The Yaquina Head Light, also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

on the

Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast is a coastal region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Oregon Coast Range to the east, and stretches approximately from the California state border in the south to the Columbia ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, established in 1873. It is located in Lincoln County, near the mouth of the

Yaquina River The Yaquina River ( ) is a stream, long, on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains an area of the Central Oregon Coast Range west of the Willamette Valley near Newport. It rises in the mountains west of Corvallis along the c ...

near Newport at

Yaquina Head Yaquina Head ( ) is a headland extending into the Pacific Ocean north of Newport, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the site of the Yaquina Head Light, and is managed as Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area by the Bureau of Land Management. I ...

. The tower stands tall, and is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon.

History

Made in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1868 and shipped to Oregon, Yaquina Head Light was first lit August 20, 1873, and automated in 1966. It is active with an identifying

light characteristic A light characteristic is all of the properties that make a particular navigational light identifiable. Graphical and textual descriptions of navigational light sequences and colours are displayed on nautical charts and in Light Lists with the cha ...

of two seconds on, two seconds off, two seconds on, and 14 seconds off. A two-story keepers' dwelling was built at the time the lighthouse tower and its adjoining oil house were constructed. In 1923, a one-story keepers' house was added a short distance to the east. In 1938, a one-story building replaced the original two-story dwelling. Both dwellings and all outbuildings (a shed, a garage, etc.) were then demolished in 1984. The space is now a grassy area. Yaquina Head typically had three lighthouse keepers under the U.S. Lighthouse Service; a Head Keeper, and First and Second Assistant. The Head Keeper as well as the First Assistant usually stayed in the two-story keepers' dwelling with their families and the Second Assistant was usually a bachelor. In 1939 the

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mul ...

took over the management. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, 17 servicemen were stationed at Yaquina Head to keep a lookout for enemy ships. The lighthouse still uses its original 1868 French-made, 1st order, Fixed

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

, visible out to sea. In 1993, the lighthouse was listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

(reference number #73002340).

Film and television location

The lighthouse was used as the setting for the "Moesko Island Lighthouse" in the 2002 film '' The Ring''. It had already appeared in an earlier film, ''Hysterical'' (1983), and ''The Nancy Drew Mysteries'' 1977 television series episode "The Mystery of Pirate's Cove".

Yaquina Head Interpretive Center

The site was established by Congress as an Outstanding Natural Area in 1980. The

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

manages the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, including the lighthouse. The Yaquina Head Interpretive Center opened in 1997 and includes exhibits about the history and preservation of the lighthouse, and the marine life found in

tide pools A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only at low tide. Many tide pool habitats are home to especially adaptable animals that ...

and along the coast. The Center includes a gift shop. The lighthouse lantern is operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors offshore bird rookeries and wildlife. The

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, issues hunting and ...

manages the intertidal animals, and the Oregon Department of State Lands is responsible for the intertidal lands. Lighthouse tours are available. Space on these tours is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Interpretive Center desk.

References

External links

Yaquina Head BLM SiteFriends of Yaquina Lighthouses - Yaquina Head Light
- museum and tour information {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1873 Newport, Oregon Oregon Coast Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Lighthouse museums in Oregon Museums in Lincoln County, Oregon Transportation buildings and structures in Lincoln County, Oregon National Register of Historic Places in Lincoln County, Oregon

History

Film and television location

Yaquina Head Interpretive Center

See also

References

External links