at the Columbia River station until 1951, when WAL 604 was assigned to the station. WAL 604 was originally staffed with a crew of sixteen. The crew was divided into three groups. Each group worked forty-two days on followed by twenty-one days off, and the groups were scheduled so that two groups were on the ship at all times.
Joseph McCarthy served two stints on the lightship: as a seaman from 1951 to 1953, and as captain from 1966 to 1967. During his first years of service, the men entertained themselves by reading books, fishing, and playing an awful lot of pinochle and a little cribbage.

Porcelain Lighthouse Plates Set
Famous lighthouses (Cape Hatteras, Boston Harbor, Assateague) are depicted on this fine example of nautical art. Three 8 inch diameter porcelain plates are held in a metal, wall-mount rack. 10 1/4 inch x 2 inch x 30 3/4 inch high. Set


Porcelain Lighthouse Plates Set

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