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.
No comments:
Post a Comment