Coquille River Lighthouse
by Marty Fancy
Title
Coquille River Lighthouse
Artist
Marty Fancy
Medium
Photograph
Description
Coquille River Lighthouse in Bullards Beach State Park at Bandon, Oregon.
The area around the present-day town of Bandon was inhabited by the Coquille Indians when white settlers started to arrive in 1850. The town site was settled in 1853 and initially called Averill, but a year after the arrival of several immigrants from Bandon, Ireland in 1873, the town's name was changed to Bandon.
Adjacent to the town, the Coquille River empties into the Pacific Ocean. The river extends inland a great distance and was a natural link to the virgin stands of timber in the area, but the bar at the mouth of the river, formed by the interaction of the river and ocean, was a major obstacle for ships entering the river. At times, only a few feet of water would cover the bar, but vessels still attempted to navigate the river in hopes of reaping the rewards that lay upstream. In 1880, Congress passed a bill funding the construction of a jetty on the south side of the river's entrance that created a deep channel, resulting in a rapid rise in the number of ships entering the river.
A lighthouse at the entrance to Coquille River was the next logical step for improving navigation, and in 1890 the Lighthouse Board used the following language to request funds for it.
A light of the fourth order with a fog-signal, at this point, would enable vessels bound into the river to hold on close to the bar during the night so that they would be in a position to cross at the next high water. The light would also serve as a coast light and would be of much service to vessels bound up and down the river.
Congress appropriated $50,000 for the project on March 3, 1891, but it would be four years before land was purchased, plans were solidified, and the construction crew was assembled.
In 1939, the Coast Guard assumed responsibility for Coquille River Lighthouse and decided it was no longer needed. An automated beacon was placed at the end of the south jetty, the dwelling was disassembled, and the lighthouse was abandoned. The lighthouse stood neglected for twenty-four years, until Bullards Beach State Park was created on the north side of the river. The grounds of the original eleven-acre light station were included in the park, and the park assumed responsibility for the lighthouse.
The damage inflicted on the lighthouse by time and vandals was too much for the park system to reverse by itself, but a joint restoration effort involving the state and the Army Corps of Engineers was launched in 1976. The lighthouse's roof was repaired, bricks were replaced, and the structure received a fresh coat of paint before it was opened to the public in 1979.
As part of the Bandon centennial celebration in 1991 (the city was incorporation in 1891), a solar-powered light was placed in the tower. The lighthouse is further illuminated in December, when it is decorated with festive lights.
Uploaded
October 5th, 2015
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