An Oregon Beauty - Cape Arago Lighthouse

Located near Charleston, OR, this present day lighthouse is the third to be built on this site. For a short time there were three lighthouses on the affectionately named "Lighthouse Island," which is 100-yards from mainland.

The first lighthouse was built here in 1866 and had a 25-foot truncated skeleton iron tower and wooden structure. It was only 100-feet above the sea and also became the replacement light for the Umpqua River Lighthouse, built in 1857 but destroyed by erosion from severe storms in 1861 and 1863. (In my book, The Wickie, you can read about these storms and the challenges they presented the Umpqua River light keepers.)

That first lighthouse was abandoned in 1908 after a new lighthouse was built at the opposite end of the small island. However, due to erosion of the island, the third lighthouse, pictured above, had to be constructed in 1933. This lighthouse is a modern building with reinforced concrete, and its tower is 44-feet tall. It is one of the last structures built on the Pacific Coast under authority of the Lighthouse Service.  The aforementioned 1908 lighthouse was moved a short distance and became the keepers office. It wasn't until 1937 that the original 1866 lighthouse was blown up to complete its demise.

In 1966, the light station was automated with a 1000 watt electric light which shined 24 hours a day through a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The light could be seen for 20 miles out to sea. The present lens was installed in 1998 and is solar powered. That original Fresnel lens is on display by the US Coast Guard North Bend.

At the time of my visit here in 2004, the island and lighthouse were not open to the public, but could be viewed from Sunset Bay State Park.

An Oregon Beauty - Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Located at Port Orford, OR, the Cape Blanco Lighthouse's conical tower rises 59-feet above the ground. It was built in 1870 at an initial construction cost of $100,000. This money was well spent in helping to insure safe travel for the mariners  for over 140-years now.

On the morning of my visit here in 1999, the lighthouse was surrounded by heavy fog, which I think adds to the beauty of this lighthouse and created a mysterious surrounding. At that time, this lighthouse held at least four Oregon records. (1) It is the oldest continuously operating light in OR. (2) The most westerly located lighthouse in OR. (3) The highest light above the sea at 256-feet, and (4) Mable E. Bretherton signed on in 1903 as the first woman assistant keeper in Oregon.

The light in the tower was automated in 1980 by the U.S. Coast Guard. Cape Blanco has the distinction of being the only  lighthouse in Oregon with an operating Fresnel lens where visitors are allowed into the lens room. In contrast, the Umpqua River Lighthouse has an operating Fresnel lens, however visitors there are limited to climbing up inside the lens, but only to shoulder height. At the time of my visit to Cape Blanco, the Lighthouse was managed by the Bureau of Land Management and local Native American tribes.

An Oregon Beauty - Umpqua River Lighthouse

The Umpqua River Lighthouse, located near Winchester Bay, OR is the second lighthouse of the same name to be built at this river. The first structure, built in 1857 on the north spit of the river, was the first lighthouse built on the Oregon coast. It fell into the river in 1861 after sand eroded from under the foundation. (Enjoy reading more about the Umpqua River Lighthouse and the challenges of the light keepers and their families in my book, The Wickie.)

This current lighthouse, built in 1894, continues to operate with its original first-order Fresnel lens at the top of the 65-foot tower. Note the white cover surrounding the lens in the lantern room. Read my book and learn about the cover. The lighthouse overlooks sand dunes and the mouth of Umpqua River from an elevation of 165-feet above the water on the south side of the bay. The picture below shows this landscape.

The light in the Umpqua River Lighthouse is maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, while the lighthouse, a museum, and gift shop are maintained by Douglas County.

The Heceta Head Lighthouse, which I posted last week, is considered to be a sister lighthouse of the Umpqua River Lighthouse because they, for the most part, are of identical design.

An Oregon Beauty - Heceta Head Lighthouse

Heceta Head Lighthouse, built in 1894, is located near Florence, OR. This lighthouse stands 205-feet above the ocean. The tower is 56-feet high and in 1963 its light at the top was automated. The beacon is visible for 21-miles out to sea and  is rated as the strongest light on the Oregon coast.

The Queen Anne style duplex, pictured below, was built to house two assistant light-keepers. The head light-keeper lived in a smaller house that once stood alongside of the duplex. The historic assistant keepers house, known as Heceta House, was built in 1893. At the times of my visits here in 1999, 2004 and 2005, the Heceta House offered bed and breakfast rentals and facilities for group events. The U.S. Coast Guard transferred responsibility for the building to the U.S. Forest Service.

An Oregon Beauty - Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Located near Newport, OR, the 93-foot tower on the Yaquina Head Lighthouse is the tallest on the Oregon coast. This lighthouse was built in 1873 and its light stands 162-feet above sea level. The now automated light serves as an aid to navigation along the seacoast and entrance to Yaquina Bay. The light from the first-order Fresnel lens is visible for 19-miles out to sea. The site and lighthouse are managed by the Bureau of Land Management while the lantern in the lighthouse is operated and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors off-shore bird rookeries and wildlife. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife manages intertidal animals, and the Oregon Department of State Land is responsible for the interdidal land. At the time of my visit here in 1999, these entities were all partners in protection and management of the lighthouse, surrounding land, fish, and wildlife in the area. This is an active lighthouse.