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In 1871, a harbor light was established at the mouth of
Yaquina Bay, near the town of Newport. By sea, the bay was
frequented by ships transporting lumber and oysters to California.
By land, a wagon road connected Yaquina Bay with Corvallis.
The lighthouse was built on 36 acres purchased by the government from
Lester and Sophronia Baldwin for $500. The two-story structure
had a living room, kitchen, dining room, work shop, store room,
four upstairs bedrooms, and a small watch room for the keeper
directly below the tower.
The 51-foot tower attached to the residence housed
a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The light was visible for 11 miles.
The first and only keeper at Yaquina Bay was Charles Peirce.
Peirce had been a captain in the US army. After leaving the
army, he was appointed keeper at isolated
Cape Blanco. Peirce and
his wife Sarah had nine children when they arrived at Yaquina
Bay (although the eldest did not accompany the family, and
another died in infancy). A tenth child was born during their
stay at the lighthouse.
Yaquina Bay was active for only three years.
In 1874, a more powerful lighthouse was built at
Yaquina Head,
just four miles north of Yaquina Bay. The Yaquina Bay lighthouse
was discontinued, and the Peirces returned to
Cape Blanco.
The lighthouse served various functions after the station closed.
From 1888-1896, the Army Corps of Engineers used the lighthouse
as housing during the construction of jetties at the bay
entrance. The dwelling was used as quarters and a lookout
for the US Lifesaving Service from 1906-1933. Public
bath houses were built near the lighthouse in 1911.
After 1934, the lighthouse fell into the hands of the Oregon
State Highway Commission. The Civilian Conservation Corps
made several improvements to the surrounding grounds from
1934-1936, but the building fell into disrepair. In 1946,
plans were made to raze the structure.
Local opposition saved the lighthouse. In 1948, the Lincoln County
Historical Society was created to save the lighthouse. However,
funding for the project was tenuous at best, and the future of
the lighthouse remained in doubt until 1955, when the highway
commission committed to preserving the lighthouse by providing
a small amount of money for some repairs. The lighthouse was
later leased from the Oregon State Parks to
the Lincoln County Historical Society.
Limited restoration work was performed until 1974, when the Oregon
State Parks began a major renovation at an estimated cost of
$75,000-$80,000. The building was beautifully restored, and furnished
with items loaned from the Oregon Historical Society.
A 250mm modern optic, donated by lighthouse historian
Jim Gibbs, was installed in 1996. Today, the
Yaquina Bay lighthouse is managed by Yaquina Lights Inc., a
non-profit organization and the Oregon State Parks and Recreation
Department. The light serves as a private aid to navigation.
In 2001, an engineering firm was hired to assess Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.
The assessment found considerable dry rot. Sections of siding and
framing had to be replaced. The work was completed in 2002 at a cost of
over $25,000.
Oregon's Seacoast Lighthouses, Gibbs pp. 127-129, 132
Umbrella Guide to Oregon Lighthouses, Nelson pp. 41, 44
Yaquina Lighthouses On the Oregon Coast, Wall pp. 36-37, 45, 63, 66-67
Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast (video)
Yaquina Lights, Fall/Winter 2002 Newsletter
Lighthouse Digest November 2005
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