Photo by Alex Powers

The Friends of Umpqua River Light are planning for an impressive display of local lighthouse memorabilia and photographs as part of the 116th birthday celebration for the lighthouse Sept. 24-25.

‘It is our intent to raise public consciousness about the sentinel that has protected our shores for years, and in the process, to preserve our cultural heritage by forming partnerships for the continued maintenance and preservation of the Umpqua River Lighthouse,” said Jim Akre, a member of both the Friends and the advisory board for the museum.

The celebration will include a symposium with presentations and speakers — including lampist and lighthouse historian Jim Woodward and other historians and mariners. Also on hand will be local, state and national experts on lighthouse legends and lore, shipwrecks, the U.S. Life Saving Service and the Coast Guard.

Organizers also are planning for lighthouse and museum tours, plein air artist workshops, family scavenger hunts and the announcement of the winners of this summer’s lighthouse photography contest.

A fundraising buffet dinner at the Winchester Bay Community Center will wrap up the two-day celebration on Saturday night.

For more information on the lens, the lighthouse or on joining the Friends of Umpqua River Light, visit friendsofumpquariverlight.weebly.com.

By Lori Newman

The Heceta Head lighthouse is considered a Class II Private, which means the Coast Guard no longer owns or operates the lighthouse. However, if a bulb were to go out, the Coast Guard must be notified because the lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation. Photo by Lou Sennick

Two white flashes welcome guests to the historic Heceta Head lighthouse in Florence.

The lighthouse was built in 1894 to guide sailors through the 120 miles of darkness and shallow water known as Heceta Banks.

What was originally home to lighthouse keepers is now a bed-and-breakfast guests can enjoy year round. With a fully automated first-order English Fresnel lens, a trail along the Oregon Coast connecting to Carl G. Washburne State Park, and natural caves and tide pools, Heceta Head offers an abundance of coastal history.

Named for explorer

Heceta Head bears the name of Spanish sailor Bruno Heceta, the first person to chart the waters between Cape Arago and Yaquina Head in 1775.

Construction of the lighthouse began in 1892 and was completed in 1894.

The roads, tunnels and bridges that bring guests to the lighthouse were built as an afterthought. Travelers and builders had to trek the beach for 10 miles and travel an additional two miles inland to Florence, where they would then reach the lighthouse.

The $80,000 project included a house for the keeper and family, duplex housing for the keeper’s assistants, a barn, and two kerosene-storage buildings.

Home sold for scrap

The implementation of electric lights over kerosene lamps eliminated the need for three light keepers. The head keeper moved into the duplex with the assistant keeper, leaving the single house empty.

The home was sold for $10, then destroyed for scrap lumber.

The lighthouse’s guiding light is a revolving Fresnel lens made by Chance Brothers of England, one of three in the United States to be made by the Chance Brothers.

Lighthouse keepers had to wind the revolving lens every four hours to keep it going. The lens has eight panels comprised of 392 crown glass prisms that are 2 inches thick.

Rooms with views

The Queen Anne-style bed-and-breakfast attracts guests from across the country. The former home of the lighthouse keeper offers six unique bedrooms.

The Mariner I and II rooms overlook the Pacific Ocean and offer the sound of waves crashing over the rocks and dramatic sunsets, all from the comfort of bed. The light keeper’s room offers an exclusive view of the lighthouse.

Guests can experience the life of the lighthouse keepers in what is known as Victoria’s Room.

By Nia Towne

The Cape Arago Lighthouse, shown in this 1999 photo, once lit the way for ships entering and leaving the mouth of Coos Bay. It's no longer accessible to the public, and its solar-powered beacon went permanently dark in 2006. World File Photo by Lou Sennick

Located on the Cape Arago Highway south of Charleston, the Cape Arago Lighthouse is no longer functional or accessible to the public. The bridge that once gave access has long since deteriorated, and the solar-powered lights and beacon went permanently dark in January 2006.

The lighthouse once was essential to local navigation. It was constructed on Chief’s Island in 1866 to guide coal and timber hauling ships in and out of the bustling harbor.

The first bridge was built in 1878. After many storms and replacements, it was updated in 1891 with a cable tramway. A stronger, higher bridge was completed in 1889.

The lighthouse has actually been three successive lighthouses, each replaced as time and weather took their toll. The last remaining building is lighthouse No. 3, a concrete structure built in 1934. It was cared for by the U.S. Coast Guard until 1966, when operations became automated.

Along with its lighthouse history, Chief’s Island is a sacred site to members of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians. Federal legislation in 2008 gave the tribes control of the property, in return for it available for appropriate educational, recreational and historic preservation purposes.

(Information from www.lighthousefriends.com.)

Photo by Lou Sennick

Hundreds of Harley riders agree: The grandeur of the Oregon Coast is best experienced on a hog.

On June 25 and 26, bikers will descend on the Bay Area for the 10th Annual Lighthouse Run, sponsored by Highway 101 Harley-Davidson.

The event will lead hundreds of motorheads as far south as Port Orford and as far north as Newport. They’ll make stops at the state’s storied and much-photographed lighthouses along the way, in hopes of scoring a winning poker hand.

Winners will collect cash prizes and a brand new Harley-Davidson.

Registration is from 4-8 p.m., Friday, June 25, at The Mill Casino-Hotel.

Event packets will include T-shirts, pins, meal tickets, raffle tickets and promotional items. This also is your opportunity to purchase your poker hands for a chance at the winnings.

Photo by Lou Sennick

Friday includes a show-and-shine, a raffle drawing and no-host food and beverages, plus entertainment from an award-winning blues group, The Ty Curtis Band.

The run kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday with a group run to Umpqua Lighthouse in Winchester Bay. From there, riders can head north or south to poker stops and attractions.

Participants will reconvene at The Mill for dinner, awards presentations, giveaways and entertainment.

To participate:

Pre-registration at www.hdcoosbay.com
Cost: $60. After June 12, it’s $70.
Information: 541-266-7051

By Nate Traylor

Photo by Lou Sennick

When traveling to Cape Blanco State Park to see the historic lighthouse, don’t miss the nearby Patrick Hughes House, a historic late-Victorian house, kept as it would have been for the Hughes family.  

Hughes House tours are free, though donations are appreciated. Tours are available from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Sundays, April through Oct. 31.

Photo by Lou Sennick

Located off of U.S. Highway 101, just north of Port Orford at Cape Blanco State Park, the lighthouse is the most southern lighthouse in Oregon as well as the westernmost point in Oregon.

Put on your windbreaker. Some people claim it’s the windiest spot in Oregon, too.

It is also the highest lighthouse above the sea at 245 feet. What makes this lighthouse unique is the Fresnel lens, the only one in Oregon that people can see from the light tower.

In addition to the record-breaking location, the lighthouse also had notable lighthouse keepers. Mabel Bretherton was the first woman lightkeeper in Oregon (1903), and James Langlois’ name lives on as the name of nearby Langlois. Tours of the lighthouse cost $2 per adult, $1 for kids under 12, and $5 per family.