Photo: NuManDavid / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
At 93 feet, the tower at Yaquina Head is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. It was first lit in 1873, and for decades keepers and their families lived at the windy headland north of Newport.
The work
Keepers trimmed wicks, cleaned the lens and kept the light burning through the night. They also maintained the buildings and logged weather and passing ships. It was steady work in a remote spot.
Family life
Families lived in houses near the tower and depended on supply trips from Newport. Children grew up with the sound of the surf and the sight of the light turning every night.
Automation and today
The light was later automated, and the keepers left. Today the headland is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. Our visitor guide has more.
Dewey Albrecht covers the Port of Newport, commercial and sport fishing and the Yaquina Bay bar.
