Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco, Circa 1870 

There is just something mysterious and fascinating about lighthouses. My husband and I recently had to pleasure of visiting many of the Lighthouses along the Oregon coastline. The first lighthouse (as seen above) is the Cape Blanco lighthouse. 

"Cape Blanco is the most southern of Oregon's lights, and is the westernmost point in Oregon. Proposed in 1864, it was the first lighthouse in the state outfitted with a first-order Fresnel lens in 1870."

"Augustin Jean Fresnel (Freh-nel) made the greatest stride in lighthouse technology when he invented his optic system. Fresnel’s system used prisms to focus the light lost above and below the light source, back into a single beam of light. The light is focused through the center of the lens (drum panel or bulls-eye) creating a highly visible beam of light."

"This isolated lighthouse holds at least four Oregon records: it is the oldest continuously operating light, the most westerly, it has the highest focal plane above the sea, (256 feet), and Oregon’s first woman keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton signed on in March 1903."

"Cape Blanco’s history is full of shipwrecks and lives saved."

(The information quotes above are from the Port Orford Oregon website.For more historical information on the lighthouse just click on the link and it will take you to their website. Text © 2003 - 2008 -T. Hewitt)

Warm and friendly volunteers escort your tour through the old lighthouse.

The spiral staircase

What is it about old buildings? They are just kind of spooky!

 

Port Orford's beautiful coastline and friendly people make us look forward to   visiting there again! Thank You for another fabulous Oregon adventure :)